John Williams

135

C H on 14th June 2025

Name: Williams, John Record Type: Convicts Additional identifier: 1 Property: Macquarie Harbour Penal Stations Departure date: 5 Apr 1827 Departure port: London Ship: Governor Ready Place of origin: Runcorn, Cheshire Voyage number: 50 Index number: 76505 Record ID: NAME_INDEXES:1446656 Tasmanian Library

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 17th August 2021

Alphabetical Registers of Male Convicts. (CON23) No; 758 Name; John Williams Height; 5 Ft 6 1/2 in Hair; Brown Eyes; Grey Age; 27 Trade; Seaman Trial; Newgate - 14 Sept 1826 - Life Ship; Governor Ready Native Place; Runcorn Remarks; EXECUTED - 17 Dec 1827 The Tasmanian. Fri 14 Dec 1827 . Page 2 . SUPREME CRIMINAL COURT. SUPREME CRIMINAL COURT. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1827. George Lacey, Samuel Measures, John Ward, John Williams, John McGuire, John McMillan, William Jenkins, James Kirk and James Reid, were arraigned on an information charging them with the crime of murder, in having, on the 17th day of October last, at the penal settlement of Macquarie Harbour, severally been actors, aiders and abettors, in causing the death of a man named George Recks, a constable at that place, by means of suffocation or drowning. 1827 - The Hobart Town Courier. Sat 22 Dec 1827. Page 4 EXECUTION. These five miserable men having mounted the scaffold were followed by the other five in their order, namely James Reed, Thos. Williams, James Kirk. John McMillan, and John maguire, who were all catholics. Macmillan was born of respectable parents in Glasgow, who had lately sent him some articles of clothing &c as a pledge of the affection they still bore him, if he would but lead an honest life, and no longer disgrace his connections, and if his heart had not been seared by guilt and insensible to every sentiment of humanity, it would have been touched by such an instance of parental kindness. Macguire was the tall thin man, and the last who walked up the ladder. He had been usually employed as a shepherd, and also was well known to have been an intimate associate of sheepstealers and runaways, whom he harboured in his secluded stock hut. When Lacy had concluded his speech they all joined with a loud and firm voice in singing a short hymn to that God in whose awful presence they were about to stand, and in another minute the platform fell from their feet and they entered upon eternity.

108

Nell Murphy on 27th October 2017

John WILLIAMS was originally charged and convicted for forgery and was transported to New South Wales, Australia (14 yr sentence) per the ship 'Hindostan' in 1821. He stated he had run away from the service of G. Windsor, Sydney. He came to VDL per the Mary and then the Caroline to Macquarie Island (west coast of Tasmania). He then stowed away on the Rambler and went to Batavia, then back to England on the Hope. John was arrested and tried at Middlesex, London on 14 Sept 1826 for returning from transportation. He was given a life sentence and sent to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) per the ship Governor Ready arriving 31 July 1827. Stated he was a single man of no religion. Place of birth - Runcorn, Chesire, England. VDL: No details on the Conduct Record but must have been assigned to Macquarie Harbour as on 8 December 1827 he was charged, along with Lacy and others, with murder. Death sentence. He was executed on 17 Dec 1827. (recorded on conduct sheet) (n.b. there are several other persons named "John Williams" as convicts in these records)