Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Robert Myerscough was transported on the Hougoumont, departing 10th Oct 1867 and arriving 9th Jan 1868 with 281 passengers.
875 ton ship was built at Moulmein in 1852. http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/on-this-day-in-history-australias-last-convict-ship-docks.htm ---------------------------- Incorrect Image ....This is a four masted steel hulled Barque in the drawing , im surprised Australian Geo didn't do a bit more research on this .......The Hougoumont was a works ship on the Forth Bridge Project in 1885 ....the one potrayed as a drawing in Aust Geo is the later version of this ship.....the photograph i have attached is the correct and original convict vessel. --00-- 1867 "The hired convict ship Hougoumont, which has been taken up by the Government for the conveyance of a numerous party of convicts to Freemantle, Western Australia, left the Nore on October 1, and proceeded down Channel, after receiving on board 150 convicts from the establishments at Chatham and Millbank. The convicts from the Chatham establishment, at St. Mary's, embarked from the dockyard on board the paddle-wheel steamer Adder, Mr. W. J. Blakely, and were in charge of a numerous party of convict guards and wardens, all heavily armed. Among the convicts shipped were a party of fifteen Fenians, who were engaged in the late conspiracy in Ireland, together with the officers and crew convicted of scuttling the ship Severn, and some others who have achieved notoriety from their crimes. The Fenian convicts, like the remainder of the prisoners, were chained together in gangs, but it was observed that they were kept apart from the other convicts in a portion of the vessel by themselves. The steamer Petrel also took down a number of convicts from the establishment at Millbank for shipment on board the Hougoumont, in charge of a strong escort and convict guard. On Tuesday, October 8th, the Hougoumont arrived in Portland roads. Shortly before midday ninety convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 12th Light Infantry. The party included twenty-three Fenian convicts, among whom it was said, was Moriarty. The Government steamer employed in the breakwater service was used for conveying the convicts on board the Hougoumont transport ship. The convicts were chained together on embarking, and on board the steamer a strong guard of marines from her Majesty's ship St. George was formed, and saw the convicts safely placed on board the Hougoumont. The Governor of the penal settlement at Freemantle, Captain Young, is on board the Hougoumont, and returns in that ship to his sphere of duty after paying a visit to his native land." Source: Sydney Morning Herald, Thu 19 Dec 1867, p4, English Shipping, available on Trove at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271?searchTerm=hougoumont.
HougoumontReferences
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/19, p245 (125) --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 --0-- https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/research/convict-database/ |
| 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
JAILS: 1867: He was held at Liverpool Borough Gaol, Walton Hill, Liverpool, awaiting his trial and following his conviction – behaviour “good” (UK, Criminal Records, 1780-1871 for Robert Myerscough; Prison Registers and Statistical Returns; 1864-1871; HO 24/18; image 147). --0--
SENTENCING: From the Liverpool Weekly Courier, 15 June, 1867, p8: “SEVERE PUNISHMENT OF COTTON STEALERS. At the borough sessions, yesterday morning, Mr. J. B. Aspinall, the recorder, sentenced three men who had been concerned in an extensive cotton robbery – Wm. Maher, 32, warehouseman, James Hopkins, 27, cotton dealer, and Robert Myerscough, cotton dealer. The quantity stolen was nine bales, the property of Mr. Charles Dean. Maher was charged with the theft and the other two prisoners with receiving. The Recorder, in passing sentence, said, first, with regard to Maher he was inclined to treat him leniently, because he believed he was led away, as persons in his position constantly were, and also because his employers had begged him to treat him as leniently as he could. Maher appeared recently to have taken to drink—the curse of so many people in Liverpool—and was probably rather the victim of others than the originator of the robbery. Dealing with him in that light, he thought he should meet the justice of the case by sentencing him to six months’ hard labour. With regard to Hopkins, nothing was known of him before this occasion, but he had here identified