Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
John Owen was transported on the Friendship, departing 13th May 1787 and arriving 21st Jan 1788 with 107 passengers.
This convict ship, being 274 tons and 75 feet long was one of the light weight ships in the fllet and was skippered by Master Francis Walton. Built in Scarborough in 1784, she carried 76 male and 21 female convicts. During her return voyage to England her crew came down with scurvy and with insufficient crew to man her, she was scuttled in the straights of Macassar. The survivors were transferred to the Alexander.
FriendshipReferences
| Primary Source | New South Wales Certificate of Freedom. [NRS 12208] Register of Certificate of Freedoms |
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Convict Notes
New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 Name: John Owen Date of Conviction: Sep 1783. Middlesex. Sentence; 7 years. Date of Arrival: 26 Jan 1788 1813 - New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1856 Received certificate of freedom. To be struck off the victualling list Comments: Per "Friendship", 1788 1825 - General Muster. Owen, John. T.L. Friendship. 1788. 7 years. Labourer, Windsor Unable to find on 1828 census
Old Bailey On-Line Born; 1769 Imprisoned; 1783. Age; 14. Tried; 10 Sept 1783 Transported; January 1787 - Age 18. Sentenced to seven years. Sent to New South Wales. September 1783, trial of THOMAS POPPLEWELL JOHN OWEN (t17830910-97). 691. THOMAS POPPLEWELL and JOHN OWEN were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 6th of August last, one wooden case, value 3 s. eighteen case knives, value 2 s. eighteen table forks, value 2 s. the property of Henry Creed JAMES BIGG sworn. I am servant to Mr. Creed; I have a case of knives and forks which was in the front parlour in my master's house, on the sideboard, it was the 5th of August I believe, I saw it there on Sunday, I missed it about four o'clock in the afternoon; it was found under the wall on the backside of the house; I was eating my dinner and the alarm was given; a little girl came and rang at the gate, I got up from my dinner and one of the knife boxes was gone, and one stood in the window; I ran across the field and got into the next field, and I took one of them just against Haggerston; I took Owen, the other ran on before through Kingsland, I called stop thief! nobody stopped him; he was taken that night by the constables; this was about a mile from my master's house. Was any body running after them when you first saw them? - Nobody at all. MARTHA STEVENS sworn. Court. How old are you? - Fourteen. Do you know the consequence of taking a false oath? - Yes. What is the consequence? - Doing wrong. Then I hope you will not do wrong now, but speak the truth? - Yes, I saw one of these boys, Popplewell, the inside of Mr. Creed's court yard, on a Wednesday, about a quarter past four o'clock; the other was outside the court-yard, and took the things over; Popplewell gave the things over to Owen; the parlour window was on the jar, I was against the rails before the house; I was going into the fields and I saw them. Did they see you? - Yes, after they gave these things to the other boy, they were taking the other case out of the window; they run away the moment they saw me, I went and rang the bell, I saw the gentlewoman herself, and I told her the boys were taking the things out of the window. What became of the case? - It was dropped under the brick wall, I saw them take it away, and they lifted it over and dropped it under the brick wall; I did not see them drop it. (The knife case deposed to.) PRISONER OWEN'S DEFENCE. I am fourteen years old, I never saw the girl before, I was taking a walk round, and some boys came up to me, and said there was a mad bull, and presently a gentleman pursued me and took me back; the girl said, she did not positively know me at first; at last they persuaded her to it. PRISONER POPPLEWELL'S DEFENCE. I never saw Owen, and was not near the place, I was in no fault at all, I was at home working, I never saw the girl in my life. Court to Stevens. Had you ever seen them boys before? - No. Are you sure these are the boy s? - Yes, I am. THOMAS POPPLEWELL , JOHN OWEN , GUILTY . Transported for seven years . Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Baron HOTHAM. ------------------------------
1813 - New South Wales Certificate of Freedom. [NRS 12208] No; 3/1256 - September 1813. Name; John Owen When and where tried; Middlesex G. D. July 1783 Sentence; 7 years Ship and arrival year; ‘In first fleet in 1788’ When time expired. July 1790 Date of Certificate; 9 Sept 1813 Description and Remarks; Native County; London Trade; Labourer & ? Age; 44 years. Est birth year; 1769. Height; 5 ft. 4 in. Complexions; Dark Ruddy Hair; Black Eyes; Dark Blue Additional Remarks; Stout and healthy Noted under his name; NB: This man is exactly in the same predicament as the .. N.B. this man says he arrived in the Ship Scarborough in the first fleet in 1788, but his name does not appears in the Indents for this ship .... appears in the Indent of the ship Friendship