Summary
Personal Information
Crime
Voyage
Transportation
William Thompson 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, p250. --0-- England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for William Thompson; England; Hampshire; 1865. --0-- https://fremantleprison.com.au |
| 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: THOMPSON, William; inmate #9895, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1842 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Tap maker Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Southampton Crime: Burglary Sentence Period: 7 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket Leave Date: 24 May 1870 Comments: Conditional Release 1 Sep 1871 Bunbury. Labourer, general servant (https://fremantleprison.com.au). --000--
IN WA: 1868: On arrival, William Thompson, 22, was listed as convict #9895; sentenced to 7 years, at Southampton, 7 December, 1865, for “burglary and previous conviction”; tap maker; single, no children; literate; Protestant; family – father James, Lanesbury, near Preston, Lancashire; behaviour “bad”. Described as 5’5¾” tall, dark brown hair, light hazel eyes, oval visage, fair complexion, stout; anchor right arm, cross left arm, scar centre of forehead. Ticket of Leave 24.5.70; Conditional Release 1.9.71 (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9599-10128 cont. (R16)). --0--
EMBARKATION: 1867, 8 October: William Thompson was sent from Portland Prison to board the Hougoumont for WA (England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1876 for William Thompson; Quarterly Returns of Prisoners in Convict Prisons/Lunatic Asylums; 1867; December; image 251). “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, March: At Portland Prison – health “good”, behaviour “good” (England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1876 for William Thompson; Quarterly Returns of Prisoners in Convict Prisons/Lunatic Asylums; 1867; March; image 235). 1867, June: As above (England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1876 for William Thompson; Quarterly Returns of Prisoners in Convict Prisons/Lunatic Asylums; 1867; June; image 266). 1867, September: As above (England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1876 for William Thompson; Quarterly Returns of Prisoners in Convict Prisons/Lunatic Asylums; 1867; September; image 230). --0--
1866, 22 October: Admitted to Portland Prison, Grove Road, Portland, Devon – inmate #5730, William Thompson, alias John Baldwin, 20, burglary, tried Winchester, 7 December 1865, 7 years; surgeon’s report on health “good”, behaviour in previous quarter “bad” (England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1876 for William Thompson; Quarterly Returns of Prisoners in Convict Prisons/Lunatic Asylums; 1866; December; image 276). --0--
1866, 28 March: Admitted to Pentonville Prison, Caledonian Road, London – inmate #3564. All details as per Millbank record (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for William Thompson; Pentonville Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1864-1866; image 236). --0--
1866, 8 January: Admitted to Millbank Prison, London – inmate #1447, William Thompson alias John Baldwin, 20, single, tap maker; semiliterate, Church of England; family – Richard, cattle dealer, Martin Street, Liverpool. Convicted 7 Dec 1865, Winchester Assizes, burglary after prev conv., 7 years P.S. Served 2 months 20 days in separate confinement (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for William Thompson; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1865-1866; image 170). --0--
JAILS: 1865, December: Admitted to Winchester Gaol – served 1 month 1 day in separate confinement following his conviction; behaviour “good” (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for William Thompson; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1865-1866; image 170). --0--
NEWSPAPER REPORTS OF TRIAL: From the Hampshire Advertiser, 9 December 1865, p11: “Hants Winter Assize... William Thompson, a previously convicted felon, pleaded guilty to having, on August 22nd, at Millbrook, broken into the dwelling house of James Westbrook, and stealing therefrom a large quantity of articles.— Sentence deferred.” (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000495/18651209/068/0011) -- From the Alnwick Mercury, 9 December 1865, p8: “Burglary.— William Thompson, alias John Baldwin, alias Richard, 20, tapmaker, pleaded guilty to burglariously breaking into the dwelling-house of James Westbrook, at Millbrook, 22d August, and stealing sundry articles. Mr. Montague Bere appeared for the prosecution. The prisoner had been previously convicted at Preston Quarter Sessions in Oct. 1862. He was sentenced to seven years’ penal servitude.” (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000218/18651209/026/0008) --0--