Thomas Pledger

BMD information checked against The Pledger family Archive, page 230/231, written by Megan Ridgewell additional information taken from the Warman- Westwood's family tree. Thomas Pledger was accused of stealing a sheep in the village of Braughing, Herts. He was sentenced to 10 years at the Hertford quarter sessions. He was sent from the Hertford goal on the 13th January 1840, to the Warrior hulk, which was on the Thames at Woolwich. The Warrior was just a week old. He departed 17th April aboard the prison ship "Asia" and arrived Van Dieman's land on the 6 Aug 1840. There were 276 prisoners aboard the ship with two deaths. This must have been hard on his wife left with six children, Martha, Isaac, William, John, George and Segar. All except Segar were in the Bishops Stortford workhouse. Segar was living in Bengeo, Herts. It is possible that the three youngest sons, William, John and George died in the workhouse as their deaths are recorded about his time. Very few people could afford to return once their sentence were complete. For a person like Thomas, it would be possible to get a bit of land and make a reasonable life in Australia. So it shows his character that he returned to his wife and family in 1850. We have a description of Thomas along with his life at that time. He was described as 5ft 7.1\4", aged 43yrs with fresh complexion and oval head, dark green/grey eyes, medium nose and mouth and a long chin. His trade was a Shepard/ ploughman. Thomas's record shows that he was a Protestant and could read, his conduct was good. As a prisoner 3rd class he was relatively trustworthy and probably assigned to public works. On the 19th April, he was sent to two-month hard labour for being drunk. He was assigned to work for a wealthy landowner and sheep breeder. Locations noted on his conduct record include Richmond ( October1844) and Campbell Town (May 1845 to October 1847).Thomas gained a ticket of leave on 6 September 1845 and applied for a pardon on 30 January 1849. A free certificate was granted on 4 January 1850. Within two months Thomas was coming home steerage class on the barque "Rattler". Thomas returned home steerage class aboard the baque "Rattler". He returned home to Little Hadham in Hertfordshire in 1851 and died in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshirein 1875. Additional information. In March 1848 Thomas applied for a free ticket for his wife and children Segar, Emma, Martha and Isaac to go to Tasmania. It was supported by a reference from the owner of the property (Wetmore) but appears to have been turned down as he returned home after sentence. Whilst Thomas was serving his time in Tasmania, he had a relationship with Jane Quinn, the result of this relationship was the birth of their son William Pledger 1851.