Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
William Ryan was transported on the Clyde, departing 11th Mar 1863 and arriving 29th May 1863 with 322 passengers.
Clyde (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 531 (267) |
| 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 Pro |
| Original Source | Great Britain. Home Office |
| Compiled By | State Library of Queensland |
| Database Source | British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database |
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Convict Notes
FOOTNOTE 2: William Ryan’s arrival in WA was much later than that of his convicted accomplices George Rogers, Henry Dufferty and Charles Hawkins. They were transported aboard the Nile, arriving on 1 January, 1858. —00—
FOOTNOTE 1: NEWSPAPER REPORT OF THE TRIAL From the ‘Weekly Dispatch’, April 13, 1856, p.11: “WESTERN CIRCUIT - TAUNTON Before Mr. Justice Crowder George Rogers, Henry Dufferty, Charles Hawkins, Thomas Dallmiore, William Oldfield, Joseph Taylor, Mark Fawkes, William Belston, and William Ryan were indicted for having, on the 6th of December, burglariously broken and entered the house of Mary Baber, and stealing a spoon, a ring, a pencil-case, three spoons, a watch-guard, and £8 in money, and beating and striking James Veale, otherwise Flower, on the head. It appeared from the evidence of numerous witnesses, that the house of the prosecutrix is situated by itself about 100 yards from the high road, and that the inmates on Thursday, the 6th of December, consisted of Mrs. Baber; her sister, Mrs. Hopkins; a female servant, named Elizabeth Cambridge; Mrs. Baber’s uncle, Mr. Jones; and a man-servant named James Veale. On the evening of the day in question, all the inmates of the house went to bed at the usual time, the servant having previously seen that the fastenings were all secure. About 8 o’clock on the morning of the 7th of December, the house was broken into, and almost simultaneously two men entered the room of Mr. Jones, two that of Mrs. Baber, one that of Mrs. Hopkins, while another held the door of room in which the maid-servant slept. The two men who entered the room of Mr. Jones committed an act of gross outrage. They struck Veale, the man-servant, a violent blow with a life preserver which drew the blood from his head, then rolled him up in the bed-clothes so as to prevent him from observing what was going on. [DRAWING OF THE WEAPON DESCRIBED BELOW] The “Life Preserver” is a formidable weapon having a flexible shaft, 8” long, possibly of whale-bone, and a lead weighted end, bound with cord. In use it was intended to be aimed at the arms or legs in order to disable the assailant. A blow to the head could easily result in fatal injuries. At this time, Mrs. Baber, hearing the noise in her uncle’s room, sprang out of bed, bolted her door, and was about to give an alarm when two men burst into her room. They did not offer any actual violence to Mrs. Baber, but they threatened her, and said it would be of no use to make any noise as there were twenty of them outside. These men had their faces covered with something black, so that Mrs. Baber was unable to distinguish their features, but one of them kept watch over her for half an hour and she had ample opportunities of observing the other. She spoke positively to Rogers and Duffety being the two men who came into her room. As to the maid-servant, no one broke into her room and, consequently, she saw nothing, but she heard much. She spoke to one of the men who were outside her room having a very peculiar footstep, and the prisoner Hawkins was a person with a malformation in his legs, which caused a strange manner of walking; in addition to which, there was this fact against him, that, his house being searched, a quantity of housebreaking implements were found, among which were a chisel and a turn-screw, which exactly corresponded with the marks on the part of the premises by which access was gained. Mr. Jones was an old gentleman, upwards of 80, and Mrs. Hopkins a highly nervous lady; so that they were not able to identify any of the prisoners. Independently of money, the booty of the of the burglars was exceedingly small, and none of the stolen property was traced to the possession of the accused. The only direct evidence in the case was that of Mrs. Baber against Rogers and Duffety, and the facts already mentioned respecting Hawkins. As regarded all the other prisoners, the prosecution relied almost entirely on the evidence of an abandoned woman named Emma Bryant, the paramour of Ryan; but her statements were exceedingly contradictory. Rogers, Duffety and Hawkins were Convicted and had sentence of death recorded against them. Ryan and Dallimore, convicted on the previous day of a burglary at Stanton Prior, were sentenced, Ryan to 14 years transportation, and Dallimore to four years’ penal servitude. Mark Faux subsequently pleaded Guilty to a charge of receiving part of the property of another burglary at Marksbury, and was sentenced to four years penal servitude. Oldfield, Rich and Belstone were discharged.” (Western Australian Convicts at http://www.perthdps.com/convicts/w4615.htm). —00—
