| Name: | Thomas Robinson |
| Aliases: | none |
| Gender: | m |
| Date of Birth: | 4th November, 1826 |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Date of Death: | 9th November, 1864 |
| Age: | 38 years |
Life Span
Male median life span was 51 years*
* Median life span based on contributions
Sentence Severity
Sentenced to 15 years
| Crime: | Robbery with violence |
| Convicted at: | York Assizes at York |
| Sentence term: | 15 years |
| Ship: | Marion |
| Departure date: | 30th October, 1851 |
| Arrival date: | 30th January, 1852 |
| Place of arrival | Western Australia |
| Passenger manifest | Travelled with 280 other convicts |
| Primary source: | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 92, Class and Piece Number HO11/17, Page Number 280 |
| 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 Project. |
Fiona Carroll on 21st January, 2021 wrote:
The actual charge was Robbery and Wounding - or from the register ” Robbery being armed, Cutting and Wounding”. He and 3 other men were charged for robbing the payroll courier of the Middleton Colliery, south of Leeds.
Two were caught immediately by miners but William Pinder and Thomas escaped and were later apprehended on the testimony of one of the others. The York Gaol delivery says that a judgement of death was entered in for them, but they would be transported for 21 years. A plea for the Queen’s mercy was put in and this was reduced to 15 years.
The Leeds Mercury of 10th April 1847 says that Thomas was from Hindles-Fold, Holbeck (now a Leeds suburb). I can’t find a Hindles-Fold on the 1822 directory for Leeds or any reference on-line, but I can find a Hindles-Yard in Holbeck.
Thomas was a mechanic on the original York registers. He only seems to have become a labourer on the Justitia Hulk and then the convict register. He was a sawyer on his marriage certificate - and said his father was John Robinson, also a sawyer. His brother-in-law, Thomas Fox said that he was a labourer on his death certificate.
I believe him to be Thomas Norman Robinson who was born to John Robinson and his wife, Maria nee Walker on the 4th November 1826 in Holbeck. John was a flax dresser not a sawyer. He was baptised in Holbeck (Wesleyan) on the 26th December. He had two older brothers, Benjamin Walker Robinson and Edwin Robinson.
Then the family moved to Lancashire where three more children were born (Frederick William, Ann Maria and John Edway). John died in 1835 at Kirkham, with the two younger children christened posthumously in Salford.
The family moved back to Holbeck and in 1841 Maria and her six children were living at Water Lane, Holbeck. Thomas is shown as Norman Robinson and his older brother appears as Walker Robinson. The ages match. Walker Robinson is a mechanic, while Edwin and Thomas are employed at a flax mill.
In 1851 Maria and five of her children were living at Hindles-Yard, Holbeck. Norman or Thomas is the child missing. Edwin is now also a mechanic, so it seems logical that Thomas Norman would have become one as well - which is what the York registers say that Thomas Robinson is. The age matches perfectly.
Thomas married Mary Burns on the 8th Nov 1859 in Vasse, Western Australia. They had four children - John Burns Robinson, Anna Maria Robinson, Bridget Burns Robinson and Mary Robinson.
He died on the 9th November 1864 at Saw Mill Station, Quindalup (a saw mill owned by Mr Yelverton) - I believe this is Dunsborough these days. The informant was his brother-in-law, Thomas Fox who married Mary’s sister, Bridget. Thomas was 38 year old labourer who died by the visitation of God, the day after his wedding anniversary.
Fiona Carroll on 21st January, 2021 made the following changes:
date of birth: 4th November, 1826 (prev. 0000), date of death: 9th November, 1864 (prev. 0000), gender: m, occupation, crime
This record was discovered and printed on ConvictRecords.com.au
