Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Jonathan Pierce was transported on the General Hewett, departing 31st Jul 1813 and arriving 7th Feb 1814 with 301 passengers.
The Windham and General Hewett left England the 24th of August, in convoy with the Wansted, Capt. Moore, who sailed from hence last Thursday for Batavia; the General Hewett arrived at Rio the 17th of November, and sailed again the 2d of December. Together with the military detachments, she received on board for this Settlement 300 male prisoners, of whom we are sorry to report the death of 35, whose names we shall endeavour to procure an account of, and publish in the next Gazette, for the information of their friends and families in Great Britain. Sydney Gazette, Sat 12 Feb 1814.
General HewettReferences
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 87, Class and Piece Number HO11/2, Page Number 125 (64) |
| 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 |
Claims
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Convict Notes
The following may be the Registration of his death, in 1853. NSW Death Registration: Jonathan Pearce (abt 78) Reg No: 1215/1853. Age 78, District NJ. (NJ refers to the Church of England, Gulgong, Mudee.)
THE undermentioned prisoners of the Crown holding Tickets of Leave being absent from their districts, are illegally at large: Jonathan Pierce, General Hewitt, 61, Sussex, laborer, 5 feet 4 ½ inches, ruddy comp., light hair, hazel eyes; from Ticket of Leave, Cassilis, since March, 1850. NSW Govt Gazette, 13 Sep 1850.
Marriage of John Pearce, Convict, Ship General Hewitt, age 30, and Elizabeth Woolley, age 30, on 5 Aug 1816 at St Philip, Sydney. “Australia Marriages, 1810-1980”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTCK-NQ9 : 28 January 2020), Elizabeth Woolley in entry for John Pearce, 1816.
MAGISTERIAL DECISIONS. Extracts from Gazette Police Report, with Criticisms thereon. JULY 5. - Jonathan Pearce holding a ticket-of-leave, and Elizabeth Pearce, his wife, prisoner of the crown for 14 years, appeared at the bar to answer to a charge preferred by a man named Robert Kemp, who was a lodger in their house, and whose room or skilling, during his absence therefrom, on Monday night last, was entered, and his chest broke open, and monies to the amount of 6l. 10s. stolen therefrom. There were several articles of wearing apparel, and a watch, found scattered about the room, but nothing missing save the money. Circumstances of suspicion having attached to Pearce and his wife, one of which the most prominent, was, that Pearce had asked Kemp in the morning to lend him two dollars, which Kemp declined; that Kemp proceeded to the market, and had not been there but a short time before Pearce came in and purchased two pigs for seven dollars, and took them home with him; it did not appear whether Pearce had paid for the pigs or not when he purchased them. It came out in evidence, that the door of the skilling (which was Kemp's sleeping room,) had been left bolted in the inside, and the window secured by a button, and that both the door and window must have been opened from the inside. The Bench, at the request of the prisoners to be indulged until the next morning, to produce witnesses in their behalf, allowed the case to stand over. JULY 6. - Jonathan Pearce, holding a ticket-of-leave and Elizabeth Pearce his wife, prisoners of the crown for life, who had also been remanded from yesterday, for stealing from a box belonging to Robert Kemp, during his absence, monies to the amount 6l. 10s. and having at their request been indulged until this day, to make any defence that might be availing in their case, having no plea to offer, were sentenced to be sent to a penal settlement for 3 years each. Now, by this summary conviction, the labour of two persons is transferred to a penal settlement, where it will probably be turned to an account, worse than useless. 2dly, The man is almost sure to lose his wife; for such is the scarcity of women at the said settlements, that if the woman be good looking, some Jack-in-office will entrap her; if otherwise, still she will have a hundred ardent suitors; and in a place where food and raiment are very short, it would require more than ordinary virtue to withstand the importunities of those who have such essentials to give away. 3dly, Therefore a sentence to a distant road-gang in this colony, would have been more eligible. But 4th, we think any person who reads the account of the theft, and notices that the conviction stands solely on circumstantial evidence, will doubt the guilt of the parties. One of the circumstances sworn to, absolutely makes in favour of the accused, viz. that of the watch and other things being scattered about the room. This is the result of strange thieves in haste, not of deliberate thieves, like the master and mistress of the house, who would select a proper time, and make all snug before they finished the ,job. At all events, we think 3 years' transportation, on such kind of evidence too severe; and that it would have been more considerate, to have sent the parties to a jury at quarter Sessions, and in the mean time; admitted them to bail. We notice the dismissal of three constables in one week. A proof that this class are unfortunately of a description about equal in quality to the paltry salary &c. they receive. The dismissals are constant in this department; and so far we applaud the Chief Magistrate. But as we are convinced, no better description of men will offer to supply their place, till Government be a little more liberal in their means to secure the peace, good order, and morals of the colony; we do in mean time, pronounce the constabulary of this town the worst in the world, while in this country it ought to be the best. The Monitor, 21 July 1826.
Moreton Bay Convict Records. Jonan. Pierce, Per Gen. Hewit, Tried at Sussex Ass, 22 Mar 1813, Life. Trade, Labourer. Colonial Sentence: Tried Gen sessions, Sydney, 6 July 1826, Felony, Returned to Sydney 11 July 1829. Description: Jonan. Pierce, age 48, 5ft 3, dk sallow comp, Brown hair, hazle eyes, E religion.
1828 Census Index. Jonathan Pierce, per General Hewitt, 3 year sentence. Moreton Bay. Elizabeth Pearce, per Mary, Volunteer, Moreton Bay.
At the Sussex Assizes, which ended Wednesday se’ennight, twenty three prisoners were tried, eleven whom were capitally convicted, and received sentence of death, viz, ... —John Batts, 22, and Jonathan Pierce, 28, for horse and ass stealing, at Petworth.— ... Kentish Gazette, 2 Apr 1813.
Colonial Secretary Index. PIERCE, Jonathan. Per "General Hewitt", 1814. 1825 Nov To be granted a conditional pardon (Fiche 3292; 4/6974.1 pp.49, 73) ----------------------------------------------------- Colonial Secretary Correspondence re Moreton Bay. 21 April 1827. Memorial of Elizabeth Pearce per “Mary Ann” in Female Factory [wife of Jonathan Pearce per "General Hewitt” at Moreton Bay] praying to be allowed to join her husband at Moreton Bay. This was approved. Doc dated 12/7/1827. Elizabeth Woolley per “Mary Anne” 2 [also spelt “Mary Ann”] wife of Jonathan Pearce, allowed a passage per “Wellington”