Richard Brown

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 26th July 2022

IN VDL 26 May, 1853: On arrival in VDL, Richard Brown was listed as convict #27860, a groom, 22 years old, 5’4” tall with dark brown to red hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion. He was single, Protestant, and literate. Native place -- Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He said he had been transported for stealing a gold watch, prosecutor at Paddington; and denied having been convicted before (https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-115$init=CON33-1-115p14). Family: Father Robert; mother Mary; brothers Charles and Thomas; sisters Mary and Jane – at Paddington (http://foundersandsurvivors.org/pubsearch/convict/chain/ai080208). For further details see his VDL Conduct record at https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-115$init=CON33-1-115p14 and his Indent record at https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON14-1-47$init=CON14-1-47_00138_L. --00--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 26th July 2022

On Gibraltar, Richard Brown was described as 18 years old when convicted, sentenced to 10 years for “robbery with violence”; once previously convicted. He was born in Melton Mowbray; Church of England; auburn hair, blue eyes and fair complexion, 5’5½”tall; literate; labourer; single; relatives/family – at 6 Greville Street, Leather Lane, Holborn (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Misc.; Register of Prisoners; 1810-1822 [mislabelled]). --0-- 3 February, 1853: Sent aboard the St Vincent for transportation to VDL. --00--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 26th July 2022

Gibraltar and Bermuda were listed public works stations (and the second stage in the penal process). On Gibraltar, as “convicts worked together with free men on the dockyards, lines between them became blurred. Convicts, like seamen, were ‘easily recognised’ by ‘their swarthy, weather beaten complexions…[and] muscular well-knit frames’. The discipline on the penal settlement was also influenced by the naval department, who superintended part of the works. In the 1840s, for example, convicts were provided ‘a half gill of rum’ at 11am and 5pm, which they drank from a trough. This mirrored the daily allowance of diluted rum, known as grog, to Royal Naval seamen in the Victorian era. Convicts were also allowed to use part of their earnings, to buy goods, usually tobacco, which they were allowed to smoke in the evening in the barracks. Though official correspondence cited health reasons for grog allowance, it seems likely that the convict authorities feared insubordination if they were banned from drinking and smoking, which were provided to the sappers and dockyard workers whom they worked alongside… In 1854, the acting overseer stated that “half of the offences were committed when the men were excited by rum”. For more serious offences, convicts were flogged with a ‘cat o’nine tails’ whip against the ‘flogging mast’, and during an investigation Dr William Baly concluded that the whip which was used was an old naval cat, which was ‘much heavier than any now used in the government prison and hulks at home, or in the army.’” (Roscoe, Katy (2018), “Convicts and the Sea: the naval influence on Gibraltar Convict Establishment” at https://staffblogs.le.ac.uk/). --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 26th July 2022

TO GIBRALTAR: 4 March, 1851: BROWN, RICHARD #1585, arrived on Gibraltar from England per Cornwall. Held on the Europa hulk (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Misc.; Register of Prisoners; 1810-1822 [mislabelled]). --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 26th July 2022

TRIAL: 3 July, 1848: Richard Brown was convicted at the Old Bailey and sentenced to 10 years’ transportation, with previous convictions taken into account. --0-- TRIAL TRANSCRIPT: “#1684. RICHARD BROWN, for a robbery on Hannah Forin, and stealing from her person 1 watch and 1 eye-glass, her goods. HANNAH FORIN. On 20th June, about three o'clock, I was walking with a friend, in Hall-place, St. John's-wood; I was suddenly struck in the breast, and immediately my watch and glass were snatched from me—the person ran off—my friend, who was just before me, heard me scream, and turned, and prevented my falling—I saw the prisoner crossing the road, and by the time I got to him he was in custody of two men—I said, ‘If you will give me my watch and glass I will let you off’—he said, ‘If you will let me go I will never do it again’—a person said, ‘Here is a man who has found your watch’—a lady came up, and found my glass—these are them—the prisoner threw one on each side as he ran. JOHN GORE. I was going up St. John's-wood-road, between two and three o'clock—the ladies asked me the way to Avenue-road—I saw the prisoner at the corner of Hall-place, and as the ladies approached he made a sudden rush at the prosecutrix—she screamed—he ran off—I pursued him—by the time I got to him two labourers had got him—I saw him throw down the watch. GUILTY. Aged 17.— Transported for Ten Years.” (https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/) --00--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 10th July 2022

CRIME: Stealing a gold watch