Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
James Shaw was transported on the Nile, departing 18th Sep 1857 and arriving 1st Jan 1858 with 271 passengers.
Nile (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/18, Page Number 242. --0-- Edgar, W. (Bill) (2018), “The precarious voyage of her majesty’s convict ship ‘Nile’ to the Swan River colony, late 1857 – and the unexpected aftermath.” The Great Circle, 40(1), 20–43. |
| 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: Re his 1841 conviction... 19 October, 1841: James Shaw, alias Bamford, a 20-year-old whip/thong maker, was sentenced to 7 years' transportation for stealing wearing apparel. He was held aboard the York prison hulk, at Gosport in Hampshire, inmate #16047; listed as a "bad character, convicted previously"; born in Nottingham; dark brown hair, grey eyes, fresh complexion, 5'0" tall; illiterate. Next of kin -- mother, living in Dutch Alley, Nottingham. He was granted a Free Pardon on 14 August, 1845 (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for James Shaw; Misc.; Register of Prisoners; 1808-1814).
IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: SHAW, James; inmate #4696, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Date of Birth: 1822 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Boatman Literacy: Illiterate Sentence Place: Nottingham, Nottingham, England Crime: Stealing Sentence Period: Life Ticket of Leave Date: 7 Apr 1858 Conditional Pardon Date: 13 Nov 1860 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --0--
8 September, 1857: Sent from Portsmouth to board the Nile for transportation to WA; convict #11/4159. By this time he had served 8 years 6 months 2 days of his life sentence (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32)). --00--
4 July, 1857: Returned to England per the Hamilla Mitchell from Gibraltar and admitted to Portsmouth prison, Cumberland Street/Gloucester Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire -- inmate #4159. All details as per above. Next of kin -- "No father. Mother is tramping about the country, has no fixed residence" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portsmouth Prison; Registers of Prisoners; 1855-1858). --0--
4 March, 1851: Arrived at Gibraltar; held aboard the Europa prison hulk. On Gibraltar, his behaviour was listed as "good". --0--
18 February, 1851: Sent from Portland per the Cornwall for transportation to Gibraltar (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portland Prison; Prison Records; Undated). --0--
12 September, 1850: Admitted to Portland prison, Grove Road, Dorset -- inmate #1901. Listed as 26 years old when convicted, single, a labourer, illiterate and Methodist. Portland, Portsmouth, Chatham and Spike Island in Ireland were listed public works stations and the second stage in the penal process. After separate confinement, prisoners were “placed on work parties at various locations, most commonly naval stations, where maintenance of facilities was vital for the effective protection of Britain’s far flung commercial and military influences around the world. While there, attitude and behaviour were monitored closely. In theory, only after consistently positive reports was a prisoner moved on to the third stage of his incarceration—transportation.” (Edgar, p40) --0--
27 December, 1849: Admitted to Pentonville prison, Caledonian Road, London -- served 8 months 20 days in separate confinement; behaviour "good". --0--
25 October, 1849: Admitted to Millbank prison, Westminster, London -- served 2 months in separate confinement; behaviour "good". “After a sentence of transportation was handed down, the prisoner entered into a separate stage where he was placed into an individual cell, isolated from others, apart from brief periods of exercise and attendance at chapel. However, no communication of any kind with other prisoners was permitted at any time. The philosophy behind this penal methodology had its provenances in the religious, monastic traditions; i.e., that in the isolation of his cell the malefactor would be able to contemplate the errors of his way, unadulterated by the negative influences of former contemporaries, and be reformed.” (Edgar, 2018, pp39-40) When first put into practice, the mandated period of separate confinement was 18 months. By the late 1840s, authorities had conceded that such conditions of imprisonment were “injurious to many prisoners’ mental health” and the stint was reduced to 12 months. Periods of separate confinement were reduced further “as a prisoner displayed good behaviour tendencies” (Edgar, p40). Millbank, Pentonville, Wakefield and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--
JAILS: March, 1849: Held at Nottingham County Gaol, High Pavement, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portland Prison; Prison Records; Undated). --0--