Henry Pullan

341

Maureen Withey on 28th January 2021

Absconded prisoner. Henry Pullen, turner, Indefatigable 2d, tried at York, July 1814, 14 years sentence, 48 years of age, brown hair, hazle eyes, pock marked, downcast look, and second conviction and transportation. Sydney Gazette, 6 July 1816.

71

Robin Sharkey on 4th April 2018

ESCAPE FROM NSW in December 1817 Henry arrived in Sydney on ‘Indefatigable’ in April 1815. His sentence this time was 14 years for illegally returning from transportation and he would not be freed until 1828. So he absconded again and attempted escape. Authorities noticed by mid 1816 that he had absconded from his employment (Newspaper notices in the Sydney Gazette. Sydney Gazette 22 June, 29 June, 6 July 1816 p 1 "NOTICE.—The following Prisoners having absented themselves, all Constables and others are hereby strictly required to use their utmost Exertions in apprehending and lodging them in safe Custody. "Henry Pullen, turner, Indefatigable 2d. tried at York, July 1814, 14 years sentence, 48 years of age, brown hair, hazel eyes, pock marked, downcast look, and second conviction and transportation." He must have hidden away somewhere in NSW from mid 1816 for up to 18 months until mid December 1817 when he departed NSW on board the ship ‘Chapman’. “Chapman” had arrived in NSW from Ireland with nearly 200 convicts in mid July 1817, finally departing NSW to return to Europe around the 6th December 1817. Henry was stowed away on board, with a number of others, again intending to escape to England. The “Chapman” had not intended to stop at Hobart but was forced to do so for rudder repairs and to offload the convicts found illegally on board. The runaways evidently were discovered on the first part of the voyage between NSW and Hobart. They were taken off ‘Chapman” and landed in Hobart at the beginning of January 1818. (Hobart Gazette, 3 January 1818 p 2). His Tasmanian Conduct Record was created then on 3rd January. It was intended that he be returned to NSW but this never happened, and Henry Pulleyn lived out the rest of his life in Hobart (almost another 40 years).

71

Robin Sharkey on 4th April 2018

HENRY’s AGE After his first trial and sentence in July 1808 Henry submitted a petition for clemency before the end of September 1808, stating “he is now about forty-six years of age”. Thus would mean he was born about 1762. He also gave 46 as his age on the 1808 hulk record. However, in Sept 1808 Mr Markham esq, making recommendations on the petition to Lord Hawkesbury, wrote that Pulleyn had perjured himself for an alibi at his trial, and that “his age is 36 and not 46 as he states in his petition”. [HO 47/40/34]. This would mean he was born about 1772. The age stated by Mr Markham is far more likely to be correct than Henry’s own statement because his incentive in raising his age was to help his chances of clemency. When he died in Tasmania in 1856 a newspaper story appeared that he was about to turn 100 years of age, therefore born in 1756. [The Courier (Hobart) 18th April 1856] This information probably came from his son Mark but Henry would have told Mark that age, possibly even forgetting what his real age was. Being a very aged person always brought deferential resect in Victorian times. In reality, he would have been aged almost 84 (his birth day said to be in August).

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Robin Sharkey on 3rd April 2018

Henry Pulleyn was the correct surname, but he was recorded in the English criminal system as Henry ‘Pullan”. It was the same Henry Pulleyn/Pullan who was first transported on “Anne” arriving Sydney in 1810, transported again on ‘Indefatigable’ arriving Sydney 1815, and then living in Tasmania from 1818 until his death in 1856. Pulleyn was originally tried in July 1808 at Leeds Borough Session for breaking into a linen draper's shop in Leeds and stealing linen from the shop. He was part of a gang that was breaking into premises and warehouses in Leeds for at least a year prior. Eight were charged at the July 1808 Leeds sessions. The judge believed Pulleyn to be a gang leader, although his trial was only about the linen shop break in. He was charged with another warehouse break-in at the same sessions but this was no t proceeded with because the jury were tired out (letter from Markland Esq to Lord Castlereagh Sept 1808 in HO 47/40/340. For details of this and other crimes see entry for Henry "Pullan" transportation on "Anne" arriving NSW 1810. ESCAPE from NSW Pulleyn escaped from NSW before his sentence was up (he would have eventually been free in July 1815). When exactly he escaped is not known. Probably it was early on his arrival, since he was a clever lock breaker, and typically escapees did attempt escape very soon after arrival. He had a wife and two teenage children back in Yorkshire (born 1792 and1794) and probably went back to them. However, by mid 1814 he had been discovered back in England because he was tried at York Quarter Sessions in March 1814. SECOND TRIAL Leeds Intelligencer, Monday, March 28, 1814, p.3:  "The following prisoners have taken their trials: Henry Pullan, late of York, transported in 1808, charged with being unlawfully at large. Guilty." He was again put on "Captivity" hulk as he had been in 1808. The hulk record states "Received from York Castle on 14 June 1814". However he was there only 3 months, being removed to the transport ship for NSW on 13 Sept 1814. Arrived NSW per "Indefatigable" on 25 April 1815.

108

Nell Murphy on 21st June 2016

Jan 3 1818: Henry Pullen caught escaping from Sydney onboard the 'Chapman' bound for Van Diemen's Land. To labour in Gaol Gang until he can be returned. July 11 1821: Drunk. To be confined in gaol at nights. July 16 1821: Absent from his lodgings at H.M. Gaol. 25 lashes & to be confined 14 nights in gaol. Oct 2 1821: Drunk. Reprimand. Mar 24 1828: On a Ticket of Leave - Drunk. Reprimand. May 19 1829: On Ticket of Leave - receive linen stolen from Master Hales. Discharged (no proof). (No other details on his Conduct Record in VDL/Tasmania.)