Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
Charles Povah was transported on the Nile, departing 18th Sep 1857 and arriving 1st Jan 1858 with 271 passengers.
Nile (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 238. --00-- 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. |
| 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
FOOTNOTE: Henry Mitchell was also transported to WA on the Nile. His bio is at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/mitchell/henry/86204.
JAIL AGAIN: From his Fremantle jail record: POVAH, Charles; inmate #9941; Colonial Other No: 4590 Date of Birth: 1831 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Butcher Sentence Place: Perth, Western Australia, Australia Crime: Larceny Sentence Period: 3 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 29 May 1871 Conditional Pardon Date: 8 Feb 1873 Comments: Labourer, butcher. To Shanghai, 18 Aug 1873 ((https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
ANOTHER STEALING CHARGE: 8 January, 1869: Charles Povah, expiree, and Joseph Ralph, T.L, charged with stealing sundry tools, the property of John S. Johnston; a second count charged receiving. P.C. Alfred Eaton deposed that about midnight of 4th Nov. last he was on duty near prosecutor's house, and hearing a dog bark concealed himself near by; shortly after he saw the prisoner Povah go into Johnson's yard, and after about twenty minutes, saw him come out of the yard accompanied by a man he believed to be Ralph, who had no shoes on; he called upon them to stop, which Povah did, but the other went on. On searching Povah he found upon him in a bag the tools produced; he said he had been talking to one of Johnston's men. Johnston identified the tools as his property. After locking Povah up he returned with Segt. Wisbey to Johnston's where he found Ralph in bed but not asleep. In front of Mr. Langsford's he found the footmarks of two men, one having been barefooted, he compared the barefooted track with Ralph's foot and found it to correspond in every respect. The tracks he examined were where he first saw the two men, and were quite fresh and plain. Cross-examined by prisoner-I told prosecutor that Ralph was the man who ran away. I do not recollect the magistrates sending for any other man besides Ralph. John S. Johnston, wheelwright at York, identified two of the tools as belonging to himself and two as in his charge but belonging to a man in his employ. Was knocked up one night in November by p.c. Eaton, who had with him the prisoner Povah, with the tools in a bag; Ralph was in his employ and lodged upon the premises; saw the tools in the shop on the previous day. Ralph had no business to be out of his bed at so late an hour as midnight. Saw the tracks in front of Mr. Langsford's and saw them compared with Ralph's feet. Saw Povah at the shop on a day or two before the robbery. Cross-examined by prisoner Povah-When Eaton called me up, you said you had been to see a man living in my premises; Eaton said that that the man who ran away was too tall for Ralph but was more like Tom, another man who was in my employ, but my wife said he was the worse for liquor at ten o'clock. I think I said he had been at Chippers all the evening, and had sent for an order for £1 for grog. I do not know where Ralph was then. Cross-examined by Ralph-When I called you, you said Tom Newman had been there, and he was drunk. I said yes, but that someone else had been seen coming out of the yard. You said you had seen a man running across the yard and that you called out police as loud as you could. Re-examined by Crown Solicitor—There were about twenty false keys in the bag in Povah's possession. P.S. Wisbey, accompanied Eaton to Johnston's, and saw the tracks in front of Langsford's; they were examined both by moonlight and candlelight and compared with Ralph's feet with which one track corresponded, and I have no doubt it was made by him; that track I followed up until it led me eventually to the place where he slept. There were a quantity of skeleton keys and picklocks in the bag Povah had. The prisoner Povah made a long statement in his defence, the gist of which was that the bag containing the tools, &c, had been given him to carry by a man, whom he was assisting in endeavouring to elude the police, being out after hours, but who was a stranger to him. The other prisoner had nothing to say. The Jury found both prisoners guilty— Povah, 3 years' penal servitude; Ralph's ticket to be taken away (The Perth Gazette and West Australian Times, p3: SUPREME COURT at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3749263). --0--
