William Matthews

William Matthews, one of 190 convicts transported on the Egyptian, 05 April 1839

Name, Aliases & Gender

Name:	William Matthews
Aliases:	George Henry Thomas, George Kelly
Gender:	m

Birth, Occupation & Death

Date of Birth:	1823
Occupation:	Wheelwright
Date of Death:	15th March, 1877
Age:	54 years

Life Span

Male median life span was 57 years*

* Median life span based on contributions

Conviction & Transportation

Sentence Severity

Sentenced to 7 years

Crime:	Theft of household goods
Convicted at:	Kent Quarter Sessions
Sentence term:	7 years
Ship:	Egyptian
Departure date:	5th April, 1839
Arrival date:	23rd August, 1839
Place of arrival	Van Diemen's Land
Passenger manifest	Travelled with 189 other convicts

References

Primary source:	Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 91, Class and Piece Number HO11/12, Page Number 17 (10) http://foundersandsurvivors.org/pubsearch http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/Pages/Home.aspx
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 Project.

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Community Contributions

Maureen Schmarr on 13th December, 2016 wrote:

William was also convicted and jailed in Victoria, Australia between 1861 and 1873. Death date and place unknown.

Maureen Schmarr on 5th July, 2018 wrote:

William continued his criminal ways after serving his sentence in Tasmania. Went to Victoria with his wife and 4 children after 1856, had 2 further children born in Victoria. Was convicted for forgery, spent time in gaol’s until 1876, after leaving gaol for the last time he died in 1877 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Geelong. Still no actual evidence of where he was born or who his parents or siblings were.

D Wong on 6th July, 2018 wrote:

23/10/1838 Kentish Gazette Kent, England:
EAST KENT QUARTER SESSIONS
William Matthews, aged 15, Timothy Neal, aged 13, and William Newton, aged 13, for stealing from a dwelling-house at Bapchild, a gold brooch, a saucepan, a twopenny piece, two pounds and a lalf of pork, a pound and a half of cheese, a watch chain, and other articles, the property of William Pullen.__Seven years’ transportation.

William Newton arrived VDL per ‘Pyramus 1839
Timothy Neal was also onboard the ‘Egyptian’.

William Matthews was listed as 16 years old on arrival - Place of birth: Manchester.

Goal Report: In prison beore in gaol good.
Hulk Report: Good.

William was literate, 5’1½” tall, fair complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes, scar left little finger, pockpitted.

Mother: Catherine at native place.
Brother: Joseph
Sisters: Jane, Susan - at native place.

7/5/1849: Free Certificate.

15/3/1877: William died aged, 66 - Record at the Eastern Cemetery, East Geelong.

Convict Changes History

Maureen Schmarr on 13th December, 2016 made the following changes:

alias1: George Henry Thomas, alias2: George Kelly, date of birth: 1823 (prev. 0000), gender: m, occupation, crime

D Wong on 6th July, 2018 made the following changes:

date of death: 15th March, 1877 (prev. 0000)

D Wong on 6th July, 2018 made the following changes:

source: Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 91, Class and Piece Number HO11/12, Page Number 17 (10) http://foundersandsurvivors.org/pubsearch www.linc.tas.gov.au/Pages/Home.aspx (prev. Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 91, Clas