Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
William John Turner 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 254. --0-- Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930 for William John Turner; Convict Department; Estimates and Convict Lists (128/1 - 32). --0-- England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for William John Turner; England; Yorkshire - West Riding; 1866. |
| 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
No one has claimed William John Turner yet.
Photos
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Convict Notes
FOOTNOTE 2: Place of death -- He drowned in the Preston River, at Picton, near Bunbury (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930 for William John Turner; Convict Department, Registers, General Register for Nos 9599-10128 cont. (R16)). --00--
FOOTNOTE: Missing UK prison record ... 9 August, 1867: William John Turner was admitted to Woking Prison, Knaphill, Woking in Surrey, from Millbank. He was inmate #3237, 28 years when convicted; sentenced to life for "wilful murder" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Willm. John Turner; Woking Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1854-1878). --00--
DEATH RECORD: Name: William Turner Death Age: 40 Birth Date: abt 1834 Death Date: Abt 1874 Death Place: Western Australia Registration Date: 1874 Registration Place: Australia Registration Number: 6966 (Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985). --00--
From his FREMANTLE jail record: TURNER, William John, inmate #9901, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1835 Date of Death: 2 Feb 1874 Place of Death: Preston River, accidentally drowned whilst bathing [Preston River, in south-west WA, rises near Goonac Siding and flows 84km north-west into the Leschenault Estuary, to the north of Bunbury.] Marital Status: Married Occupation: Clerk Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Leeds Crime: Murder Sentence Period: Life (https://fremantleprison.com.au/). --00—
IN WA: On arrival in WA, he was listed as Turner, William John; convict #9901; life sentence; aged 31 when tried [other records say he was 28]; tried at Leeds, 03 08 1866, and convicted for murder. Physical description: Turner, William John; #9901; clerk; married no children; 5'8½" tall with dark brown hair, grey eyes, fresh complexion, stout build. Marks -- "Several burn marks on chest" (http://www.perthdps.com/convicts/con-wa42.html). --0--
5 October, 1867: He was sent for embarkation on the Hougoumont, at Portland, and transportation to WA (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for William John Turner; Portsmouth Prison; Registers of Prisoners; 1866-1868): “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. 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—
27 September, 1867: He was admitted to Portsmouth Prison, Hampshire. He was "just passing through" so the only listing for him is his inmate #1234 (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for William John Turner; Portsmouth Prison; Registers of Prisoners; 1866-1868). --00--
9 August, 1867: William John Turner was admitted to Woking Prison, Knaphill, Woking in Surrey. He was held at Woking for 7 weeks. Opened in April 1859, Woking was "primarily for invalided male convicts, and by March 1860 had taken over entirely from the temporary invalid prison at Lewes. Between 1862 and 1867, Woking was responsible for the working party sent to labour for the construction of Broadmoor Criminal Asylum." (https://www.prisonhistory.org/) Note: This seems to be the only official acknowledgment (from records located to date) of the medical condition described by lay and medical witnesses at his trial. --0--
26 September, 1866: He was sent from Leeds (West Riding House of Correction, Love Lane at Wakefield) and admitted to Millbank Prison, Pimlico, London. His behaviour at Wakefield, where he had served 1 month 23 days, was described as "good". The Millbank Prison Act 1843 converted the penitentiary into a prison – “to serve as a depot for receiving newly convicted felons before dispatching them to other convict prisons, hulks or transport ships to serve their sentences.” In 1849, Millbank began to be used for male convicts “serving the first (probationary) part of their sentence in separate confinement as well as for those who were in need of another period of separate confinement after misbehaviour at public works prisons (i.e. penal class).” (https://www.prisonhistory.org/prison/millbank-prison/). William John Turner was listed as inmate #2433, 28 years old, busk manufacturer, married, semi-literate, Protestant. Family -- wife Sophia Turner, Woodhill, Sheffield. Sophia visited him on 22 and 23 May, 1867; and his father was a visitor on 4 July, 1867 (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Wm John Turner; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1866-1867). --0--
JAILS: 15 June, 1866: A warrant was issued by J Webster, Gentleman Coroner of Sheffield, for the arrest of William John Turner for murder. 16 June, 1866: William John Turner was received into custody and admitted to West Riding House of Correction at Love Lane, Wakefield (Wakefield Gaol), charged with the murder of Maria Jane Turner at Sheffield (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for William John Turner; Wakefield Gaol, Calendar of Trials, 1860-1879). The above record gives the date of his trial as 9 August, 1866, before Mr Justice Smith. It also lists the verdict of guilty of murder "to be hanged -- commuted to penal servitude for life". --0--