Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
William Martindale was transported on the Nile, departing 18th Sep 1857 and arriving 1st Jan 1858 with 271 passengers.
Nile (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 232. --0-- Edgar, W. (Bill). (2018). “The precarious voyage of her majesty’s convict ship ‘Nile’ to the Swan River colony, late 1857 – and the unexpected aftermath.” The Great Circle, 40(1), 20–43. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26783779 |
| Source Description | This record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Pro |
| Original Source | Great Britain. Home Office |
| Compiled By | State Library of Queensland |
| Database Source | British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database |
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Convict Notes
From his Fremantle jail record: MARTINDALE, William; inmate #9972; Colonial Other No: 4739 Date of Birth: 1820 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Tinman Sentence Place: Perth, Western Australia, Australia Crime: Carnal knowledge of infant [see trial details above] Sentence Period: 3 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 24 May 1872 Conditional Pardon Date: 6 Jan 1873 Comments: Tinsmith, labourer (https://fremantleprison.com.au/).
ON TRIAL: 5 January, 1870: "William Martindale, a man between 50 and 60 years of age was charged with committing a criminal assault upon a little girl named Fanny Allen; who appeared to be about 11 years of age. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. The Crown Solicitor rose and requested all witnesses to leave the Court. The witnesses for the prosecution were Mrs. Griffin, Annie Lesage, Dr. Grouse, and the Colonial Surgeon. The particulars of the case were of such a nature as to be totally unfit for publication. His Honor sentenced the prisoner to three years hard labor" (The Express, 6 January, p2 at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/256616813). --00--
WITNESS AT A TRIAL: 9 July, 1859: Quarter Sessions, Perth William Martindale was one of several convicts called as witnesses in the case against John Cameron, a private in the Royal Engineers and overseer of a convict work gang at Chauncey's Station #3. Cameron was charged with stealing timber, oil, hay and other items, the property of Her Majesty. William Martindale testified that he had arrived on the Nile in January, 1858, and had been employed in the Convict Establishment as a tin plate worker in the blacksmith's shop. In his evidence, he identified tools that had been used in the shop in the Establishment. The jury found John Cameron not guilty (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2931668). --0--
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: MARTINDALE, William; #4739, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1820 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Tinplate worker Literacy: Illiterate Sentence Place: Chester, Cheshire, England Crime: Larceny Sentence Period: 8 years penal servitude Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 23 Jul 1859 Certificate of Freedom Date: 12 Nov 1864 Comments: Tinsmith, labourer, tinker, self-employed, 1859 & 1864. Reconvicted in Western Australia (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
September, 1857: He was sent to board the Nile for transportation to WA, listed as #10/1157; behaviour “good” at Chatham (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). —00—
15 July, 1857: He was admitted to Chatham prison in Kent; inmate 1157. Chatham, Portland, Portsmouth and Spike Island in Ireland were listed public works stations and the second stage in the penal process. After separate confinement, prisoners were “placed on work parties at various locations, most commonly naval stations, where maintenance of facilities was vital for the effective protection of Britain’s far flung commercial and military influences around the world. While there, attitude and behaviour were monitored closely. In theory, only after consistently positive reports was a prisoner moved on to the third stage of his incarceration — transportation.” (Edgar, p40) —0—
JAIL: 13 September, 1856: Admitted from Knutsford to Millbank gaol in London. Served 1 month 15 days in separate confinement at Knutsford. NAME: William Martindale; inmate #3527 MARITAL STATUS: Married CRIMINAL ADMISSION AGE: 36 RELIGION: Church of England RECORD TYPE: Register BIRTH DATE: 1820 OCCUPATION: Tinplate Worker NEXT OF KIN: Uncle -- Richard Martindale, 34 Fylde Street, Preston, Lancashire CRIMINAL CHARGE: Larceny SENTENCE: 8 penal CRIMINAL ADMISSION DATE: 13 Sep 1856 CRIMINAL ADMISSION PLACE: Middlesex, England JAIL: Millbank Prison SOURCE DESCRIPTION: Millbank Prison, Middlesex: Register of Prisoners (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1885). “After a sentence of transportation was handed down, the prisoner entered into a separate stage where he was placed into an individual cell, isolated from others, apart from brief periods of exercise and attendance at chapel. However, no communication of any kind with other prisoners was permitted at any time. The philosophy behind this penal methodology had its provenances in the religious, monastic traditions; i.e., that in the isolation of his cell the malefactor would be able to contemplate the errors of his way, unadulterated by the negative influences of former contemporaries, and be reformed.” (Edgar, 2018, pp39-40) When first put into practice, the mandated period of separate confinement was 18 months. By the late 1840s, authorities had conceded that such conditions of imprisonment were “injurious to many prisoners’ mental health” and the stint was reduced to 12 months. Periods of separate confinement were reduced further “as a prisoner displayed good behaviour tendencies” (Edgar, p40). Millbank, Wakefield, Pentonville and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. William Martindale served 10 months 2 days in separate confinement at Millbank; behaviour "good". --00--
TRIAL: 11 August, 1856: William Martindale was convicted of "larceny from the person after previous conviction of felony" -- sentenced to 8 years' penal servitude (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892; England; Cheshire; 1856). --00--
PREVIOUS CONVICTION: 15 July, 1851: William Martindale, 31, able to read, was convicted at Liverpool of "having at Widnes feloniously broken and entered the dwelling house of Job Hughes, and having stolen therein one top coat, one pair of trousers, one cap, and various other articles the property of John Bellhouse and others". Sentenced to 7 years' jail. He had three previous convictions between 1843 and 1847, resulting in a total of 7 months' jail time. He had been admitted to Liverpool gaol on 26 May, 1851, awaiting trial (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Liverpool Gaol; Calendar of Trials to 1859). He was granted a licence for parole on 29 January 1855 and was discharged from Portsmouth prison on that date (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portsmouth Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1879). --00--
OCCUPATION: Not listed in the options above. He was a Tinplate Worker, an alternative term for a Tinsmith. He was a metalworker who made or repaired tinware (see Dictionary of Old Occupations at https://www.familyresearcher.co.uk/).