Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
Thomas Spelling was transported on the Hougoumont, departing 10th Oct 1867 and arriving 9th Jan 1868 with 281 passengers.
875 ton ship was built at Moulmein in 1852. http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/on-this-day-in-history-australias-last-convict-ship-docks.htm ---------------------------- Incorrect Image ....This is a four masted steel hulled Barque in the drawing , im surprised Australian Geo didn't do a bit more research on this .......The Hougoumont was a works ship on the Forth Bridge Project in 1885 ....the one potrayed as a drawing in Aust Geo is the later version of this ship.....the photograph i have attached is the correct and original convict vessel. --00-- 1867 "The hired convict ship Hougoumont, which has been taken up by the Government for the conveyance of a numerous party of convicts to Freemantle, Western Australia, left the Nore on October 1, and proceeded down Channel, after receiving on board 150 convicts from the establishments at Chatham and Millbank. The convicts from the Chatham establishment, at St. Mary's, embarked from the dockyard on board the paddle-wheel steamer Adder, Mr. W. J. Blakely, and were in charge of a numerous party of convict guards and wardens, all heavily armed. Among the convicts shipped were a party of fifteen Fenians, who were engaged in the late conspiracy in Ireland, together with the officers and crew convicted of scuttling the ship Severn, and some others who have achieved notoriety from their crimes. The Fenian convicts, like the remainder of the prisoners, were chained together in gangs, but it was observed that they were kept apart from the other convicts in a portion of the vessel by themselves. The steamer Petrel also took down a number of convicts from the establishment at Millbank for shipment on board the Hougoumont, in charge of a strong escort and convict guard. On Tuesday, October 8th, the Hougoumont arrived in Portland roads. Shortly before midday ninety convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 12th Light Infantry. The party included twenty-three Fenian convicts, among whom it was said, was Moriarty. The Government steamer employed in the breakwater service was used for conveying the convicts on board the Hougoumont transport ship. The convicts were chained together on embarking, and on board the steamer a strong guard of marines from her Majesty's ship St. George was formed, and saw the convicts safely placed on board the Hougoumont. The Governor of the penal settlement at Freemantle, Captain Young, is on board the Hougoumont, and returns in that ship to his sphere of duty after paying a visit to his native land." Source: Sydney Morning Herald, Thu 19 Dec 1867, p4, English Shipping, available on Trove at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271?searchTerm=hougoumont.
HougoumontReferences
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 93, Class and Piece Number HO11/19, Page Number 236. --00-- https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/life?id=obpdef1-730-18660813 |
| 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 |
Claims
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Photos
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Convict Notes
NOTE: Year of Birth is taken from official records but day and month are not known. The latter dates have been entered as 01/01 because the site does not allow those fields to be left empty.
FREMANTLE JAIL RECORD: SPELLING, Thomas; #881, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1840 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Labourer Literacy: Literate Crime: Pickpocket Sentence Period: 10 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket Leave Date: 9 Jun 1872 Certificate of Freedom Date: 25 Sep 1882 Comments: Boot closer, labourer, miner, stonemason, clearer, well sinker, quarryman (https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/research/convict-database/). --00--
IN WA: 1868, January: On arrival, THOMAS SPELLING was listed as convict #9881, 26, single; literate, labourer, Roman Catholic; convicted 13th August, 1866, Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey), larceny from the person and four previous convictions; 10 years; no family details given. Behaviour in jail in England “good”. His WA record shows several run-ins with authorities and various fines and jail time. On the 9th of June, 1872, he was discharged on a Ticket of Leave. On the 25th September, 1882, he received a Certificate of Freedom (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department; Convict Dept Registers, General Registers for Nos 9599-100128 cont. (R16)). --00--
EMBARKATION: 1867, 8 October: Inmate #6123 , Thomas Spelling was sent from Portland to board the Hougoumont for WA. “The hired convict ship Hougoumont, which has been taken up, by the Government for the conveyance of a numerous party of convicts to Freemantle, Western Australia, left the Nore on October 1, and proceeded down Channel, after receiving on board 150 convicts from the establishments at Chatham and Millbank. The convicts from the Chatham establishment, at St. Mary's, embarked from the dockyard on board the paddle-wheel steamer Adder, Mr. W. J. Blakely, and were in charge of a numerous party of convict guards and wardens, all heavily armed. Among the convicts shipped were a party of fifteen Fenians, who were engaged in the late conspiracy in Ireland, together with the officers and crew convicted of scuttling the ship Severn [only two were on the Hougoumont – Thomas Berwick and Lionel Holdsworth, each sentenced to 20 years