William Turner

342

Maureen Withey on 20th September 2025

National Archives. HO 11/2-1 Indents for early Convict Ships. Indian. William Turner, Tried at Suffolk Assizes, 24 Mar 1808, Life. --------------------------------------------------------------- Suffolk Assizes. At Suffolk Assizes, held before Sir Nash Grose, Bart. which terminated yesterday (Tuesday) morning, the six following prisoners  prisoners were capitally convicted, and received sentence of death :  William Turner, (aged 19) for stealing 41 Southdown sheep, the property of Thomas  Crookenden, Esq. of Rushford Lodge.   … … Before the Judge quitted the town he was pleased  to reprieve W. Turner; and ... Bury and Norwich Post, 30 March 1808.

342

Maureen Withey on 2nd May 2022

Colonial Secretary Index. TURNER, William. Per "Indian", 1810. 1817 Dec 1 Servant to George Cribb of Sydney. Petition for ticket of leave (Fiche 3181; 4/1853 p.343) 1818 Feb 10 Recommended for ticket of leave (Fiche 3183; 4/1854 p.6) 1825 Nov To be granted a conditional pardon (Fiche 3292; 4/6974.1 pp.46, 71) -------------------------------------------------- HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR has been pleased to give Directions that PARDONS may be prepared, and submitted for His Signature to the Individuals whose Names are specified below ; viz. Conditional Pardons ; viz. William Turner – Indian. Sydney Gazette, 28 Nov 1825. -------------------------------------------------- 1/12/1817. Petition of William Turner That Petitioner arrived in this Colony in the ship Indian in 1810 under sentence of transportation during Life. That Petitioner since his arrival has been employed in the service of Mr George Gibbs of Sydney, and has hitherto borne an unblemished character, having conducted himself with strict integrity and propriety, and will ever study to preserve the character of an honest industrious and sober man. Petitioner therefore prays Your Excellency will be pleased to take his case into consideration and grant him such Indulgence (“a Ticket of Leave” inserted above) as may seem meet in your Excellency’s wisdom & benevolence. The petitioner has been in my service this four years and I know him to be a sober steady and industrious man. George Gibbs. I believe the Petitioner to be a sober, steady and industrious man and beg leave to recommend him for a Ticket of Leave. Thos. Moore, J.P. -------------------------------------------------- After this, everyting went wrong for William. ---------------------------------------------------- THE POLICE. TUESDAY, FEB. 14.-The Police Office was crowded this morning, in consequence of its having been understood, that the bushrangers in custody would be brought up for examination, the circumstances of which promised to be generally interesting. There was a full Bench assembled, and several Gentlemen in the Commission of the Peace in the interior attended. The prisoners Morrison, Patient, McCallam, and Roberts, with another man named William Robinson, were ranged at the bar about noon, and their examination commenced, and was proceeded in at great length, and with minute and serious attention. A considerable quantity of the articles stolen from Mr. Wm. Hayes, Mr. Henry Brookes, and others, and found in possession of some of the prisoners, or traced lo their haunts, was brought forward and identified by the owners. The robberies, on the King's highway, on the persons of Mr. Fopp, Mr. Wilbow, and Mr. Wright, and the forcibly entering and plundering the hut on the glebe land of the Rev. Mr. Hill, were all investigated, and more or less brought home to the prisoners, by the identity of their persons, in all which Patient was particularly implicated. The result was the committal of the five ill-fated and wretched men to the Criminal Court for trial for burglaries, highway robberies, and felonies of various descriptions. John Berry and Charles Linton, prisoners of the crown, charged with violently and tumultuously assembling together, in a house on the Rocks, and dispossessing and turning out from the premises the lawful occupier, were sentenced to receive 50 lashes each. FEB. 15.- This day, nine more of the bushrangers and others, concerned either in harbouring, or receiving from them the fruits of their plunders, were placed at the bar, and William Turner, holding a ticket of leave, and Hannah Pendergrass, or Knight, free, living with Turner, in whose house a number of articles of various descriptions, stolen in the course of the late depredations by the bushrangers, were found, were fully committed for trial, as the receivers of stolen property. The other seven (amongst which was the daughter of Hannah Pendergrass, born in the Colony), were remanded. After the disposal of these prisoners, ten others recently arrived from Parramatta, were placed at the bar, and the voluntary confessions and statements made by some of them and recorded, were read, and in general confirmed by the parties to whom they referred. These men appeared to have been more in the habit of harbouring, assisting, and comforting the general mass of bushrangers, by supplying them occasionally with spirits, flour, meat, milk, and tobacco, than immediately implicated in the commission of the robberies ; and it certainly did appear, that from their information a considerable part of the property had been traced and recovered. All remanded for further examination. Sydney Gazette, 18 Feb 1826. --------------------------------------------------- Criminal Court, Saturday, William Turner, Hannah Pendergrass. Richard Johnson, Christopher Henderson, William Hyam, Jacob Porter, and John Nixon; were next-indicted as other accessaries after the fact, to the robbery of Mr. Hayes. The testimony of