Charles Walker

342

Maureen Withey on 1st January 2023

Sporting People. William Williams and Charles Walker, two Pentonvillians who, on Tuesday week narrowly escaped imprisonment under the Vagrant Act, when they were brought up under suspicion of robbing the house of Mr. Wilsmore of Williams Town, were yesterday caged by Constables Cartwright and Venning. For some time past they have followed the plan of uniting business with pleasure. In the day time, amusing themselves, by short shooting excursions which to their unsophisticated imaginations took the down off their nocturnal adventures, but the unlucky youths unconscious that the police were watching every step, committed themselves so far as to effect a robbing at the house of Mr, Dawson, of the Ship Inn, from whence they carried off three watches, a quantity of silver foreign coin and other valuables, at the time that the meshes of the police were around them. The Port Phillip Patriot, 10 May 1848. Committed from Melbourne. William Williams, exile from Millbank, and Charles Walker, exile from Pentonville, burglary and having stolen property in their possession. The Port Phillip Patriot, 12 May 1848. William Williams, an exile from Milbank; and Charles Walker, an exile from Pentonville, were charged with having on the night of the 10th April last, burglarously entered the house of Mrs. Ann Dawson, of the Albion Hotel, Williams Town, and stolen from thence, three silver watches, two gold seals, and one piece of silver coin, value 4s. Another count charged the prisoners with larceny. The evidence corresponded precisely with the police report of their committal published in the Port Phillip Patriot of 11th instant; Williams in his …….. (line of print missing)? till he found hid in a hole a bag containing the watches. Mrs. Dawson was recalled by the foreman of the jury and deposed that all the outer doors were fastened, she believed the men had secreted themselves in her room they must have got out by the window. His Honor observed that there was no direct evidence against Walker, and a verdict of not guilty was returned. Williams was convicted of larceny and remanded. The Port Phillip Patriot, 17 May 1848.

342

Maureen Withey on 1st January 2023

Three boys, named Peter Mottram, 15; Charles Walker,15; and William Gaskill, 10, were charged with breaking into the dwelling-house of Matthew Shaw, at Macclesfield, during the night of Wednesday, the 4th of January, and stealing therefrom a pair of trousers, a purse containing 9s. 6d., and other articles. It appeared from the evidence that on the night in question the house of the prosecutor was entered, by a pane of a window being removed, which would leave space sufficient for the boy Gaskill to enter, and the articles mentioned taken away. Early next morning the prosecutor got up, and, on finding he was robbed procured assistance, and traced the marks of bare feet on the snow which had fallen from his own house to a cabin, where the prisoners were found in the act of putting on their clogs, with part of the stolen property on them, and a jacket belonging to Gaskill was found near the window. The Jury found all the prisoners Guilty. His Lordship deferred passing sentence. Morning Post, 8 April 1843. -------------------------------------------------- Assize Intelligence. SATURDAY. {Before Mr. Justice Mamie.) Mr. Justice took his seat the bench this morning at nine o'clock. Peter Mottram, Charles Walker, and Wm. Gaskell, who had been convicted of a burglary on a previous day, were sentenced, the two former to ten years transportation, and the latter to six months' imprisonment. Chester Chronicle, Friday 14 April 1843 -------------------------------------------------- The Maitland, convict ship, with a number of Parkhurst boys onboard, sailed from Portsmouth for Van Diemen's Land on the 29th June. The Parkhurst beauties are said to be for Port Phillip. The Melbourne Argus, 27 Oct 1846. Arrivals. Nov. 9.- Maitland, barque, from Portsmouth, via Hobart Town, with 299 convicts from the Pentonville and Parkhurst prisons. The Melbourne Argus, 10 Nov 1846 The exile ship Maitland, which has been so long looked for by the settlers of this district has arrived at Melbourne. We have all along been led to believe, that the exiles brought by her would be landed at Geelong; and even had no implied pledge to this effect existed, we might reasonably have looked to such an arrangement as the best which could have been made for the benefit of the men themselves. We believe that the government is willing to forward them to Geelong, upon condition of the Immigration Society taking charge of them upon disembarkation on the wharf. No doubt the Society will be glad to do so rather than lose the men; but the conduct of the government in making such a stipulation is excessively paltry. Such of the exiles as may be willing to come on to Geelong (for we believe that, from the time of casting anchor they become free agents, and their future movements voluntary) will be brought down by the steamers during the next day or two. The exiles appear to be a somewhat heterogenous muster, as will appear from the following notice in an English paper, but the worst characters have of course been detained in Van Diemen's Land: The English ship Maitland arrived at Portsmouth, for the purpose of receiving on board about 70 of the incorrigibles from Parkhurst; altogether, there are 190 convicts on board, for Van Diemen's Land, among them, it is said, is the notorious Captain Johnson, of the Tory, also .about 100 convicts under 25 years of age. The juveniles will embark so soon as the order from the Secretary of State reaches the Governor of Parkhurst. The whole will be under the charge of ninety soldiers. Geelong Advertiser, (Victoria) 11 Nov 1846. --------------------------------------------------- Pentonville Prison. —This prison, which has been erected within the last four years at an expense of £85,000 to Government, is designed as a great school of discipline for convicts, preparatory to their transportation to Van Dieman’s Land. Instead of despatching convicts formerly, fresh from their trial, and consequently without any improvement in their feelings and habits, it is proposed they shall in future go through period of instruction and probation Pentonville previous their departure. Convicts between the ages of 18 and 35, and under sentence of transportation for periods not exceeding 15 years, are considered suitable inmates. Like the prison at Parkhurst, in the Isle of Wight, for juvenile offenders, this at Pentonville for adults must be viewed as academy of purification, not as gaol of oppressive vengeful punishment. The convict on entering the establishment, is told to bid adieu to his accustomed scenes and practices, and is made to feel that he is entering on an entirely new career; he is informed that he will be afforded ample opportunity of learning an art which will enable him to earn his bread by honourable industry; that moral and religions knowledge will be imparted to him as guide for his future life; that at the end of eighteen months, when a just estimate can be formed of the effect produced by the discipline on his character, he will sent to Van Diemen’s Land; there, if he behaves well, at once to receive a ticket of leave, which is equivalent to freedom, with the certainly an abundant maintenance, the fruit industry that if behave indifferently, he will transported to Van Diemen's Land, there to receive a probationary pass, which will secure to him only limited portion of his own earnings, and which will impose galling restraints on his personal liberty; and if he behave ill, he will transported to Tasman’s Peninsula, there to work in a probationary gang, without wages, deprived of liberty, and an abject slave. Such is the view presented to the prisoner on the day to the prisoner when he enters Pentonville, and which is never lost sight of until he leaves the prison for embarkation; when according to the register kept of his conduct, the governors will determine in which of the three classes he shall be placed. Bell’s New Weekly Messenger, 10 Sept 1843. -------------------------------------------------- Exiles. Transportation to NSW effectively ceased in 1842 but between 1846-1850 exiles were transported. Exiles had served part of their sentence in a penitentiary in Britain and were granted a conditional pardon or ticket of leave on arrival in the Colony. -------------------------------------------------- The two lads would have been sent either to Parkhurst Prison for young offenders, or to Pentonville prison.

174

Iris Dunne on 1st January 2023

Criminal Registers: aged 15 years Tried 1 April 1843 for Burglary Convict Index: aged 18 years, Single Occupation: Brickmaker

2

Jon Smi on 1st January 2023

Transport record sighted on ancestry.com shows trial date in the Chester assize court as 01APRIL1843 , three years prior to 1846 shipping date. For a lad age 15, born 1828. Other indications might be this lad DOB 19JUNE1828