William Stewart Moncrieff

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Maureen Withey on 18th November 2019

The Quarterly Oriental Magazine Volume 7, Jan – June 1827. A Calendar of Prisoners now under confinement in his Majesty's prison in Calcutta, for divers offences, in the custody of Trevor John Chicheley Plowden, esq., Sheriff of Calcutta, dated the 5th day of April 1827. William Stuart Moncrieffe, charged on the Oaths of David Mills and other, with having on the 8th day of the present month of March, within the Town of Calcutta, by falsely representing himself to be William Stewart Menteath, a Lieutenant in the Hon’ble Company’s Military Service, residing at Geeree Bamboo’s Lane, No 10, Bow-Bazar, fraudulently obtained from the said David Mills, a silver Hunting watch of the value of two hundred and twenty Sicca Rupees. He, the said William Stuart Moncrieffe being also charged on the Oath of David Mills and others, with forging and uttering within the Town of Calcutta, on the eighth of the present month of March aforesaid, an order bearing date the 8th of March 1827, drawn by W. S. Menteath, on Messrs. Mackintosh and Co. in favour of the said David Mills for the sum of 220 Sa. Rs. With an intent to defraud him, the said David Mills. - John Bull, April 16.

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Maureen Withey on 18th November 2019

William Stewart Moncrieff was one of the nine prisoners transported from South Australia to Sydney on the schooner Kate, arriving December 1839. Sydney Gazette, 28 Dec 1839. On Thursday last …. From South Australia, same day, whence she sailed the 4th instant, the schooner Kate, 62 tons, Captain Birkinshaw, in ballast. Passenger, Mr. H. Highett. Steerage, nine prisoners of the Crown and three policemen.

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Maureen Withey on 18th November 2019

W. Stewart Moncrieff. age 33. Commissioned Officer, 9 years. From Edinburgh. Offence Forgery. Sent to Wellington Valley on arrival. From the London Gazette, Nov 17. To be Ensigns, without purchase – William Stewart Moncrieffe, Gent. Vice Hon. N.H. C. Massey, appointed to the 17th Light Dragoons; ... Morning Post, 19 Nov 1821. William Stewart Moncrieff was transported from Calcutta to Hobart by the Caroline. From Holbart, he and the other seven military prisoners were transported to Sydney by the Calista. Shipping Intelligence. On Monday arrived, from London, whence she sailed on the 1st of November, via Hobart Town on the 6th of April, the ship Calista, Captain Hawkins, with merchandize, and 100 Saxon, and 260 Derwent sheep. Passengers, Captain Bunster, and Messrs J. Andrews, J. J. Daker, D. Burn, C. Sladden, F. Watkins, and F. Anley, Mrs. Ridge, 2 children, and servant, with 4 steerage passengers. The Calista also brings 8 prisoners, who arrived at Hobart Town on the Caroline, from Calcutta. Sydney Gazette, 16 Apr 1828. Certificate of Freedom Caroline, William Stewart Moncrieff. Sydney Herald, 29 Dec 1834. Absconded prisoners. Moncrieff William Stewart, Kate, 37, Edinburgh, clerk, 5 feet 10¼ inches, dark ruddy comp., dark brown mixed with grey hair brown, eyebrows meeting, small raised mole over left eyebrow, two back of left cheek, nose large, scar back of top of middle finger of right hand, scar back of left thumb, scar on fore and one on middle fingers of left hand, chin small and declining, (was here before in the same name, for seven years, by the Caroline, in 1828,) from Escort 50th Regiment, proceeding from Kiama to Wollongong, since the 10th March. Sydney Herald, 3 Dec 1840. The South Australian Register, 18 July 1840: 5th General Gaol Delivery, commencing 4th November, ended 7th November 1839 – His Honour, Charles Cooper, Esq. Judge: Name – W. S. Moncrieff; Offence- Horse stealing; Sentence – Transportation for fourteen years. Southern Australia, Wed 6 Nov 1839 Supreme Court, Adelaide, Tuesday November 5. Robert Deakins, charged with stealing a mare, the property of Captain Field,-guilty ; transportation for life. Stuart Moncrieffe, charged with feloniously receiving the above mare-guilty, 14 years transportation. South Australia Register (Adelaide) Sat Nov 9 1839. Robert Deakins was placed at the bar, charged with having stolen a mare belonging to Captain Field, some time in July last. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Mr Mann appeared for the prosecution-Mr Nichols for the prisoner. Captain Field brought the mare over from New South Wales and gave it to a person of the name of Windsor to break her in to harness. Shortly after giving her to Windsor she was lost; and Captain Field saw no more of her until he found her in possession of Mr Oscar Lines, who had bought her of Mr Chambers at his livery stables. Mr Chambers had her in exchange for a horse from William Stewart Monerieff, who again had her from the prisoner. Mr Calton, of the Royal Admiral, remembered having the mare in his stables. While there she was sold by the prisoner to Moncrieff, and Mr Calton identified a receipt which was written in his bar, bearing that the mare had been sold by the prisoner to Moncrieff for £80. Mr Calton saw Moncrieff—he gave the prisoner £32 as part payment—and it was said by them that sums had previously been paid which, with what was then given, made up £80, the sum stated in the receipt as the price of the mare. The prisoner produced no evidence to show how he came by the mare; and Mr Thomas Williams and Mr Sleep said that he was not a person likely to be honestly in possession of a mare of such value. The Jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to transportation for life. William Stewart Moncrieff, a respectable looking man, was charged with receiving the mare which Deakins had been found guilty of stealing, knowing the same to have been stolen property. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Mr. Mann appeared for the prosecution—Mr Richman for the defence. The evidence led in the case of Deakin was gone over again. The only evidence to countenance the charge of his guilty knowledge was, that only the sum of £32 had been seen to pass between the prisoner and Deakins as payment for the mare, and Mr Bonney, in whose employment the prisoner was, as stockkeeper, said that he did not think he had any money when he engaged him in New South Wales, that he only paid him a few pounds on leaving, and that he (Mr Bonney) lent him £20 sometime about July last. This evidence was given for the purpose of showing that the prisoner had not a sufficient sum of money to purchase the mare. Other witnesses, however, showed that Moncrieff had paid them sums of money about the times he bought the mare, to a considerable amount—one to the amount of £30, and another to the amount of £15, besides the £32 which Mr Calton saw him give to Deakins. Prisoner received a good character from Mr Bonney, and it was said by his counsel that he had been an officer in the army and was of a respectable family. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to fourteen years' transportation.