Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Thomas Smith was transported on the Calcutta, departing 31st Jan 1803 and arriving 4th Oct 1803 with 305 passengers.
HMS Calcutta was the East Indiaman Warley (1795), converted to a Royal Navy ship. This ship of the line served for a time as an armed transport. She also transported convicts to Australia. The French Magnanime captured Calcutta in 1805. In 1809, after she ran aground during the Battle of the Basque Roads and her crew had abandoned her, a British boarding party burned her. In 1803 the Calcutta sailed into Port Phillip bay where at least 4 convicts escaped , in Sydney in April 1804 it was reported that 8 had died on the trip. Of the four known escapees one was shot on escape, 2 turned back after 2 days to reattach to the group at the camp in bay before the boat left , one continued on ...into Australia's history books. At least 13 convicts were transferred on to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Australia.The ship also carried officers, wives and free settlers.
Calcutta (generic)References
| Primary Source | CON22/1/2 Page 337 |
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Convict Notes
THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE OLD BAILEY THOMAS SMITH. Theft; grand larceny (to 1827). 3rd December 1800. 69. THOMAS SMITH was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 24th of November , one chest of tea, containing fifty-two pounds weight, value 20l. the property of Thomas Bryan and William Bryan . WILLIAM BRYAN sworn. - I am a tea-dealer ; my partner is Thomas Bryan; and we live in Oxford-street, the corner of North Audley-street: On the 18th of November, we sent to the East-India warehouse for fifteen chests of tea, and when the cart came back, there were but fourteen. WILLIAM SHEPHERD sworn. - I was sent for some tea to the East-India warehouse, and brought the load as far as Board St. Giles's, when a man said, young man, there is one of your boxes sell out of the cart; I went back to the box, and the prisoner was there with a knot on his shoulder; he helped the chest into the cart, and I wished him a good night; he went towards Holborn; I went about a hundred yards further, just opposite to St. Giles's Church, where I heard a man say, one of your boxes is fell down; I went back to the place to replace the box, and the prisoner was there again with the intention to bring it to me; he listed it up on my shoulder, and he went up into the cart to take the large chest off me, the small one did not fall out; I waited for him to take it in; I bore it almost as long as I could; there was a good-looking woman coming by, and she says, young man, you are very much put upon; yes, ma'am, says I, I be; I shall be glad if you will speak to the man to take in the chest as soon as possible, for I can hardly bear it; she said, there is no person in the cart, or near it; it was just before seven o'clock in the evening; a soldier came by, belonging to the guards, who helped me up with it, and when I got up, I found the prisoner gone, and the small chest of tea, of a particular sort, taken from between four more; the prisoner at the bar never appeared afterwards; I went home with the remainder, and my master and me examined the rope, which appeared to be cut; we never had the tea since; I went to Marlborough-street for the runners, and we went out at night to watch for him, but we never heard any thing of him there; I gave a description of the prisoner and his dress, and on Friday night he was taken up by some watchmen, and he had a drawn sword. Prisoner's defence. All I have to say is, I am innocent of what is laid to my charge. GUILTY , aged 26. - Transported for seven years . First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Rooke.
NOTE. There was a second man named Thomas Smith, who was transported on the Calcutta, Sentenced to 7 years transportation at Middlesex G.D. on the 3 Dec 1800, and is listed in Tasmanian Document: Tasmanian Records. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON22-1-2P264JPG Per Calcutta, Thomas Smith, tried Middlesex G.D. 3 Dec 1800, 7 years.