Patrick Main

342

Maureen Withey on 4th October 2025

Juvenile Depravity—High Court of Justiciary Yesterday came on the trial of Patrick Main, George Stewart, George Aitchison, and John McNicol. accused of theft and housebreaking, and of being habit and repute thieves, in so far as, on the 13th September 1817, they did wickedly and feloniously break into and enter the house Coates Crescent, in the parish of St Cuthbert's  county of Edinburgh, belonging to Philip Hay, Esq. of Balmakewan, but which was at the  time unoccupied, forcing asunder one of the stauncheons, or iron bars, of one of the lower back windows thereof, and violently breaking open the fastened shutters of the same; and they did all and each of them steal and theftuously carry away a vast quantity of ladies' and gentlemen's  wearing apparel, gold rings, napery, necklaces, bracelets, gold seals, and great variety of other articles. One of the pannels, Stewart, had hanged himself in prison since his indictment  was served upon him ; and John M'Nicol was outlawed for non-appearance, having made his escape from jail. Main and Aitchison, and the others named in the indictment, the eldest of whom is only years of age, are part of a numerous band of young depredators, who have long infested Edinburgh, and for whom the punishment in the bridewell which they had frequently experienced, seemed to have no terrors, and several of whom have been recently transported  for various offences. The fact of the robbery was distinctly proved against the prisoners, chiefly by the evidence of their their accomplices; from which it appeared that they had gone out and into the house for several weeks, carrying off articles of value ; and that they frequently spent nights in it, .. rousing, and afterwards deliberately put themselves down to sleep in the beds. The Jury returned a verdict unanimously finding both pannels guilty of the crimes libelled, but Aitchison Guilty of being habit and repute a thief. Thereafter the Chancellor of stated, that the Jury, a majority, almost amounting to unanimity, recommended Aitchison to mercy. Mr. Drummond craved the judgment of the Court. Lord Gillies stated  stated, that this was a most melancholy and distressing case, for it was a lamentable fact, that the greater part of   the crimes committed in this country by youthful depredators, of which the members who had lately appeared at the bar were most woeful examples. Lord Hermand proceeded to pass sentence of death upon the prisoners, when a scene of the utmost distress  presented itself. The prisoners cried most piteously and, when desired to stand up, they fell down. below the bar. After some minutes delay, they were supported by the Police-officers, And Lord Hermand after a suitable admonition, in delivering which he seemed to be extremely agitated, and was often interrupted by the cries and lamentations of the prisoners, sentenced them to be executed at Edinburgh, on Wednesday, the 29th of  of April next. The prisoners are both very young men, the one only 15 and the other 16 years. The Scots Magazine, 1 April 1818.

2

S. Bennett on 27th May 2022

James Patrick Main, a 16-year-old house painter's apprentice in Edinburgh, was convicted of house-breaking in 1818 along with his friend, George Aitchison. They were both convicted and sentenced to death, but reprieved and transported aboard the 'Hibernia' to Van Dieman's Land, arriving in 1819. JPM was assigned to work for ex-convicts Thomas Fowles and Ann Coombes at Clarence Plains. He achieved a Ticket of Leave in 1820 and a Conditional Pardon in 1825. April 17th 1826, he married Maria Louisa McCloud, daughter of Third Fleet ex-convicts, John McCloud and Mary Potter. They had 11 children including three consecutive sets of twins. He worked as a carpenter and builder. In January 1836, he tried to claim land once owned by his father-in-law by placing a house on it overnight, even though it was owned and occupied by a Mr Willison. He was convicted of trespass but spent only a few months in gaol. He was declared insolvent soon after. He took his wife and (then) 6 children to Melbourne, arriving 26th November 1837 and pitched a tent near Queen St. He soon had work building houses then won government tenders as a building contractor for the Customs House (1840), Melbourne Gaol (1841), and Powder Magazine (1846) along with other public works. He had a 640 acre farm at Moonee Ponds and a beachside block at St Kilda as well as a residence in Collins St. During the gold rush years, he had claims at Sailor's Gully, Bendigo; Lerderderg River and Korkuperrimal Creek, Bacchus Marsh. He ran for local government, but was unsuccessful. He was a keen litigant and was often in court over issues of payment for his work and as a witness in a variety of cases. He out-lived his wife and seven of his children. He died in late April 1876 and was buried in the Old Melbourne Cemetery, now the site of the Queen Victoria Market.

221

D Wong on 28th November 2013

Patrick Main/James Patrick Main, he mostly used Patrick as his first name, was the half-brother of James McNab Main, (Bengal Merchant 1834). Patrick's mother was Ethel Rose McGill who married his father Patrick Peter Main, known as Peter in 1801. Peter later married Isabella McNab on 28/9/1813. Patrick was transported for the theft of monogrammed serviettes. He was quite well educated. 13/6/1825: CP 17/4/1826: Married Maria McLeod/Macleod in Hobart. They had 11 children, half were born in Tasmania and the others were born in Victoria. They moved to Victoria about 1840. Patrick set up as a builder in Melbourne and built the original Melbourne Gaol. He became a successful member of the community. 30/4/1976: Patrick died in Victoria. Maria died in Victoria in 1861.