INQUEST: From -- The Herald, 21 September, 1872, p3: "INQUEST.-- E. Newman, Esq., J.P., a Coroner for the Colony of Western Australia, held an inquest on Thursday at the residence of Mr. Kain, Fremantle, on the body of a man named William Ryan who died under rather peculiar circumstances on Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Ryan, who has recently come down from the Eastern Districts, rented since his arrrival in Fremantle a small house from Mr. Kain at the back of that person's residence. At the request of Ryan who was very ill during the night of the 18th inst., Mr. Kain called upon the Revd. G. Bostock who at once visited the sick man, who complained of weakness and intense pain in his chest. Mr. Bostock applied a mustard plaister, and administered some brandy, which remedies seeming to relieve the patient, Mr. Bostock did not think it necessary at midnight to send for a surgeon, but, intending to do so early on the following morning, left the man, and instructed the police constable on duty to visit the sufferer from time to time during the night. On the occasion of the first visit made by the police, they found Ryan dead in the middle of the floor. He had apparently risen from his bed, and succeeded in opening the door when he fell backwards and expired. The evidence of Sergeant Wisby, who had known the deceased for seven years, proved that he had led a rough life and one of great hardship, and the testimony of Dr. Barnett was to the effect that Ryan died of disease of the heart. The jury found a verdict of death from natural causes. Mr. Bostock at the conclusion of the inquiry stated that Ryan had confided to him his certificate' of freedomn, the sum of £10 11s. 9d., in money, and an inventory of what other little property he was possessed of. He expressed a wish to be decently buried, and stated that he had no friends here or elsewhere, nor any intimate acquaintances. He desired that his property should be distributed in charity, and, at the suggestion of Mr. Bostock, made a short will to which the Reverend gentleman got two witnesses to append their signatures. Although the medical testimony was to the effect that the treatment by Mr. Bostock of the patient was "most judicious, and could not have been improved upon," we cannot but think that it is a great pity, considering the sudden and unfortunate death of Ryan, that medical aid was not at once called in. However mistaken the idea may be, public presidence can not be disabused of the idea that it is in the power of surgery or medicine to save lives; and in this instance it is very probable that; had a surgeon been called in, the unfortunate man even had he died, would not have died in such a wretched manner; a watch would at least have been set by his bedside, and the miserable sufferer would not have been allowed to expire on the cold floor in the vain attempt to obtain assistance and alleviation of his pain." (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114441153) --00--
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: RYAN, William; inmate #7242, arrived 29 May 1863 per Clyde Date of Birth: 1801 Date of Death: 18 Sep 1872 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Miner Literacy: Semiliterate Sentence Place: Taunton Crime: Burglary Sentence Period: 14 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 23 Jun 1863 Conditional Pardon Date: 1 Feb 1864 Certificate of Freedom Date: 20 Oct 1871 Comments: Carter (https://fremantleprison.com.au/).
6 March, 1863: He was sent from Portland to board the Clyde for transportation to WA (UK, Prison Commission Records, Portland Prison; Prison Records to 1875). --00--
12 March, 1857: Admitted to Portland gaol; inmate #6781. All details are the same except his sister's surname is spelled Stallard, not Hallard. He also had two aliases -- Thomas Stallard and Paul Stallard (called Hallard on the Millbank record) (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portland Prison; Prison Records to 1875). --0--
28 August, 1856: From Taunton, he went to Millbank at Westminster in London. Listed as #3428, he was 55, single, CofE, a labourer, able to read and write imperfectly and sentenced to 14 years’ transportation for burglary. Next of kin — his sister, Mary Hallard of Chew Stoke, near Bath. By the 1850s, Millbank and Pentonville were places for all male convicts to serve “their probationary term [of 9 months], after which they would be transported or sent to a public works prison” (https://www.prisonhistory.org). WILLIAM RYAN served 6 months 12 days in separate confinement (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners to 1885). —00—
JAILS: 27 March, 1856: WILLIAM RYAN, 55, convicted for a felony at Taunton Lent Assizes and sentenced to 14 years’ transportation, is on a list of “Prisoners upon order in HM Gaol at Taunton” (Taunton Gaol, Somerset: Calendars of Trials At Sessions and Assizes For the County of Somerset; UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Taunton Gaol; Calendar of Trials to 1889). He was held in separate confinement at Taunton for 5 months 1 day (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Character Book for Nos 4508-5585 (R8)). —0—
TRIAL: 27 March, 1856: WILLIAM RYAN, #49, was convicted at the Assizes, held at the Castle of Taunton, on a charge of burglary. He was sentenced to 14 years (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892; England; Somerset; 1856). —0—