William Weedon

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Dianne Jones on 3rd June 2021

FOOTNOTE: Ann Turnbull Weedon's "Convict Records" profile is at https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/turnbull/ann/21397

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Dianne Jones on 2nd June 2021

1887, 25 May: William Weedon, 83, a farmer, died at Westbury from "old age" (see his death record at https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD35-1-56p206j2k). He was buried at Carrick St Andrews Cemetery, Westbury (see Australia Cemetery Index, 1808-2007). 1887, 26 May: From the Launceston Examiner, p1: "Deaths. WEEDON.— On 24th May, at his late residence, Oaks, William Weedon, aged 83 years." [Note: The day of death differs from that listed on his official death record.] and "The funeral of Mr. WILLIAM WEEDON will leave his late residence, Whitemore, Friday next, 27th inst., at 1 o'clock. Friends will please accept this invitation.— D. SHANAHAN, Undertaker, Westbury."

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1861: By this time, it appears William Weedon had a farm in the Oaks area near Westbury. He is mentioned in this story from the Launceston Examiner, p2: "WESTBURY. An inquest was held on Wednesday, the 4th day of September, 1861, at the farm of Mr. Wm. Pitt, of the Oaks, before J. Peyton Jones, Esq., Coroner for the district of Westbury, and the following jury — Messrs. John Cox (foreman), Henry Little, John Stubbs, Francis Walker, Samuel Yates, Joseph Walker, and William Weedon — to ascertain the cause and origin of a Fire which took place at Mr. Pitt's farm, whereby a considerable loss of property was sustained..." 1867, 19 October: Birth of their son Robert, whose birth was registered at Westbury. His father William Weedon was listed as a farmer (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD33-1-45p215j2k). 1877, 8 June: From the Cornwall Chronicle, p2: "Marriages: GREIG — WEEDON. — On the 9th May, at Christ Church, Bishopsbourne, by the Rev. E. Watson, Allen, youngest son of the late George Greig, near Longford, to Annie, only daughter of William Weedon, of the Oaks, Tasmania." --00--

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Dianne Jones on 2nd June 2021

1853, 22 June: William Weedon (free) and Ann Turnbull (Cadet 3) were granted permission to marry (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON52-1-6). Ann (d.1901) had been transported for 10 years for culpable homicide. She was 23 (b.1825) and a farm servant on arrival in VDL in 1849. 1854, 1 April: Birth of their son William Weadon [sic] whose birth was registered at Westbury (d.1922, aged 69). His father William Weadon [sic] was listed as a labourer, and his mother as Ann Weadon [sic] formerly Turnbull (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD33-1-32p369j2k). 1855/56: Birth of their son John William Weedon (d.1889, aged 33) (see Australia Cemetery Index, 1808-2007). 1857, 20 April: Birth of their son James (d.1935), whose birth was registered at Westbury. His father William Weedon is listed as a labourer (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD33-1-35p125j2k). 1858: Birth of their daughter Ann/Annie Weedon at Westbury (per family record). --00--

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1841, 4 November: He was granted a Ticket of Leave. 1844, 7 July: His Conditional Pardon was approved.

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Dianne Jones on 2nd June 2021

--00-- Previous conviction: 1826, 16 February: William Weedon had previously been convicted at the Old Bailey. He was 18 and his co-accused William Cox was 19, according to court records. They were each sentenced to transportation for 7 years for "stealing, on the 2nd of February 1826, 1 coal skuttle, value 3s., 1 kettle, value 1s., 4 ozs. of worsted, value 1s., and 4 ozs. of thread, value 1s., the goods of John Simpson". According to his VDL Conduct Record, William Weedon was released after serving 4½ years of his 7 years' sentence aboard the prison hulk Discovery, at Deptford. --00-- 1832, 6 February: William Weedon's death sentence was commuted to transportation for life. This record gives his age as 28 (see https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/life?id=obpt18311201-8-defend161). 1832, 15 February: William Weedon, listed as 27 and convicted for highway robbery, was received aboard the Justitia hulk at Woolwich. He was sent from there for transportation on 20 March 1832 (see UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849). 1832, July: On arrival in VDL, he was 28, single and a ploughman. He said he had been transported for "highway robbery" (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-46$init=CON31-1-46p175).

