William STEWARD

[Jaznjjj]

William was sentenced to transportation in 1811 and arrived in Australia in 1812 on the Fortune.  His wife and children arrived later on the Kangaroo.  It seems he was offered an alternative to transportation which was to join a regiment of soldiers, which he refused as it would have meant abandoning his wife and children.  Was this a common alternative in mitigation of a sentence?  This is the only instance I have ever come across.  Jennifer

[Neil Todd]

Hi seems a bit unusual but as it was during the Napoleonic Wars 1803-15 it may have been allowed. I believe I have read something about this happening but can't put my finger on where.

Was he Irish as I feel that this was somewhat of a greater punishment for them.

Neil

[Jaznjjj]

Hi Neil, Supposedly he was from Yorkshire.  I am having a think about his being a shoemaker means there might be apprenticeship records somewhere.  Born 1776 - 1780. 

[majm]

I was reading a book on my e reader several weeks ago re alternatives to transportation during the Iberian Campaign .... Now as to which book ... umm.... I will get OH onto that task later this evening as he has an interest in that specific theme !  I think the book could be by James Hugh Donohoe, perhaps "Forgotten Australians" but I am not sure .... 

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Was his wife SARAH ....

http://colsec.records.nsw.gov.au/indexes/colsec/default.htm

I did not realise that the KANGAROO went outside of the then NSW waters .... Where was William sentenced?  Where was his wife and children before arriving in Aust? 

ADDING, found the Kangaroo as per Col Sec link above,
1814 Jan 10
 Report of Lieutenant Charles Jeffreys, Commander of the "Kangaroo", on voyage from Portsmouth to Sydney; list of passengers; statements re state and condition of ship   

Many thanks, I love learning new things about NSW ....
 

Cheers,  JM

[Jaznjjj]

William Steward was sentenced on 19th February, 1812 at the Old Bailey having been found in possession of forged and counterfeited bank notes on 2nd November, 1811. On the 26th May 1812 he went to the hulk Retribution but I have evidence of his being on the Zealand hulk at Sheerness in July 1812. (Either him or a highly coincidental Wm Steward/t.)  He was transported on the Fortune which left England on 3rd December, 1812 arriving Sydney 11th June 1813.  The Kangaroo arrived in Sydney on 12th January, 1814. 

There was a grandmother mentioned in correspondence who would have had the care of the children had they not been able to come to NSW so I make conjecture that the wife and children stayed with the grandmother while waiting for a passage to NSWales.  I also assume that the grandmother was in London = his wife's mother, but that is all supposition on the basis that being from Yorkshire, Wm's mother was probably still in Yorkshire.  I have only just located this information so have not been able to corroborate it yet. 

It is hard to pin down this family (marriages, baptisms etc) as there were many by the name of William Steward/Stewart in London. 

I had seen a letter to Macquarie reporting on the voyage of the Kangaroo signed by Lieut. Howard.  Reel  6044 4/1729 pages 10 and 11 with list of passengers.  Will check your Col Sec link just to make sure I haven't missed anything. 

Jennifer

[majm]

My OH says

William STEWART b abt 1780 arrived on Fortune 2 and Sarah was on the Kangaroo along with their 3 : Samuel 10, Mary Yetch 8, and Jane Willbine 6.   Also if he had accepted being conscripted then chances were he would have had much longer wait to see family as only limited spaces available for wives and families to accompany rank and file in any regiment sent anywhere outside UK ... Accomodation and victualling matters etc.

Cheers JM

[Jaznjjj]

I have never found any reference to the child Samuel other than in the Dr. Smee books and I don't know from where he sourced his information. The list I have from the Kangaroo does not appear to include Samuel but I transcribed the list many moons ago - probably worth another look at the original.  No reference in the Col. Sec index either (though that does mention Jane, Mary and Sarah as convict children and convict wife).  The girls' names appear to be Mary YENCH Steward and Jane WILLBYRNE Steward.  Mary married George SEYMOUR as Mary YENCH in 1822 which delayed my research years while I searched for YENCH.  Jane possibly married John Rayner in 1828 at Scots Church.   I also have reference to her marrying Thomas BYRNE.  The 1814 muster shows Sarah Stewart wife of W. Stewart two children off stores.  So Samuel is a mystery.  I have searched for the YENCH and WILLBYRNE names on and off for years without success, hoping that they were the names of grandparents or other relatives.  I'd be really interested in the source of your information "...along with their 3:  Samuel 10, Mary Yetch 8 and Jane Willbine 6".  It might shed some light.   
Thanks again,
Jennifer

[majm]

Hi

Reply 4 points to NSWSRO holding a  Kangaroo's passenger list  as at 10 Jan 1814 perhaps that is where Samuel is listed  .....  Fingers crossed he is on later Musters as a single man cf Kangaroo etc rather than as a child with Sarah .... And perhaps he too had a middle name that has been wrongly treated as his Surname .....  OH found the info in one of James Hugh Donohue's books perhaps  Dr Smee used passenger list held by NSWSRO but I am not sure of the exact particular source for STEWART that OH spotted.  JHD provides a list including NSWSRO , NSWSL, NSWBDM and the usual reference books....

Cheers JM