Charles Rout

46

Gaynor Lovett on 18th June 2026

Source: Prisoner No. 940 (https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON31-1-37/CON31-1-37P145) His crime was stealing a handkerchief. His work assignment was with G. Whitcomb Launceston.

174

Iris Dunne on 29th July 2021

Conduct Record: Tried 4 July 1833 for Stealing a Handkerchief, previous convictions Free Certificate No. 608/1846 https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-37$init=CON31-1-37P145 Description List No. 940: aged 21 https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON18-1-11$init=CON18-1-11P184

4

Jonathan Mathys on 8th November 2013

Charles Rout was the youngest son of 4 sons, the oldest, William, built "The Towers" a castle like structure still standing in New Town Tasmania. Charles was 1st Cousin to Henry Hopkins, a noted Tasmanian Colonialist. It seems the unfortunate Charles was largely ignored by his more succesful siblings, nor did Charles seem to share the same religous devotion as his family did. The story told at the Old Bailey was that on 21st July 1833 he scooped up a handkerchief from the footpath and a fellow accomplice, William Saunders, put it in his hat. But Police Constable Andrews swore he had seen Rout take the handkerchief from Mr Henry Howlett's pocket before he put it in Saunders hat. While Charles was transported for seven years Saunders pleading that he was as innocent as a newborn infant was jailed for six months. Charles was unrepresented when he appeared at Newgate assizes, London, July 1833. He arrived in Van Dieman's Land, served his sentence, and moved to Victoria in about 1842/3 where he married Catherine Ford in 1844, whilst working as a 'bush' (meaning untrained?) carpenter . Their oldest child was born out of wedlock. Charles did well for himself raising 19 children with his wife, 8 of whom died in infancy. In February 1858 Charles Rout purchased land from Stephen Charman for £18 15/-. The land was located on what is today the west corner of Weatherall Road and Church Road. There he built a paling house and planted an orchard and vineyard. [10] Six years later, on April 18, 1864 Charles sold the northern most half of this land to Thomas Wright for £18. [11] It was about this time the family oral history tells the story of a small party of black men entered their little house. Charles was away and Catherine was cooking in the presence of three of her children. The leader of the party pointed to a closed door and Catherine folded her arms and rocked them indicating a sleeping baby. The black man opened the door, saw the sleeping child and said " Whi phella piccaninny" he then pointed to two loaves of freshly baked bread and then himself. Catherine nodded and he quickly gathered them up plus a tobacco jar from the mantelpiece before the party left just as silently as the had arrived. [12] Almost two years after selling a section of his land to Thomas Wright, Charles became ill with hepatitis. There had been a number of market gardeners in the area dying of this disease. The use of sewerage to fertilize the crops was blamed. Charles Rout died at Church Road, Spring Grove aged fifty two of chronic hepatitis in March 1866 leaving Catherine with seven children still at home living on the three acres property in a four-roomed paling house. [1] & [2] He was buried at the Cheltenham Cemetery with his daughter Sarah. [3] Taken from Jan Rigby City of Kingston Historical website - article on Catherine Rout and from Ancestry.com tree researched by Jonathan Mathys 1. Victorian Pioneers Index, No 822. 2. Bailliere's Victorian Directory 1868-1870 : Mrs Rout Nurse Spring Grove Cheltenham. 3. Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery, Grave 200, Compartment E, Church of England.