STEALING CHARGE: 12 April, 1865: Charles Povah, and Thomas Watson, both butchers at Fremantle, were charged with stealing a heifer, the property of William Pearce, on the 10th of February. Povah was discharged (The Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth), p3: Supreme Court—Criminal Side at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66014909). --0--
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: POVAH, Charles; inmate #4590, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1831 Marital Status: Married Occupation: Butcher Literacy: Semiliterate Sentence Place: Liverpool, Lancashire, England Crime: House breaking Sentence Period: 20 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 21 May 1861 Conditional Pardon Date: 19 Nov 1867 Comments: Reconvicted WA. To Shanghai, 18 Aug 1873 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --0--
10 September, 1857: Sent from Portland to board the Nile for WA. On the voyage his behaviour was described as “good” (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers;Character Book for Nos 4508-5585 (R8)). --0--
19 May, 1857: Admitted to Portland prison, Grove Road, Portland, Dorset. Portland, Portsmouth, Chatham and Spike Island in Ireland were listed public works stations and the second stage in the penal process. After separate confinement, prisoners were “placed on work parties at various locations, most commonly naval stations, where maintenance of facilities was vital for the effective protection of Britain’s far flung commercial and military influences around the world. While there, attitude and behaviour were monitored closely. In theory, only after consistently positive reports was a prisoner moved on to the third stage of his incarceration—transportation.” (Edgar, p40) Charles Povah was listed as inmate #7054; 26 when convicted; married, able to read and write imperfectly, a carpenter [another change of trade], Church of England. Next of kin -- his mother Catherine Williams, 7 Kings Row, Walworth Row, Surrey. Served 9 months 10 days in public works; behaviour “good with the exception of attempting to escape”! Elsewhere, it's noted that he is "quiet, cunning and dangerous" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portland Prison; Prison Records; incorrectly labelled as 1870-1875). --0--
JAILS: 16 September, 1856: Admitted to Wakefield prison from Kirkdale -- served 8 months 2 days in separate confinement; behaviour "tolerably good". “After a sentence of transportation was handed down, the prisoner entered into a separate stage where he was placed into an individual cell, isolated from others, apart from brief periods of exercise and attendance at chapel. However, no communication of any kind with other prisoners was permitted at any time. The philosophy behind this penal methodology had its provenances in the religious, monastic traditions; i.e., that in the isolation of his cell the malefactor would be able to contemplate the errors of his way, unadulterated by the negative influences of former contemporaries, and be reformed.” (Edgar, 2018, pp39-40) When first put into practice, the mandated period of separate confinement was 18 months. By the late 1840s, authorities had conceded that such conditions of imprisonment were “injurious to many prisoners’ mental health” and the stint was reduced to 12 months. Periods of separate confinement were reduced further “as a prisoner displayed good behaviour tendencies” (Edgar, p40). Millbank, Pentonville, Wakefield and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--
NEWSPAPER reports of the trial: "HOUSEBREAKING... John Taylor, 57, a costermonger, Charles Povah, 26, a carpenter, and John Wood, 26, a striker, were charged with breaking into the house of Mr. Needham, in Rusholme, on the morning Sunday, the 20th April last, while Mr. Needham and his wife were at church, and stealing a watch, five gold rings, three brooches and other articles. An entrance was effected by means of skeleton keys. The prosecutor’s brother, who lives next door heard them in the house and gave the alarm, and the prisoners were apprehended before they had ran many hundred yards... Skeleton keys and articles of jewellery belonging to the prosecutor were found upon them. The jury found all the prisoners guilty; and his lordship sentenced Taylor and Wood each to four years' penal servitude. His lordship sentenced Povah, who was an escaped convict, to 20 years' transportation." (Liverpool Mail, 16 August 1856, p6; Rochdale Observer, p2 at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/). --0--
TRIAL: 9 August, 1856: As CHARLES POVAH, he was convicted of housebreaking, with a previous conviction for felony; sentenced to 20 years' transportation (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for Charles Povah; England; Lancashire; 1856). --0--