Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
James Price was transported on the Calcutta, departing 31st Jan 1803 and arriving 4th Oct 1803 with 305 passengers.
HMS Calcutta was the East Indiaman Warley (1795), converted to a Royal Navy ship. This ship of the line served for a time as an armed transport. She also transported convicts to Australia. The French Magnanime captured Calcutta in 1805. In 1809, after she ran aground during the Battle of the Basque Roads and her crew had abandoned her, a British boarding party burned her. In 1803 the Calcutta sailed into Port Phillip bay where at least 4 convicts escaped , in Sydney in April 1804 it was reported that 8 had died on the trip. Of the four known escapees one was shot on escape, 2 turned back after 2 days to reattach to the group at the camp in bay before the boat left , one continued on ...into Australia's history books. At least 13 convicts were transferred on to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Australia.The ship also carried officers, wives and free settlers.
Calcutta (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 87, Class and Piece Number HO11/1, Page Number 340 |
| 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
Robert Knopwood’s Diary. The Rev. Robert Knopwood sailed from England, on the Calcutta in 1803, and landed in Port Phillip with the prisoners. He later became the first chaplain appointed in Van Diemen’s Land, and was also appointed a Magistrate. He kept a diary, from 1805 -1808, which can be downloaded by following the links: https://eprints.utas.edu.au/13550/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/13563/ Entry for Sunday 17 February, 1805. deserted from the Camp, Thos Green James Price James Wright. Tuesday, 19 Feb Prisoners absent from Hobart Town. Tho Green, James Price, Wright. Saturday 23 February 1805. the Government Cutter was sent down to Sandy Bay where the Body of James Price was found. He was seen by the stock keeper. Sunday 24 February 1805. 2 pm. I buried the body of James Price who deserted from Hobert Town on Sunday Feb 17 in comp with Tho Green and James Wright.
Possible Death. Tasmanian Burial Register. Parish of St David, Hobart. https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD34-1-1p003j2k James Price, buried 24 Feb 1805, age 32. Ceremony performed by R. Knopwood.
Old Bailey online See originalClick to see original 774. HENRY ELLIS and JAMES PRICE were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 3d of September , two geldings, value 18l. the property of William Townsend .(The case was opened by Mr. Clifton.) JAMES REEVES sworn. - Examined by Mr. Clifton. I live at the George, at Riverhead: I saw the prisoners there on the 1st of September, about eight o'clock in the evening; they staid till ten. Mr. Knapp. Q. Do you recollect seeing the prisoners before? - A. One of them only. WILLIAM TOWNSEND sworn. - Examined by Mr. Clifton. I am a tanner : I live at Tauntongreen, about a mile from Riverhead; my land is within a quarter of a mile; I had some horses turned out at seven o'clock in the evening, on the 1st of September; in the morning, I went there, and missed two geldings, a black and a bay; on the 3d, I came up to London, and went forward to Barnet, it was fair-day; I saw those young men go to a stable at Mrs. Neale's; I went there, and saw my little black horse, and a horse I could not swear to, but I thought it belonged to a neighbour of mine, Mr. Staples, at Riverhead. Q. Was the black one the horse you missed from the pasture? - A. It was. Q. What were the two prisoners doing in the stable when you went there? - A. I did not see them do any thing there; I went into the town, and afterwards saw them; they were a very little distance apart; Ellis mounted Mr. Staples's horse, and tried to ride away, then I seized Price, and said, he was my prisoner for stealing horses. Q. Was that in Ellis's hearing? - A. I cannot tell. Q. What did Ellis do? - A. He tried to ride away, and rode over a Welch runt; the horse knocked the runt down, and fell over it, and threw the man off; this was not above two or three rods from Mrs. Neale's; I found the other bay horse at Whetstone, at Mr. Freeman's, which I had lost from the pasture. Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. Were those horses turned out by you? - A. By my servant. Q. Were you with your servant? - A. No; but I was in the yard when they came from the stable. Q. Is your servant here? - A. No. Q. I understood you, that what you communinicated to Price, you don't know whether Ellis heard? - A. No. Q. Or whether he saw that you were taking Price at the time? - A. No. Q. The horse Elis was upon, was not your horse? - A. No. Q. When you found the horse at Whetstone, Ellis was not by? - A. No. Q. Or near there? - A. No. MARY NEALE sworn. - Examined by Mr. Clifton. I keep the Waggon and Horses at Barnet: On the 3d of September, which is the day before the fair, about ten o'clock in the morning, the prisoners came to my house, each leading a horse, they were not mounted; the horses were put into my stable; in the course of about a couple of hours afterwards, Mr. Townsend came, and saw them, and said, they were his property. Q. Were the horses, Townsend said were his, the same the prisoners brought to the yard? - A. Yes; Mr. Townsend claimed them as his property, and asked me to get a constable. BENJAMIN FREEMAN sworn. - Examined by Mr. Clifton. I keep the Anchor at Whetstone: The prisoner, Price, came to my house on the 2d of September last, and wanted my meadow to put three horses in; the other prisoner came afterwards, and they had a bit of dinner, and went away together, and left the horses in the meadow near my house. Q. Did Townsend come next day? - A. Yes; and he saw the horses, and claimed one. Q. Are you sure that the horse you shewed him, and that he claimed, was the same that was left by Price the day before? - A. I am sure that was the horse that he put into the field. Q. Did they say where they were going when they left your house? - A. Towards Barnet. Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. Then it was Price that gave you the horses, and you did not see Ellis for sometime? - A. No. Prisoner (Price.) Q. By what means did I come to your house - by myself? - A. I was busy in the house, and don't know. Ellis's defence. I am an innocent man, and leave it all to my Counsel. Price's defence. I have nothing to say; I leave it to my Counsel. Evidence for the prisoner Ellis. THOMAS HANKIN sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knapp. I am a cordwainer, and live in Pomona-place, Lisson-green, Paddington: I know the prisoner Ellis, because he lived at my house on the 1st of September last; I recollect, on the evening of the 1st of September, he was in my house at four o'clock in the afternoon, and did not go out again that day, or till the next morning at half past six, when he told me he was going to Barnet fair. Cross-examined by Mr. Cliston. Q. How long have you been acquainted with Ellis? - A. Upwards of eight years. Q. How long has he lodged at your house? - A. Between four and five months. Q. What trade is he? - A. He gains his livelihood by carrying bowls and dishes, commonly called hardware. Q. Where? - A. In all parts of the country. Q. How long before this time had he employed See originalClick to see original himself in carrying bowls and dishes? - A. I suppose, four or five years. Q. Do you mean to say he had not carried it on for the last four or five years? - A. I should think not. Q. What trade has he carried on in that time? - A. I cannot tell. Q. For the last five months, you don't know, perhaps? - A. I know so far as the time he lodged with me, and for the other time, to the best of my knowledge, he carried on that, and nothing else. Q. What business has he followed during the last five months? - A. He followed that business. Q. During that five months, he was out a good deal? - A. Yes, up and down the country. Q. Then he was not constantly at your house? - A. He was not. Q. How can you pretend to say, that on the 1st of September, he was at your house? - A. He was, I can safely say. Q. How do you know it? - A.Because, if I must speak the truth, I lent him a couple of guineas. Q. How are you so sure? - A.Because, in the morning, at half past six, he got up, and said, will you get me some breakfast; I said, I would; he said, have you got the trisle of money by you of two guineas; I said, I have; says he, I will be much obliged to you, if you will lend it to me, and I will pay you when I come back; I said, if you will promise to pay me, I will, and I lent it him on the 1st of September. Q. He was going a journey, and would pay you when he came back? - A. Yes. Q. He set off on his journey? - A. Yes. Q. Did he say where he was going? - A. To Barnet fair. Mr. Clifton. My Lord, I will now call Stevens, the coachman of the Riverhead coach, to prove he took the prisoners down by the coach. - STEVENS sworn. - Q. Did you drive the prisoners any where? - A. I took them up at Lewisham, and drove them to Collier's, the White Hart, at Riverhead, on the 1st of September. Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. Had you ever seen the prisoners before? - A. I never saw them, to my knowledge, before. Q. Were they inside or outside? - A. Outside. Q. I ask you, upon your oath, never having seen the men before, whether they are the men you took up at Lewisham? - A. That man in the jacket is one (Price.) Q. Upon your oath, will you swear that the other is one? - A. In regard to that, I cannot say; his dress is different; it is something like the man. THOMAS WALTER sworn. - Examined by Mr. Clifton. I was with the prisoners on the top of the coach, and know them; I had a deal of conversation with him in the blue coat (Ellis.) Ellis, GUILTY , Death , aged 23. Price, GUILTY , Death , aged 27. First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Heath.