for fraud], and some others who have achieved notoriety from their crimes. The Fenian convicts, like the remainder of the prisoners, were chained together in gangs, but it was observed that they were kept apart from the other convicts in a portion of the vessel by themselves. The steamer Petrel also took down a number of convicts from the establishment at Millbank, for shipment on board the Hougoumont, in charge of a strong escort and convict guard. On Tuesday, October 8th, the Hougoumont arrived in Portland roads. Shortly before midday ninety convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 12th Light Infantry. The party included twenty-three Fenian convicts, among whom it was said, was Moriarty [not the senior Fenian, Captain Moriarty; rather, this was Bartholomew Moriarty, aged 17]. The Government steamer employed in the breakwater service was used for conveying the convicts on board the Hougoumont transport ship. The convicts were chained together on embarking, and on board the steamer a strong guard of marines from her Majesty's ship St. George was formed, and saw the convicts safely placed on board the Hougoumont. The Governor of the penal settlement at Freemantle, Captain Young, is on board the Hougoumont, and returns in that ship to his sphere of duty after paying a visit to his native land.” (Sydney Morning Herald, 19 Dec 1867, p4, at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271). --00--
1867, 21 May: He was sent to Portland prison, Grove Road, Portland, Dorset (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Thomas Spelling; Pentonville Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1866-1869). 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) --00--
JAILS CONTD.: 1866, 10 September: Thomas Spelling, inmate #3966, was held at Pentonville for about 8 months. There he was identified as having previously served time (sentenced to 4 years in Sept 1861) under the name "Thomas Spurling" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Thomas Spelling; Pentonville Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1866-1869). --00--
“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. --00--
JAILS: 1866, 11 August: Thomas Spelling was admitted to Newgate prison following his committal to stand trial for stealing a watch. In Newgate, he was listed as: a labourer from Whitechapel, 25 years old, 5'6" tall, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, dark complexion, lame right leg (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Thomas Spelling; Newgate Prison; Registers of Prisoners; 1863). 1866, 10 September: He was sent from Newgate, following his conviction, to Pentonville prison, Caledonian Road, north London. --00--
TRIAL TRANSCRIPT: MR. LONGFORD conducted the Prosecution. HENRI L'HOMME. I live at 64, Denbigh Street, Pimlico—last Wednesday evening, the 8th August, I went to Guildhall yard—a large meeting was being held—I felt a hand that pulled my watch out of my pocket and loosed the watch from the chain—the prisoner had been close to me—I put my hand upon him, saying, "You have robbed me of my watch"—two gentlemen seized him and said they saw him do it—I saw the watch lying on the ground about two moments after. Prisoner. Q. Were you in front of me or by my side? A. You were behind me—the hand came from behind me. WILLIAM GREEN (City Policeman 280). Last Wednesday evening, about half-past eight o'clock, I was in the Guildhall yard with Hoby and Smart—there was a crowd there—after watching the prisoner some minutes I saw him go up behind the prosecutor, and put his right hand round the prosecutor's waist, taking hold of his watchguard and drawing the watch from his waistcoat pocket—I was close behind him—at the end of six or seven yards he got his left hand to his right when I heard a click—I laid hold of him by his collar—the prosecutor, turning round at the same time, said to the prisoner, "You have got my watch"—I handed him over to the custody of Hoby, who was with me, and with the assistance of Smart and other officers we cleared a path back—Smart picked up the watch within a yard of where he was standing—I took him to the station—he was wearing a metal chain—that was all I found on him. SAMUEL HOBY (City Policeman 899). I was with the last witness in Guildhall yard about a quarter-past eight—I saw the prisoner follow up behind the prosecutor—I was close to Green—I followed him and saw his hand round the prosecutor—he walked some distance, and then Green said, "He has got it"—the prosecutor turned round directly and said, "You have got my watch"—Green held the prisoner some time and then handed him to me—Smart and Green then together got the people back, and Smart came back to me with the watch. THOMAS SMART (City Detective). I was with Green and Hoby in Guildhall yard, a little after eight o'clock—I saw the prisoner pushing up against the prosecutor—I saw Green catch hold of him by the collar just at the time I saw the prosecutor lose the watch—I found the watch on the stones close by my feet—the glass was broken. GUILTY .**—He further PLEADED GUILLTY to having been convicted of felony in June, 1866.— Ten Years' Penal Servitude. (See also England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892; England; London, 1866) --00--
TRIAL: 1866, 13 August: Old Bailey (CCC), London -- THOMAS SPELLING, 25, was convicted and sentenced to 10 years' transportation for picking the pocket of Henri L'Homme, and "stealing a watch, the property of Henri L'Homme, from his person" on the 8th August. Mr L'Homme lived at 64 Denbigh Street, Pimlico. (https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/) --00--