Richard Tills

343

Maureen Withey on 11th July 2020

Ridhard Tills was convicted to be transported for life on the Prince of Wales Island 10 October 1809. He was a soldier, a native of Dominica. -------------------------------------------------- 1828 NSW census Richard Tills, age 54, T.L. per Hunter, 1809, Life, protestant, employed as shepherd, at residence of Mr McDickson, Cork district. -------------------------------------------------- The Hunter arrived at Port Jackson from Prince of Wales Island on 20 August 1810 with one prisoner of the Crown: Richard Tills was tried 10 October 1809 and sentenced to transportation for life. The Hunter brought an investment cargo of India goods Source: https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_hunter.html -------------------------------------------------- Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales Richard Tills - conditional pardon granted 23 September 1834, issued 3 November 1835 MLMSS 5841 [Page 1] CONDITIONAL PARDON NO. 418 Whereas His Late Most Excellent Majesty King George The Third, by a Commission under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing Date the Eighth Day of November, in the Thirty-first Year of His Majesty's Reign, was graciously Pleased to Give and Grant full Power and Authority to the Governor (or, in Case of his Death or Absence, the Lieutenant Governor) for the Time-being of His Majesty's Territory of the Eastern Coast of New South Wales and the Islands thereunto adjacent, by an Instrument or Instruments in Writing, under the Seal of the Government of the said Territory, or as He or They respectively should think fit and convenient for His Majesty's Service, to Remit either Absolutely or Conditionally the Whole or Part of the Term or Time for which Persons convicted of Felony, Misdemeanor, or other Offences, amenable to the Laws of Great Britain, should have been, or should thereafter be respectively Conveyed or Transported to New South Wales, or the Islands thereunto adjacent. By Virtue of such Power and Authority so vested as aforesaid, I, Major General Richard Bourke Captain General and Governor in Chief of His Majesty's said Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same, taking into Consideration the good Conduct of Richard Tills who arrived in this Colony in the Ship Hunter - Cross Master, in the Year One Thousand eight hundred and ten under the Sentence of Transportation for Life and whose Description is on the back hereof, Do hereby Conditionally Remit the Remainder of the Term or Time which is yet to come and unexpired of the Original Sentence or Order of Transportation passed on the aforesaid Richard Tills at Prince of Wales Island on the Tenth Day of October One thousand eight hundred and nine Provided Always, and on Condition, that the said Richard Tills continue to reside within the Limits of this Government for and during the Space of his original Sentence of Order of Transportation:- Otherwise, the said Richard Tills shall be subject to all the Pains and Penalties of Re-appearing in Great Britain and Ireland, for and during the Term of his original Sentence or Order of Transportation; or, as if this Remission had never been granted. Given under my Hand and the seal of the Territory, at Government House, Sydney, in New South Wales, this Twenty third day of September in the Year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty four Richd Bourke. Registered in the Colonial Secretary's Office. Alex. McLeay I Certify that His Majesty's Gracious Approbation and Allowance of the above Conditional Pardon, granted to Richard Tills has been signified to me by the Right Honorable the Secretary of State for the Colonies in his Despatch No. Eighteen dated the fifth day of July One thousand eight hundred and thirty five Given under my Hand, at Government House, Sydney, this Third Day of November One thousand eight hundred and thirty five Richd Bourke Entered upon Record, at Pages 3412342 No. 3 Register, this Sixteenth Day of January One thousand eight hundred and thirty six Alex. McLeay [Page 2] DESCRIPTION. Standing Number, - Name, - Richard Tills Ship, - Hunter Master, - Cross Year, - 1810 Native Place, - Dominica Trade or Calling, - Soldier Offence, - Sentence, - Life Year of Birth, - 1776 Height, - Five feet five inches and three quarters Complexion, - Florid Hair, - Black to Grey Eyes, - Dark Hazel General Remarks, - --------------------------------------------------- Supreme Court. Thursday 15th. —James Johnson, alias Philip McGauley, was indicted for a highway robbery on the person of Richard Tills, on the 11th of April last. It appeared in evidence, that the prosecutor, who was a shepherd to Mr. Browne of Liverpool, was coming along the road from a place called the Oaks towards Liverpool, when he was met by the prisoner, who felled him to the ground by a blow with a bludgeon. Whilst on the ground, the prisoner held the prosecutor, who was an old man 60 years of age, by the throat, and proceeded to rifle his pockets. The prosecutor begged of him, for God's sake, not to ill use him, and he would give up every thing he had, when the prisoner gave him another blow with the stick, saying, " you old villain, if you look at me I'll murder you." The prisoner carried of with him a bottle of rum, a shirt, and some shoe nails, which were found in his, pockets when he was apprehended the same evening. Guilty. Remanded Sydney Gazette, 16 May 1828. --------------------------------------------------- James Johnson, alias Philip M'Gauley, convicted of highway robbery on the person of Richard Tills, on the 11th of April last, being placed at the bar, Mr. JUSTICE DOWLING impressively addressed the prisoner on the enormity of the offence of which he had been found guilty. "The circumstances," said His Honor, “under which you robbed the poor old man, Richard Tills, were of the most aggravated description. He was a man old in years, and a wayfaring traveller. You, a hale, hearty, young man, armed with a bludgeon, attacked the defenceless object of your brutality, and felled him to the ground. When down, and at the very moment he was begging of you for mercy, you again twice struck him, and then plundered him of the little property he was possessed of at the time. The circumstances of your case, I am sorry to say, do not call forth anything upon which you may ground the least hope of mercy, You stand convicted of an offence to which the law affixes the punishment of death, and that punishment, I am afraid, must be carried into effect. I entreat of you, then, earnestly to look back at your past life, and by earnest prayer and sincere repentance, prepare for another world, where I sincerely hope, you will receive that mercy which you cannot look for in this." His Honor then passed sentence of Death upon the prisoner. Sydney Gazette, 23 May 1828.