Charles Matthams

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Maureen Withey on 19th January 2024

Essex Adjourned Session. Charles Matthams, 24, iron-founder, charged with stealing some oil-cloth, from Thomas Bewley, at Chelmsford. Mr. Bewley said he had lost several pieces ; this piece was lost about six months' since.— Superintendent Coulson said he searched prisoner's house on the 3rd and 4th of February, and found a piece of oil-cloth, which is used to cover machinery. Mr Bewley was with him, and identified it as his property.- Mr. Bewley recalled : identified the oil-cloth.— Prisoner said he bought it of a man in Chelmsford.— Verdict, not guilty.—Prisoner was again indicted for stealing a cast-iron ventilator, the property of Mr. Bewley.— Prosecutor's son said he was returning home on the 2nd of this month, at eleven o'clock at night, when lie saw a light in the shop ; he went and saw a man standing at the furnace, with a lighted candle in his hand. The light was then blowed out. He went for a policeman, who went with him, and they found prisoner lying on the floor by the fire. — He asked him what he did there ; he said be came there for a night's lodging, and had the light to see that he did not run over any thing  to hurt his leg. Witness asked him how be got in? He said through the loop. He was then given in charge. The next morning they went for Mr. Coulson to search his house : they did so, and found an iron ventilator, belonging to his father.— Coulson, superintendent of police, went with last witness to search prisoner's house ; he found an iron ventilator. He had prisoner in his custody at the time. He took it to Mr. Bewley, who showed him the model from which the mould was made that it was cast from.— — Prisoner, in defence, said he worked late and had to go to work early in the morning, and, therefore, laid down by the fire to be ready. He admitted taking the piece of iron, but did not consider that it belonged to Mr. Bewley, for it came there among a lot of old iron, brought by a man who had about 64 cwt. to sell; it was over weight, and belonged to the man who brought it.— Verdict— Guilty, six calendar months' imprisonment. Essex Standard, 18 Feb 1842. Charles Matthams and a female named Emma Haynes, were remanded for further examination, charged with highway robbery at Colchester. Chelmsford Chronicle, 11 Aug 1843. Essex Quarter Session. Emma Haynes, 22, single woman, twelve months' hard labor at Colchester, and Charles Matthams, ten years' transportation, for stealing purse, watch, and money, from James Farthing, in that borough. Chelmsford Chronicle, 27 Oct 1843. Chelmsford. Monday last the following prisoners were removed from the Convict Gaol, at Springfield, to the Milbank Penitentiary :—Charles Matthams, James Smith, William Enefer, William Turner, John Goldsmith, Joseph Berry, Clapton Eley, William Oliver, Samuel Martin, David Radloy, Henry Rayner, James Sheets, Job Chellis, Robert Middleton, and Elizabeth Watson. Chelmsford Chronicle, 1 Dec 1843.

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Sally-Anne Thomas on 19th January 2024

Charles was born in Chelmsford, Essex, England on 5 January 1818 and was the first born of George Matthams and Eliza (nee Atkins) who lived in Harrow Alley (now known as Little Somerset Street, Aldgate) at the time of his birth. Charles' only sibling, Eliza, was born on 11 October 1819 and in 1821 at the age of 3, Charles' mother, Eliza, died. On 15 February 1842 in Essex, at the age of 24, Charles Matthams was indicted at the Assizes for larceny and sentenced to 6 month gaol. A little over 18 months later, Charles again found himself in the County Sessions Assizes court, Chelmsford, Essex and on 17 October 1843, he was charged to serve a term of 10 years transportation to Van Diemen's Land. The record in the criminal register records the offence as 'Larceny from the person before court, a felony'. Charles was 25 years of age at this time and his occupation is recorded as Hairdresser. Charles was held in the Springfield Gaol after his conviction. In the prisoner transcript he is cited as 'Stealing a Watch'. The Gaoler's report as to his character states a 'Prior conviction & six months hard labor, character good up to this time'. He was discharged on 17 January 1844 to be transported to Van Diemen's Land on board the 'Equestrian'. The 'Equestrian' was built in 1842 at Hull, England and was a ship of 801 tons. It had 3 voyages to Australia as a convict ship. The first being in 1844, when it sailed on 26 January 1844 carrying 291 passengers. The 'Equestrian' arrived in Van Diemen's Land on 2 May 1844. Charles was assigned to serve on the Road Gangs at Broadmarsh, Tasmania, as detailed in his Conduct Record. He is described in the Description List as being 5'3" in height, of fresh complexion and oval face, dark brown hair, grey eyes and a 'rather large' nose. His most distinguishing features were his numerous tattoos. Charles was granted his Ticket of Leave on 20 November 1849. Eight years after arriving in Van Diemen's Land, on 13 July 1852, Charles was granted a Conditional Pardon after which he made his way to Sandridge (now known as Port Melbourne) in Victoria. On 24 January 1854, Charles married Christina McAlpine at Church of St Paul, Melbourne, Victoria. By December 1854, Charles and his wife Christina had moved to Sandhurst, Victoria (now known as Bendigo) where their eldest child, Margaret Eliza Matthams was born on 4 December 1854. By mid 1856, the family had located to Daisy Hill. Their second child, Eliza Matthams was born in Daisy Hill on 2 July 1856. We later see the family in the Elphinstone/Taradale region of Victoria where 2 more children were born in 1858 and 1861. By September 1863, the family of 6 had moved to Amherst, Victoria where they remained and where four more children where born in the years between 1863 and 1874. In November 1875 Charles was declared insolvent with liabilities of 80 Pounds, 18 Shillings, Pence: Assets of 21 Pounds. Charles continued to live in Amherst with his wife Christina until his death on 1 May 1886 at age 68 years. Charles and Christina's 8 children all lived to adulthood and of the 35 known grandchildren, several served in the Great War with 2 brothers having died on the Somme within 15 days of each other. Similarly, Charles also has descendant great grandchildren who served and saw action in World War II.