himself with a crime which was one of the most serious and dangerous that could be committed in Liverpool; and it was a crime that was so prevalent that it was absolutely necessary to put a stop it by extreme severity. The prisoner also had ample opportunities from his position of holding out temptations; he had also had in this case ample warning, and he must be sentenced to six years' penal servitude. Of Myerscough's case he took a much more serious view. This prisoner had been before him on a previous occasion for the same kind of offence as he was now charged with, and he was then acquitted. He (the recorder) thought that upon the evidence he should have been convicted, and his partner in business was absolutely tried for the same transaction and convicted, so that Myerscough had had a double warning. It was therefore impossible to deal with him in this case otherwise than with great severity. He (the recorder) could scarcely conceive a more serious case, as he could not help thinking that Myerscough was the instigator of the robbery, and he would therefore exercise the full power which the law gave him, and sentence him to fourteen years' penal servitude.” (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003067/18670615/120/0008) --00--
NEWSPAPER REPORT OF TRIAL: From the Liverpool Daily Post, 13 June, 1867, p7: “BOROUGH SESSIONS, YESTERDAY. The business of these sessions were [sic] resumed yesterday before Mr. J. B. Aspinall, Q.C., Recorder, and Mr. Leofric Temple... EXTENSIVE ROBBERY OF COTTON. William Maher, 32 years of age, warehouseman, pleaded guilty to the theft of nine bales of cotton belonging to Mr. Charles Dean, on the 9th April last. James Hopkins, aged 27, cotton dealer, and Robert Myerscough, 36 years of age, also a cotton dealer, pleaded not guilty to the charge of having received the cotton, well knowing to have been stolen. The jury found them guilty. Maher had been in Dean's employ a considerable time, for the last two or three years as warehouseman, and previously as porter. Mr. Dean told the learned recorder that he had great confidence in Maher and had never found his confidence misplaced, except upon that occasion. He gave him a very high character for the time he had been with him, until this offence had been committed. The counsel for the prisoner said that his client had fallen into habits of drinking, and that, he believed, was what had led to this unfortunate occurrence. Mr. Tidswell, who appeared for the prosecution, remarked that he had no wish that a severe sentence should be passed upon Maher, his belief was that he had been the dupe of others. The learned Recorder, addressing the prisoner Maher, said: You heard from somebody else that you might go to these people to sell cotton—it was not the people tempted you, but you went to them. The prisoner: I went to them with three bags, and then they got me to take the rest, and I got nothing for it—not a halfpenny. I did not know Myerscough until I was in bridewell. The Recorder put several other questions to Maher, who stated, in reply, that he was to be paid £14 for the three bags when took the nine bales to the other prisoners, but he received only £13 3s. The learned Recorder intimated his intention of deferring sentence, but observed that he would have to pass sentences of considerable severity on Hopkins and Myerscough. The latter had appeared before him at a recent sessions on a similar charge [on 16 February, 1866, at Liverpool QS], but the jury had acquitted him, which was a verdict with which (the recorder) then differed.” (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000197/18670613/020/0007) --00--
TRIAL: 1867, 8 June: At the Lancashire General Quarter Sessions, Liverpool, Robert Myerscough was convicted and sentenced to 14 years’ penal servitude for “receiving stolen property; no previous convictions”** (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for Robert Myerscough; England; Lancashire; 1867). **Note: A Robert Myerscough, 16, illiterate, was convicted of larceny – stealing ten half-crowns at Preston – on 24 August, 1848, at the Preston Intermediate Sessions, Lancashire, and sentenced to 2 months’ jail (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for Robert Myerscough; England; Lancashire; 1848). The same Robert Myerscough, was also convicted of larceny, before convicted of felony, and sentenced to 6 months’ jail on 2 April, 1855, at the General Quarter Sessions, at Lancaster and by adjournment at Preston, Salford and Kirkdale (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for Robert Myerscough; England; Lancashire; 1855), --0--