Thomas May

342

Maureen Withey on 20th April 2025

No. 269, Government notice, Colonial Secretary's office, 2d October, 1833. he Lieutenant Governor, with a view to the encouragement of meritorious conduct in convicts, has been pleased to grant tickets of leave to John Ellis, 222, Lady Harewood, and to Thomas May, Marmion, of the field police : to the former for having given information which has led to the capture of Phillips, who preconcerted a robbery on the mail cart at Oatlands, and to the latter for having zealously for several successive weeks, watched until he was enabled to seize the robber in the act of abstracting property from the mail cart, by means of skeleton keys. By his Excellency's command, J. Burnett. Hobart Town Courier, 4 Oct 1833.

342

Maureen Withey on 20th April 2025

Tasmanian Records. Conduct Record: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON31-1-29/CON31-1-29P213 No 627. Thomas May. Tried 26 Mar 1827, Life. Transported for smuggling. Tried with Primmer. M. at N.P. Brighton, a char woman. I was last a jobbing bricklayer & worked with my F. Single. Cond. Pard No 2893, 17 Feb 1841. Extended to the Aust Colos. 15 July 1845. Served as a constable. Description: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON18-1-15/CON18-1-15P76 Thomas May, age 22, Bricklayer.

342

Maureen Withey on 20th April 2025

James Primmer, charged with assaulting and otherwise ill-treating Lieut. E. Digby, in a late smuggling transaction, near Rottingdean, has been fully committed for trial the ensuing assizes at Horsham.  During the examination of Primmer, before the Magistrates, Lieut. Digby accidentally discovered one Thomas May in the crowd of auditors at the Town Hall, whom caused instantly apprehended, preferring a charge against him similar to. that of the former prisoner. May underwent a long examination on the following day, the result which was, that he, also, was fully committed for trial. Sussex Advertiser, 5 March 1827. Lent Assizes. WEDNESDAY.—James Palmer and Thomas May, labourers, stood indicted for having, with many other persons unknown, assembled at the Devil's Gap. near Brighton, for the purpose of assisting in the clandestine landing of  a cargo of goods, and for having assaulted and violently beat Lieutenant Everard Digby. of the Preventive Service. It appeared, from the evidence of Lieutenant Digby, that on the night of the 24th of February, having reason to suspect that a plan was formed for landing a quantity of run goods at the Devil's Gap, he went there  and found upwards of eighty persons assembled. There was a vessel a short distance out at sea, to which they were making signals. Many of the men were armed with bludgeons. On perceiving witness, some of them approached him; he called out, that if they advanced a step nearer to him he would fire. Some of them continued to advance, and he presented his pistol, and pulled the trigger, but the pistol flashed in the pan. The smugglers Instantly rushed upon him, knocked him down with a bludgeon, and after taking from him his cutlass and pistols, continued beating  and kicking him till they had reduced him to a state of insensibility. He was confined to his bed through the injuries  he had received for nearly three weeks. It was a clear moonlight night, and ha had a distinct view of both prisoners, and could and could confidently swear that they were present, and that they joined in the attack made on him. D. Manly proved having traced the prisoners from their respective homes down to the place in question, the Jury returned a verdict of Guilty against both prisoners. Weekly Dispatch, 1 April 1827.