Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Transportation
Thomas Tarrant 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 244. --00--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
TYPO -- it's the Europa hulk.
FOOTNOTE: Thomas Tarrant's previous sentence of transportation for life -- handed down at Winchester on 19 October, 1846 -- was served at Gibraltar, aboard the Europe hulk. He was listed as #98, 26 years old when convicted, a labourer, and single. He was given life for "stealing a copper", this being his third conviction. On 15 September, 1854, he was sent back to England aboard the Iberia (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Misc., Register of Prisoners 1810-1822 [labelled as such]).
Is this the same THOMAS TARRANT? 11 August, 1870 -- from the Golden Age (Coolgardie), p2: "Thomas Tarrant, an employee at Bowden's Hotel, Sydney, while cleaning the upper floor windows on Wednesday morning, missed his footing and fell some 30ft to the pavement. He was killed instantaneously." --00-- Or this? WA BDM RECORDS: FARRANT, Tom; Male; death registered at Perth; reg no. 341, in 1916. No other details provided (https://bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/).
From his FREMANTLE jail record: FARRANT, Thomas; inmate #4557, arrived 1 Jan 1858 per Nile Alias: TARRANT Date of Birth: 1820 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Stonemason Literacy: Semiliterate Sentence Place: Winchester, Hampshire, England Crime: Breaking, entering & theft Sentence Period: 14 years Ticket of Leave Date: 5 Nov 1859 [at Perth] Conditional Pardon Date: 15 Jan 1863 Certificate of Freedom Date: 8 Jul 1872 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00--
IN WA: Note: Various WA records refer to him alternatively as TARRANT (such as Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department; Estimates and Convict Lists (128/1 - 32), and FARRANT (such as Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers, Character Book for Nos 4508-5585 (R8)) --00--
10 September, 1857: Sent from Portland to board the NILE for WA; #47/6921; behaviour on voyage "good" (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; Convicts Transported Per Nile (R32) --00--
6 April, 1857: PORTLAND -- inmate #6921 -- behaviour "very good". 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) Thomas Tarrant was listed as 35 years old when convicted, single, stonemason, Church of England, illiterate. Previous conviction in October, 1846, for larceny (transportation for life), and two others for felony (12 months' jail each). Next of kin: Sister Elizabeth Bungay, Love Lane, Romsey (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Portland Prison; Prison Records to 1875). --0--
23 May, 1856: PENTONVILLE -- served 10 months 14 days in separate confinement; behaviour "good". “After a sentence of transportation was handed down [it seems there was no distinction between transportation and penal servitude, whatever the theory], 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, Wakefield, Pentonville and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--
12 April, 1856: MILLBANK -- served 1 month 11 days in separate confinement; behaviour "good". --0--
JAILS: 1 February, 1856: WINCHESTER GAOL (Hants County prison) NAME: Thomas Tarrant CRIMINAL ADMISSION AGE: 35 RECORD TYPE: Register BIRTH DATE: 1821 OCCUPATION: Stonemason CRIMINAL CHARGE: Burglariously breaking, entering and stealing SENTENCE: 15 years' CRIMINAL ADMISSION PLACE: Hampshire, England JAIL: Winchester Gaol SOURCE DESCRIPTION: Winchester Gaol, Hampshire (Calendar of Trials At Assizes For the County of Southampton). --0--