Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
James Wedderburn Nicol was transported on the Lady Kennaway, departing 27th Oct 1834 and arriving 13th Feb 1835 with 307 passengers.
The 'Lady Kennaway' was built in Calcutta in 1817. A large ship of 584 tons. Transported convicted prisoners to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in 1834, via Cork, Ireland. Other voyages, to New South Wales, in 1836 and Van Diemen's Land in 1851. Image acknowledgement to Grosvenor Prints. Painted by J.W. Huggins.
Lady KennawayReferences
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 90, Class and Piece Number HO11/9, Page Number 398 |
| 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
In January 1834 a Mr Duncan at Liverpool sent a letter to his mother at Broughty Ferry, Forfarshire which contained a £50 Bank of England (BoE) note. The letter never arrived and Mr Duncan alerted the BoE. Meantime, an Edinburgh Commercial Bank teller happened to be at the Theatre was evening when he notices a peculiar individual sitting in front of him wearing a 'fur cap' and 'green coloured spectacles'. The following day the same individual came into the Commercial Bank and (served by the observant teller) exchanged a £50 BoE note for smaller notes. The individual endorsed the BoE as being 'Jo Wilford, College Post Office'. Later when the BoE advised this was the stolen note, the teller alert Edinburgh Post Office. Arrangement were made for the teller to 'view all the employees of the Post Office' as they arrived for work. The accused James Wedderburn Nicol was thus identified. When Police search his home, they found the 'fur cap and green spectacles'. In March 1834 at the High Court of Justiciary, the accused pled guilty to the theft and was transported for Life - see Scotsman newspaper 15 March 1834 p3 for 'High Court of Justiciary - Saturday 15 March' for case of Nicol 'lately Clerk in Dead Letter Office'. This case is reported in the book by Hill (1837) Post Office Reform: It's Importance and Practicability, Apppendix No.1, pp 58-59. See also McGowan, John (2022) Policing the Metropolis of Scotland, 1833-1861 (Edinburgh City Archives) p 382 for narrative and p 1333 for Reference 309.
Birth and death: These dates are from family research and Victoria BDM records. James Nicol died in Melbourne (Vic BDM Registration number 7974 / 1881).
CRIME: On his Conduct Record, James states that he was sentenced on 13 March 1834 for "extracting a 50 pound note from a letter". VOYAGE: The ship's surgeon's report rates his health as good and his behaviour as "exemplary", referring to his role as "The Schoolmaster" during the voyage (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-33$init=CON31-1-33p64). TICKET OF LEAVE: Granted 27 June 1843. In March 1845, he was recommended to the Queen for a CONDITIONAL PARDON which was granted on 15 July 1849 (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-33$init=CON31-1-33p64).
NATIVE PLACE: Dundee (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON18-1-10$init=CON18-1-10p142)
Moved to Victoria 1850s; lived Gisborne, Victoria.