the approver, Robinson, went to prove that on the night after Mr. Hayes's robbery, he accompanied some of the prisoner to the house of Turner. A quantity of rum was exchanged for a chest of tea, part of the plunder. They remained in this house drinking and singing a day and part of the night. Pendergrass, with whom Turner cohabited, her daughter, and all the other prisoner's, excepting Nixon, were present, joining in the carousal. Some more, property was afterwards purchased, from Turner's. Porter then conveyed from some felled, timber, where they were deposited, a blanket and a variety of other articles, which were put into a sack and sent off to their rendez-vous. A broach and ring were given by Morrison, one of the principals, to the daughter of Hannah Pendergrass ; and, during the night the robbery was openly talked of. When Turner's house was searched by Mr. Purcell, the chief constable of Evan, a considerable quantity of the stolen property was found, and identified by Mr. Hayes. With the exception of Nixon, all the prisoners were found guilty, and sentenced to 7 years transportation. The Australian, 9 Mar 1826. ------------------------------------------------- Government Order. No 13) Colonial Secretary's Office, March 6, 1826. His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR, feeling that the Tranquillity of the Colony, and the Safety and Preservation of the Lives and Property of the Inhabitants, imperiously demand that Measures should be promptly adopted for preventing a Repetition of the daring Outrages which have recently been committed, has directed, that, in Addition to the Execution of William Corbett, who suffered this Day, the awful Sentence of the Law shall be carried into Effect To-morrow Morning, at Nine o'Clock, on the following Prisoners who were condemned on Monday the 27th Ultimo ; viz, CHARLES PATIENT, PETER ROBERTS, DUNCAN McCALLUM, WILLIAM MORRISON; The GOVERNOR has further directed, that the Persons hereinafter named ; viz. DARBY HAGGARTY, RALPH HOWE, JAMES BAYLEY, JAMES LARAGY, WILLIAM TURNER, RICHARD JOHNSON, CHRISTOPHER HENDERSON, WILLIAM HIGHAM, JACOB PORTER, who have been convicted as Receivers of the Property stolen by the Banditti above-mentioned, and who have been sentenced to be transported, shall, after witnessing the Execution of their Accomplices, be immediately removed to the Phoenix Hulk, under a Military Escort; and be forwarded from thence, by the first Opportunity, to Norfolk island, there to he confined during the Period of their Sentences. His EXCELLENCY has also directed, that the Men at the Convict Barracks, and those who are al lowed to sleep out, shall be assembled and attend the Execution. The Troops in Garrison will parade for the Purpose of preserving Order. The GOVERNOR is willing to hope, that the Example, which a due Regard to the Peace and Tranquillity of the Colony under his Charge, has obliged him to make on this Occasion, will put an immediate Stop to the lawless Proceedings which have lately kept the Inhabitants of the Country Districts in a State of Anxiety and Alarm. The Inducements to Plunder, which lead to Murder and other Atrocities, would be much diminished were the Receivers of stolen Goods, prevented from pursuing their nefarious Traffics. These People are the Root and Foundation of the Evils which have been experienced, and the general Safety and the Tranquillity of the Colony require, that all Classes should heartily unite in exterminating them. The public Welfare demands the Exertions of every honest Man for the Attainment of this Object ; and the GOVERNOR pledges himself to reward liberally, and in a Manner which may be most agreeable to the individual, as far as may be consistent and practicable, any Person who shall be instrumental in bringing a " Receiver" to Punishment. His EXCELLENCY, in expressing his unalterable Determination to punish, with the utmost Severity of the Law, any Person who shall be convicted as a "Receiver of stolen Goods," takes this Opportunity of warning those who are so employed, that such of them as shall be convicted, will, without Exception, be sent to Norfolk Island, which Settlement has been allotted for their Confinement, and for that of the Malefactors who have forfeited their Lives. And, in Order to render the Example now made, as effectual and impressive as possible, the GOVERNOR declares, in the most solemn Manner, that he will, on no Account, mitigate or remit the Sentence passed upon any Receiver of stolen Goods. By His Excellency's Command, ALEXANDER McLEAY. Sydney Gazette, 8 Mar 1826. NSW Census Index. William Turner, per Indian, 7 years sentence, Norfolk Island. -------------------------------------------------- NSW Convict Index. William Turner, per Indian, 1810, Ticket of Leave, 41/1388. District, Mudgee; Born, Bury St Edmunds; Trade, Labourer; Tried, Suffolk. ----------------------------------------------------- Convict Application to Marry. - Disallowed. William Turner, per Indian, age 52; disallowed. and Mary Hall, per Henry Wellesley, age 45; married; 1 child; Disallowed. Date 24 June 1842, Mudgee district, Revd. James Gunther. ---------------------------------------------- CONDITIONAL PARDONS.— His Excellency the Governor has directed it to be notified, that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to authorise the issue of pardons to the following persons, on condition that they do not return to the countries or colonies in which they were respectively convicted, during the remainder of the term of their respective sentences. Pardons available everywhere except in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland : Dated 21st December, 1847. William Turner, Indian. Sydney Morning Herald, 22 Mar 1848.