Edward Rowden

342

Maureen Withey on 28th December 2022

Devon Spring Assizes. Edward Rowden was indicted for stealing a sheep on the 6th of January, the property of Nathaniel Cook, the younger, in Burlescombe. Nathaniel Cook; l live in Burlescombe, on the 7th of Jan., 1 had 27 sheep, my man saw them on the 6th. In the morning of the 7th, I found the skin and the head left in it. I immediately obtained a search warrant. I reached my tallet, I found the prisoner there. Mr. Bucknell was there, he said that the prisoner had put his hand and hid something beside the wall. I immediately looked and found a little blue bag, with some salt, and searching a little farther I found a chisel, a camp kettle, a term which the navigators have, containing four pieces of boiled mutton. Mr. Bucknell said to the prisoner, what have you in your pockets. I don’t know What answer he made. They searched his pockets and found a quantity of sheeps bones, the principal part of the back bone of a sheep unusually slaughtered ; a bundle of lucifer matches were found in his pocket, and two pieces of whet stone, one of which had a spot of fresh blood on it. He had a pair of very bad boots his feet, we did not search the tracks because of the delay. He had a knife in his pocket. ... John Vicary searched prosecutor's tallet, and found the prisoner there under the straw. He was pulled out, his pockets searched, and bones, knife, and whet stone found in them mutton was found in a kettle, and it corresponded with the bones in his pocket. I said to the prisoner, it appears to me that you are quite the thief that we wanted to find, and I then put the hand bolts upon him. Stephen Greenslade, butcher, of Holcombe Rogus, compared the mutton found in the tallet, with the head found in the skin. He spoke positively to the joint of the head corresponding with the neck bone. No butcher had ever parted that bone. John Backnell; l live at Burlescombe, I assisted in searching the premises of Mr. Cook. Having corroborated the evidence, as to the search, the witness described the nature of a tallet to the learned Judge, who desired to be informed Of its constitution. This tallet was a long hay-loft over a cow shed not attached to the farm premises, but at no great distance from it. Mr Cooke re-called, said, we have the railway cutting through my farm, and there were a lot of men, followers of that work, who were allowed to sleep in the tallet ... Western Times, 8 April 1843. Tallet – a hayloft or loft. --------------------------------------------------- Tasmanian Records. Conduct Record: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-64$init=CON33-1-64P128 No 15313. Edward Rowden, age 32, single, Farm labourer, can plough & shoemaker. Native place, Pug Hill (Poughill), Devon. See record for details. THE 'EXILES' PER ‘SIR GEORGE SEYMOUR'. The accounts given in the Hobart Town papers of the conduct, during the voyage, of the "Exiles" by the above ship, and of the cleanliness which pervaded the vessel on her arrival, are very flattering to all those concerned. The annexed is from the COURIER, of the 4th instant: 'The men, too, are of a very superior order, and the greatest credit is due to Dr. Hampton, the Surgeon-Superintendent, for the excellent arrangements which are discoverable in their comfort and classification. The vessel proceeds to Port Phillip the latter end of the present week with that portion of the prisoners who have obtained conditional pardons. The remainder, by far the larger portion, ticket-of-leave men and pass-holders, remain in the Colony. The Government have rented Mr. Solomon's house in Argyle-street, as a hiring depot for those latter men who are well clad, and present, altogether, a very different appearance from the ordinary class of convicts. Several of the men, we understand, have been already engaged, at wages varying from ten to twelve pounds a year; and every facility is afforded by the Surgeon-Superintendent to those who, for the purpose of engaging servants, visit this vessel. It is necessary, however, to be provided with an order from the Colonial Secretary to go on board the ship." Two other ships were daily expected with similar cargoes from England, to arrive at Launceston. The Australian, 20 Mar 1845. Exiles. Transportation to NSW effectively ceased in 1842 but between 1846-1850 exiles were transported. Exiles had served part of their sentence in a penitentiary in Britain and were granted a conditional pardon or ticket of leave on arrival in the Colony. ---------------------------------------------------- Indent: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON14-1-26$init=CON14-1-26P235 and https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON14-1-26$init=CON14-1-26P236 Age 32, single, Farm labourer, can plough, shoemaker. Native place, Pug Hill, family, M, Anne at Exeter.

342

Maureen Withey on 27th December 2022

Convicts.— Robert Skitch, 25, John Huxtable, Edward Rowden, 29. James Deverell. 21, Wm. Harding, 21. and William Nott, convicted at the Devon Lent Assizes, of Sheep Stealing; .. —all under sentence transportation for ten years. Western Times, 13 May 1843.