Joseph Seager

221

D Wong on 24th March 2021

3/9/1852: Departed Launceston to Melbourne per 'Shamrock'. 3/12/1881: Joseph Seager died in the Gipps Ward, Melbourne Hospital. Listed as a Plumber, born London, 40 years in Victoria, aged 72. 16/12/1881 The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express: One of the oldest colonists died in the Melbourne Hospital on Saturday. His name was Joseph Seager, a plumber, aged 72 years. He was a native of London, and arrived in Melbourne in 1841.

174

Iris Dunne on 24th March 2021

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey JOSEPH SEAGER, Theft > burglary, 11th May 1835. 1227. JOSEPH SEAGER, alias , Thomas Smith , was indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of William Gimber, about the hour of eight o'clock in the night of the 6th of April, at St. George, with intent to steal, and stealing therein, 1 box, value 1s.; 2 hammers, value 6d.; 2 padlocks, value 6d.; 3 tiles, value 3d.; 1 snuff-box, value 6d.; 1 bag of nails, value 3s.; 3 shoes, value 6d.; 1 pair of pincers, value 2d.; 1 last, value 4d.; 2 gimblets, value 2d.; 1 rattle, value 6d.; 2 chisels, value 2d.; 3 awls, value 3d.; 3 shillings, 6 sixpences, 7 pence, 9 half-pence, and 45 farthings, his goods and monies. JAMES MULLINS . I am a policeman. About nine o'clock, on the night of the 6th of April, I was on duty at Stepney—on crossing a field at the back of Jubilee-place, I found the prisoner on his knees, with a box, taking this property out of it—he said, "I have found a prize here"—I said, "I passed here a few minutes before, and this box was not here then;" (that was the case)—I asked him where he lived; he said, "In Silver-street"—I said, "You don't live there, tell me where you life"—he said, "I am not bound to tell you"—at last, he said he lived at No. 5, Westover-street, Stepney—I said I should take him to the station-house—I sprang my rattle, my comrade came up, I gave the prisoner in charge, tad took the box to the station-house—I went to No. 5, Westover-street, and found he did not live there—I at last found out the prosecutor—I found the prisoner about half a mile from the prosecutor's house—this is the box which I found in his custody—it contains the articles stated in the indictment. WILLIAM GIMBER . I am a watchman at the London Docks. My dwelling-house is at No. 1, St. George's-court, in the parish of St. George, Middlesex—I never saw the prisoner but once—he married my wife's sister's daughter, but was never at my house till the Sunday fortnight before this—I had seen the box secure at half-past five o'clock on Monday-night, the 6th of April—I put tome money into it, and went on my watch—it was under my bed—it contained the articles stated, and three shillings and five sixpences—I bolted the back-door, and locked the front-door or the spring-lock at half-past five o'clock, when I went out—it was all secure then—I returned at half-past six o'clock in the morning—my wife had been out all day—she had come home at half-past nine o'clock in the evening—the staple of the front-door lock was forced off—the bed-room door was bolted at the top and bottom when I went out. AMELIA GIMBER . I am the prosecutor's wife. I went out before him, and returned at a quarter after nine o'clock—I found the box of the lock wrenched off the street-door—I went into the back-room, where we sleep, and found that door open, and the box gone from under the bed—the bed-room door was unbolted—the prisoner is my nephew—I had seen him on the Tuesday evening previous—this is the box; I know the contents. Prisoner's Defence. I was coming across the fields—I saw the box lie there, broken open, and the things lying about—the policeman came np and saw me there—I did not like to tell my right direction, because if my master heard it, I should not get employ again. GUILTY of breaking and entering, but not burglariously. Aged 22. Transported for Seven Years. Before Mr. Sergeant Arabin. https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?div=t18350511-1227 Prison Hulk ship Hardy moored at Portsmouth, Received 10 June 1835 from Newgate, named Josh Seager (Thos Smith), VDL 31 August 1835 Certificate of Freedom 11 May 1842

174

Iris Dunne on 24th March 2021

Criminal Registers: aged 22, Offence Housebreaking, Sentence 7 years Conduct Record: Tried 11 May 1835 for Housebreaking & Larceny Married, Wife Mary at her Father's Free Certificate No. 400/1842 https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-40$init=CON31-1-40P163JPG

9

Madeleine on 24th March 2021

Joseph was my third great grand uncle. He was born on 2 Jan 1813 in Stepney which was in Middlesex at the time and is now in London.