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Dianne Jones on 2nd June 2021

1831, 1 December: William Weedon was tried at the Old Bailey: "Third Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron Vaughan. #8. WILLIAM WEEDON and MARIA DOWLING were indicted for feloniously assaulting James Lawrence, on the 17th of November, at Hillingdon, and stealing from his person, and against his will, 1 canvas purse, value 2d.; 4 half-crowns, 10 shillings, and 10 sixpences; and that, at the delivery of the King's Gaol of Newgate, holden for the County of Middlesex, on Thursday, the 16th of February, in the 7th year of his late Majesty's reign, the said William Weedon was convicted of felony. JAMES LAWRENCE. I live at King's-end, near Ryeslip, and am a labourer. On Thursday, the 17th of November, I was at Uxbridge; it was market day - I saw Dowling at the Sun there, kept by Mr. Cherry, and in the evening, a little before six o'clock, I went with her to Mrs. Langdon's house, in Bell-yard, Uxbridge, for a certain purpose - I did not stay above five minutes there, and gave her a shilling; I had about 26s. in silver, in a purse in my watch pocket; I did not pull out my purse, as I had a shilling loose in my breeches pocket - I was sober; I had had a little beer, but was sensible; I am quite sure I had the money about me when I left the house, for before I left the room I felt for it, and not recollecting that I had shifted it from my breeches pocket to my fob, I accused her of having it, but found it in my fob, and she blamed me for accusing her falsely, and said, "If you don't stand half a pint of gin I will punch your head;" I said, "I have accused you wrong, and will stand a drop of gin;" we went down to the Sun, and had some gin together - she followed us from there to the Eight Bells; a man named Weatherly was with me; they followed me up to the town - we both drove our carts up into the town, and at the Eight Bells Weatherly called for a pint of beer; I went in after him, but before I went in the two prisoners attacked me against 'Squire Cox's park, about two hundred yards from the Bells. Q. Did the prisoners come up to you together? A.She pushed me across the road, and wanted me to go with her again; she wanted me to pull off my great-coat, which I refused - she then said, "You have blamed me for the money, and I will give you a punch of the head;" she hit me a hard blow on the nose with her first, and was going to strike me again, but I caught hold of her arms; I held them, and the male prisoner came up behind me - I am sure of him; I have every reason to believe he is the same man - it was quite a moon-light night; I had seen him that evening in the room, taking a pot of beer. Q. Did he say any thing when he came up? A. No, he put his leg behind me, put his arm round me, and threw me back; we had a scuffle on the ground - I got the better of him, got up, and ran away to the Eight Bells, to Weatherly; it might be one hundred yards from there - I called Weatherly out; my face was all over blood: I said "Philip, come out and see what is the matter;" he came out, but they were both gone; I washed my face, sat down, and took a pint of beer or more with Weatherly, and before we left the house the prisoners had the impudence to come in where we were, and they took part of the beer which we were drinking - Weatherly asked them to drink. Q. Did you then complain that they had attempted to rob you? A. No, I gave up thinking anything about it; we seemed good friends; nothing passed between us - we remained there about half an hour - I and Weatherly then went out together, and each got into our cart; after going to the next public-house, kept by Mr. Honey, about a quarter of a mile from the Bells, the prisoners followed us, and we all went in together there; Weatherly called for a pot of beer - we all four drank it together; we had another pot there: Weatherly would not come away without having some more, and we had 4d. worth of bread and cheese - Weatherly and I came out; they followed us directly, and on going down the hill from that house to Hillingdonend, about a quarter of a mile from the house, Weedon jumped up into my cart; Weatherly's horse was going at full trot; I was keeping mine from going too fast, and when I turned my head round Weedon was in my cart - I asked what he did there; he did not answer - I told him to get out, or I would throw him out; he did not get out, but he took me by the collar in the cart, and began feeling outside my breeches pocket for my money; I caught hold of his collar and one of his legs, and threw him out of the cart as well as I could, but he hung to my collar, and we fell out together, and had several tussels on the ground - I got the better of him most of the times while he was by himself; and after we passed the canal bridge, at the bottom of the hill, he got me down again; we had two or three more ups and downs - Dowling stood at some distance, and finding me get the better of him, she said, "Get him down again, or else he will get away from you, and I will assist you;" I did not see her, but could hear what she said - I was not on the ground when she spoke, but we were having a scuffle; he got me down, and she came and helped him - they confined my hands, got hold of my neck handkerchief, and almost strangled me: the blood came out of my nose and mouth with their almost choking me; they cut my purse from me, with a knife - they cut the fob quite away, the lappels of my shirt, and part of my breeches with it; they left me almost insensible on the ground - I did not know whether I was dead or alive; they got 26s. as near as I can tell, within about 6d. - Weatherly was on forward with his horse, and mine followed him; I cried out Philip! twice, but he was laying down asleep in his cart - I could not make him hear, and suspect he was asleep: I overtook him about three-quarters of a mile from where the robbery was committed, which is in Hillingdon parish; I got up in the cart, awoke him, and told him I had been robbed - we both rode home in his cart, and after putting the horses up I went to the cart to take the sacks