Thomas Sargeant

342

Maureen Withey on 8th March 2021

National Archives. Criminal Petitions. HO 17/2/751827 Jan 18 Prisoner name: Thomas Sergeant [Thomas Serjeant]. Court and date of trial: Surrey Winter Assizes held at Kingston upon Thames 1826. Crime: Burglary. Initial sentence: Death commuted to transportation for life. Annotated: Nil. Petitioner(s): Elizabeth Serjeant, the convict's mother, and 26 people including prosecutor. Grounds for clemency: the convict's mother is a lone parent who relies on her children for support; the family have lived 40 years in St John's Horslydown [St John Horsleydown, Surrey]; the convict was led astray by bad counsel and evil companions; he shows contrition; asks for him to enter the Navy. Other papers: Certificate that the family of Thomas Serjeant were previously respectable inhabitants of Southwark [Surrey]. Note from G C Serjeant forwarding petition.

7

Les de Belin on 12th April 2018

Notes by Phil Hand have been copied from my original notes of 1998. No problems, but would like credit :-)

54

Phil Hands on 30th July 2017

Thomas, a painter by trade, was tried and convicted of Burglary on 18th December 1826 at the Surrey Special Sessions, he was sentenced to transportation for life. Left England on 18 April 1827. Ship:- the 'Marquis of Hastings' sailed with 168 male convicts on board, there were no deaths recorded for the voyage. Arrived on 31st July 1827. The ship's indent details described Thomas as being 5ft 7ins tall, fair-ruddy complexion, brown hair, and hazel eyes. He was a single man, who could read and write, and was of Protestant religion. He had a number of tattoos, ("Westbrook Woman", "M.E.W.", crucifix man, mermaid, seaman, woman and sun) which tends to lead to a seafarer's background, however, his occupation was listed as a painter. On arrival Thomas was assigned to Doctor Francis Moran in the Newcastle area. At this time The Great North Road was being constructed, with the use of convicts, from Sydney to Newcastle (1826 to 1836 – 240kms, also known as "The Convict Trail"). It was commenced both in the south and the north by convicts. Records indicate Thomas worked from the Newcastle end, and worked his way south. In 1827 he had been assigned to the No.28 Road Party. The overseer of this Party was John McDougall, and he had a reputation of being a brutal and hash master who used the "cat-o-nine tails" mercilessly. Records then indicate Thomas then went to the No.1 Iron Gang, and on 1st November 1827 apparently had an accident, as on 3rd November1827 he was taken to hospital. On 8th January 1828, Thomas was sentenced to 2 months on the Iron Chain Gang by Wallis Plains Court (now Maitland), for Neglect of Duty. This meant that he was to wear chains for this period while working on the construction of the road. The 1828 Census had his occupation as a Road Ganger. Thomas by this time had now been assigned to the No.29 Road Party, and he is named in that group in a report dated May 1830. It is presumed he continued to work with the No.29 Road Party until the conclusion of construction of the road. This group of convicts worked in Wallis Plains Jan-Sept 1830, Dennis's Dog Kennel (stockade) Oct-Dec 1830, Newcastle-Maitland Apr-June 1832, and Wollombi Brook 1833. It is known that No.29 Road Party constructed the Bucketty Culvert 1830-1831 and possibly the Fernance's Crossing Culvert around the same time. At the end of construction of The Great North Road, it appears that Thomas Sargeant had travelled a fair distance south, for in 1836 he was given a Ticket of Leave by the Bathurst Bench, to remain in the District of Windsor. In 1845 was given a Conditional Pardon. It was probably during his stay in the Windsor area that he met a local girl, Harriet Smith (daughter of convict George Smith, 'Fortune' 1806 & his wife Elizabeth). Although they were both living in the Windsor area they actually married in Sydney, on 30th December 1850. It may have not been a sanctioned marriage as there was a 17 years difference in age and she was 6 months pregnant. Harriet's brother and sister, Henry and Maria, were witnesses. The couple had 5 children between 1851-1860. Thomas died on 12th July, 1878, at The Penninsular, Windsor, suffering from asthma. The Penninsular is an area situated just north of the township near the old Observatory. He was buried at St.Mathews, Church of England, Windsor. There is no headstone. Harriet died on 14th June 1899 at Balmain.