William Woodhouse

Level 346

Maureen Withey on 13th August 2022

Sunday morning se’nnigbt, the following twelve male convicts left York Castle, in order to delivered on board the hulks, laving in the river at Portsmouth, there to remain until their respective sentences are carried into execution, viz.—William Middleton, Wm. Woodhouse, George Bcnrlev, George Dunning, alias Dunhill, John Robinson, John James Ta\lor, Michael Normington, John Boothroyd, Thomas Cooper, Elijah Cropland. John WiUon : to severally transported beyond the seas for the term of seven years. Hull Packet, 9 Feb 1819.

Level 7

Brett Collins on 2nd November 2020

Worked with Ben Boyd then settled in Gelantipy Vic before taking up land at Rocky Plains and Ingebyra in the Snowy Mountains and becoming a pastoralist of considerable size. Married Ellen McAloone from Enniskillen Fermanagh, Ireland (died 12/08/1866 Bungendore)

Sentenced on 12 January 1819 at the January Session for the East Riding, Yorkshire for stealing malt & barley. Sailed from Portsmouth, England on 'Earl St Vincent' 12/4/1820, arriving Sydney 20/8/1820. Certificate of Freedom No. 041/4718 granted 12/1/1826. SR Ref. 4/4424, Film 602 (Advertised in Sydney Gazette on Thursday 19/1/1826). William was appointed Constable at Cawdor on 30/10/1826 (Sydney Gazette Saturday 4/11/1826). He appeared at the Sydney Quarter Sessions on Monday 23/4/1832 in appeal against a conviction for selling rum to a man named Cox. The case resumed on Tuesday 24/4/1832 and the conviction was confirmed. (Sydney Gazette, Thursday 26/4/1832). William Woodhouse, appeared to prosecute an appeal against a conviction of the Sydney Bench of Magistrates, for illicitly selling spirits contrary to the Act of Council, on which conviction, a fine was imposed on him of £30, and costs 3s. 9d. Mr. Rowe to save the time of the Court would take an exception; the conviction ought to have set forth the evidence. The Court was of opinion, that the conviction which set forth the form of the offence was sufficient. It certainly would be necessary that the evidence should be set forth, unless a provision had been made by the Act of Council. Robert Cox sworn-If there is any fine imposed in this case, I expect to get a share of the fine. I have been promised my share of the fine if the conviction stands good. Mr. Rowe here contended, that when a party was concerned in the profits of any conviction, he could not be a competent witness. (The Court over-ruled this objection.) Examination continued. I am not interested in this case any further than that I expect to get part of the fine. I was subpoenaed to this Court. I am the informer. By Mr. Pool. I was told by another party, that spirits were sold by the appellant. I was summoned to the Police to give evidence on the occasion. Mr. Foster,-Acts of Parliament often especially provide for informers being admitted as evidence, and go so far, as to provide, that informers being so admitted, shall be entitled to a share of the fine imposed +. Examination continued by the Court-I did not go voluntarily to the police to give evidence in the case; I was summoned to give evidence: I was the party who paid for the liquor and gave information to Mr. Jilks. By Mr. Poole-I saw the appellant (William Woodhouse) on the 11th January last, but had no knowledge of him previously to that time; He then lived on the Brickfield Hill; I was in company with another person named Fenton, and we both went into the Appellant's house ; I asked for a pen and ink, and began writing; it was a cold rainy morning, and I asked him if he had any thing in the bottle ? he said plenty ; I asked for a gill of rum, which he brought in a glass tumbler from an inner room, and gave to me ; I paid a silver sterling sixpence for it ; I am looking at some minutes that I made at the time. Cross-exanained by Mr. Rowe(who took from the witness the paper which he was referring to). Fenton drank a part of the spirits, and I drank the other part ; it was about ten o'clock in the morning ; the coaches were coming in; the memorandum now handed to you, is in my hand-writing ; I did not show it to Fenton ; Fenton saw me write it ; the door was open when we went to the Appellant's; I made that memorandum ten minutes after ; I made an error in writing the day of the week, and I afterwards altered the word Tuesday into Wednesday, upon finding out my mistake; we sat some time at the Appellant's, and had a great deal of conversation with him about Dr. Douglass. Fenton said to him, " You were near getting 2/ for me once, when I was a ran a-way, and you were a constable at Dr. Douglass's." When we left the Appellant's house, we went straight to my house ; I lodged in Clarence Street, with a man of the name of Cains; it was raining hard, and we ran nearly all the way ; when we got there, I wrote the memorandum now before the Court, to refresh my memory I did not show the memorandum to Fenton He saw me write it, but I did not show it to him ; It was near eleven o'clock when I wrote that memorandum ; I have drunk a pint of beer this morning, but no spirits; I have not been drinking with Fenton ; I saw Fenton this morning, but did not speak to him about this business; I have never conversed with Fenton on the subject since that memorandum was written. I had no intention of fining the appellant when we first went to his house; I am Mr. Terry Hughes' overseer; I agreed with him for £40 a year, and my board and lodging; I