out, and found a white heaver hat in Weatherly's cart; I do not know how it got there - the prisoner was never in his cart that I know of; I was sober enough to know what happened. Cross-examined by MR. BALL. Q. Are you married? A. Yes, and have two children; I have been married seventeen years - I left home that morning between eight and nine o'clock, with a load and a half of hay; I drank nothing before I started - I got to Uxbridge between ten and eleven; the hill was slippery, and we gave an old man some beer for helping us up - we had a pot among four of us at the Tom and Jerry new beer-shop; we then went into the market, and were there most of the day before we could sell the hay - I had nothing to drink till it was sold; I had no dinner - I went into the Ram, and had two pots of beer among three of us; I had no gin, nor anything to eat - I was paid there for half a load of bay; I then went out to see if Weatherly had sold his hay - I drank nothing till he came; we then went to the Sun, and had a pot of beer there, between himself, me, and Dowling, who was in Weatherly's company; he is married - I drank nothing at Langdon's; I had a glass of gin and a pint, or it might be, a pot of beer - I never pulled out my purse. COURT. Q. Are you quite sure the prisoners are the two people who ill-used you? A. Yes; I have not a doubt of it - Weatherly is not here; he did not see me robbed - I struggled with Weedon, and we hit each each other several times on the ground; I do not think the blood was caused by that - it did not come till I was strangled; I spit blood from my mouth and nose - Dowling gave me a blow on my nose, and made it bleed, but I had washed that off; I had seen her before that day, but was not in her company. WILLIAM CHERRY. I keep the Sun, at Uxbridge. On the 17th of November, about six o'clock, I saw Lawrence and Weatherly in my tap-room; I served them with two pots of beer, then Lawrence went out, and returned with the female prisoner, and had half a pint of gin - the woman went out with Lawrence, leaving Weatherly in the house, that was about seven; the two prisoners came to my house about a quarter to eleven o'clock - I had seen Weedon in there in the afternoon, but not with the woman; he had a pint of beer about four - he had a white hat on then; Lawrence was not there - when Weedon came in at eleven o'clock he had no hat on; my house is about half a mile from where Lawrence was ill-used- he and Weatherly had been drinking before they came to my house; they left about six, and were not tipsy then - they were capable of knowing what happened to them on the road. ROBERT HONEY. I keep a beer-shop at Uxbridgecommon, half a mile from Uxbridge, in the parish of Hillingdon. On Thursday evening, about twenty minutes past nine o'clock, Lawrence and Weatherly came to my house with the two prisoners; they all came in together - they had two pots of beer, and 4d. worth of bread and cheese; they all left together about five or ten minutes to ten; it was a moon-light night - whether they eat and drank together I do not know; Lawrence paid for the beer and cheese - the prisoners paid nothing; it was market day - Lawrence and Weatherly did not seem in liquor, so as not to know what they were about; I did not know the prisoners before - they did not appear in liquor; Weedon had neither hat nor cap on at my house. Cross-examined. Q.Your house is a new beer-shop? A. Yes; they were all sober - they were not singing nor playing at cards. THOMAS DREW. I am gardener to Mr. Fell, of Belmont, near Uxbridge. On Thursday, the 17th of November, I went to Honey's beer-shop, a little before ten o'clock; the prisoners were there, and Lawrence and his man (Weatherly) - Weedon had no hat then; they left the house altogether - all appeared in company; I did not see them drinking together - none of them appeared drunk. Cross-examined. Q.Weedon had no hat on? A. No- I saw no hat of his. FRANCIS WEEDON. I am a constable of Hillingdon; I am not related to the prisoner. I apprehended him on Monday, the 21st of November, at the Jolly Ostlers, Uxbridge; I did not tell him what it was for - he said, going along, that it was a bad job, and he thought he should go over the water for it; I had said nothing to him about what it was for - he did not ask; I asked him afterwards what he had done with his white hat; he swore, and said the b - y hat would do for him; I asked him where he bought it - he said of Chickey Reading, and that he had had it about three days; I have the hat here. Cross-examined. Q. Did you not tell him a word about what you apprehended him for? A. I told him I wanted him - the woman came with us nearly out of Uxbridge; I did not say a word to him before he said what I have told you; I did not tell him I had found his hat till afterwards; I had a warrant against him, but did not produce it, nor say any thing about it - he did not tell me Weatherly had taken away his hat in his cart. JAMES LAWRENCE. The hay Weatherly had belonged to my mother; she has two hundred and fifty acres of land. WILLIAM FAIR. I am a horse-patrol of Bow-street. - I apprehended Dowling on the night of the 22nd of November; she said she was in Lawrence's company at a house at Uxbridge, and saw all his money safe in his pocket then, and went from there to the Eight Bells, Hillingdon-end, and that Weedon was there; he wore a white bat - from there they got one of the carts and rode to the beer-shop on Uxbridge-common, then came back to Uxbridge afterwards; I had only said that I apprehended her on Lawrence's robbery. Weedon's Defence. What I was convicted of before, I served for - this woman was not in my company that evening; I never saw her that evening. JOHN FARRANT. I was a constable, and am now a shop-keeper at Uxbridge. I produce a certificate of Weedon's former conviction, which I got from Mr. Clark's office; (read) I know him perfectly well to be the man - I was present at his trial in the other Court. Dowling's Defence. I never saw Lawrence's money after he accused me of it in the house. WEEDON - GUILTY - DEATH. Aged 27. DOWLING - GUILTY - DEATH. Aged 25." (see oldbaileyonline.org)