swear, that I agreed with Mr. Hughes as I have stated. The appellant asked me for payment for the rum ; I had no conversation with Fenton about the penalty, before we went to the appellant's house ; I never saw the appellant before, and he gave us the spirits the moment I asked for it. The thought struck me after we had the rum, that there might be something done in it. Edward Fenton. I am a constable in the Sydney Police; I know the appellant; he keeps a house at the bottom of the Brickfield- hill ; I went with Cox to his house on the morning of the 11th of February. The reason of my going was, I was informed by Cox, that it was a house where spirits were retailed without a license; we went into the house, and Cox called for a sheet of writing paper and wrote a note; after he had written the note, Cox asked the appellant if he had any rum in the bottle ? and the appllant said "plenty" ; Cox called for a gill, and Mrs. Woodhouse brought it in, for which Cox paid a silver sixpence; I cannot say that the payment was demanded; I think not ; the money was paid on the rum coming in, the same as in a public house ; I know that Cox did write something, but I was looking about the house to see who was there. Cox wrote a few lines, a sham note, merely for a blind; I know that Cox wrote minutes of the transaction ; we had arranged before going info the house, that Cox should call pen ink and paper for a blind, so that we might get the rum and fine them. Cross-examined by Mr. Rowe-I met Cox near the Police Office on the 11th, and we made it up to go and get rum and fine Woodhouse; he mentioned many other places where we could flne parties for selling rum ; the door was open and Woodhouse was standing at the door ; I was about as far behind Cox as from this to the iron cage Mr. Rowe Ah! my good fellow, always think of the consequences, when you look at that cage ! Examination continued. If Cox has sworn, that I told him that spirits were sold illegally at Woodhouse's, he has perjured himself , I did not know it until he told me. Cox was recalled and stated, I believe that I did tell Fenton that spirits were sold there; we went on purpose to fine him. (Note by Ed. This is in the teeth of the witness's former evidence.) Mr. Rowe-Really, the dreadful perjury that takes place in this Colony is appalling. It is time that a stop was put to the horrid practice, and I do say, that the Court ought to commit this man. Fenton examined by Mr. Rowe. I went for the express purpose of fining the appellant; I went under the idea that I should get a part of the penalty; I was well aware that I should get part of the penalty ; when we left the appellant's house we walked up George-street. I swear I did not run, neither did Cox; I think it rained that morning; I do not recollect +( Yes; but where Acts of Parliament do not make this provision, the common law takes its course ; and that excludes all interested wit- nesses.-ED. where we went to. I think we went to the house of Connor, but we did not go there straight; we went there on the same day. I know we went to a Public house, and had something to drink; we also went to Yates in York-street to fine him, between one and two o'clock; I do not think we went to any other place that day. I think that I parted with Cox, and he went to his own house after we had been to Yates' house; I never saw Cox write at any other place that day; I was at Cox's house that evening ; it was not dark; I swear positively I did not go immediately from Woodhouse's to Cox's house, nor did I run at all; I am quite positive more than three hours intervened between our being at Woodhouse's house, and Cox's ; I went to Cox's in the evening to take down the day of the month, and other memorandums which Cox wrote. That is the paper you have there in your hand; Cox showed it to me this morning; I asked him the day of the month, and he handed it to me to read at the Court House. door here; there were many persons present when he gave it to me to read; I have not been in a public-house this morning. The Chairmnan. Cox ? what have you to say for yourself, you ought to be ashamed and we ought to commit you to the watch- house. (To the Crown Counsel,) Is this your case ? Mr. Poole, It is your worship. Mr. Foster. Mr. Rowe, we have still the evidence of the constable against your client. Mr. Rowe, surely your Honor can not for a moment take the evidence of either of there parties, seeing they have coutradicted each other in almost every sentence they uttered; how can it be inferred that either spoke truth? Here are two persons swearing directly against each other ! The Court had only one question to determine, whether the spirits were bona fide sold and paid for; and of course the degree of credit to be given to the evidence of the witness, would rest with the Court. Mr. Rowe begged the Court to compare the memorandum acknowledged by Fenton to have been written by Cox with his (Fenton's) sanction, and which stated, that Fenton said to the appellant "you were nearly getting £2 for me when you lived at Dr. Douglass", with the statememt of Fenton in his evidence, that, he never saw the appellant before the day that he went for the rum! Mr. R. did not wish to take up the time of the Court unnecessarily, but he must beg the Court to weigh the testimony well, before it decided on the case. The Court would take time to consider, and deliver judgment the following day. The Sydney Monitor Saturday 28 April 1832