Walter HUNTLEY, Born c1826, Hungerford, Berkshire

[BAC3]

Hello,

The Daily Southern Cross published on 01/03/1855 [courtesy of Papers Past], reported that Walter HUNTLEY had been sentenced to penal servitude for life having been convicted of manslaughter.   He had been married on 08/08/1853 to widow Elizabeth DEERY and they had three children, Elizabeth born 1857, Emily Elizabeth 1859 and Rebecca 1861!!!   The prison visiting must have been pretty relaxed?

In 1860 he joined the 1st Waikato Militia Regiment!!   Was it a condition that if he joined the military then he would be released on licence (Ticket of Leave)?

From what I understand, although access is not available on my Ancestry subscription, he appeared in the New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981, which I assume means that he was a "free man".

He died on 27/12/1899 and was buried at the Waikumete Cemetery.

Can anyone offer a suggestion as to how Walter HUNTLEY being sentenced to penal servitude for life gave all the appearances of being a free citizen??

For the moment

BAC3

[KGarrad]

Walter's original crime was:

24th February 1841, Berkshire County Assizes
Walter Huntley, age 13, Larceny, sentenced to be transported for 7 years.

He was one of the original "Parkhurst Boys":
The Parkhurst apprentices were juvenile prisoners from Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, sentenced to "transportation beyond the seas" and transported to Australia and New Zealand between 1842 and 1852. Either before leaving England or on arrival at their destination, they were pardoned on the conditions that they be "apprenticed" to local employers, and that they not return to England during the term of their sentence. In the ten years between 1842 and 1852 nearly 1500 boys aged from twelve to eighteen were transported to Australia and New Zealand from Parkhurst Prison.

[BAC3]

Thank You anyway KGarrad,

I was aware that Walter HUNTLEY was a Parkhurst Boy, which I have documented, but my interest now is the sentence of penal servitude for life, which occurred 13 years after he arrived in NZ, and how he seemingly avoided it.

If it had happened immediately after he arrived there is no doubt but that he would have been further transported to Tasmania.

For now,

BAC3

[Janette]

The Walter in Waikumete may not be you man the age is a bit out and the spelling is different

HUNTLY, WALTER
Plot :                                  ROMAN CATHOLIC DIVISION A Row 6, Plot 96
Interment Type:              Burial
Title:                                  MR
Surname :                        HUNTLY
Given Names:                 WALTER
Age :                                  82
Gender :                            Male
Occupation:                     N/A
Date Of Death :                29-Dec-1899
Date Of Burial :                29-Dec-1899 
Funeral Director :           UNKNOWN
Head Stone Details :      N/A

Cheers Janette

[Janette]

It looks like it might be him Elizabeth is in the next plot

HUNTLY, ELIZABETH
Plot :                                  ROMAN CATHOLIC DIVISION A Row 6, Plot 94
Interment Type:              Burial
Title:                                  Mrs
Surname :                        HUNTLY
Given Names:                 ELIZABETH
Age :                                  83
Gender :                            Female
Occupation:                     WIFE
Date Of Death :                03-Jul-1898
Date Of Burial :                04-Jul-1898 
Funeral Director :           A G WHEELER
Head Stone Details :      N/A


Cheers Janette

[Janette]

Here is the original account of what happened

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DSC18541229.2.8&srpos=51&e=-------100--1-byDA---2+huntley--

and the article from the 1/3/1855

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DSC18550306.2.9&srpos=52&e=-------100--1-byDA---2+huntley--

I can't find the sentenced to penal servitude for life,but I doubt that would have been the case for manslaughter.

Cheers Janette

[BAC3]

Hello Janette,

I have a fairly comprehensive biography for this gentleman, except whether or not he served any of his sentence of penal servitude for life.  And that is my dilemma

If you take the second citation from your post from Papers Past and scroll right to the bottom of the extract you will find a sub-heading "Saturday March 2 or 3", and there is another entry for Walter HUNTLEY confirming penal servitude for life.

I wonder if he appealed against the sentence,  mitigation being the treatment of his wife , for instance, and it was quashed?

For the moment,

Tony

[Janette]

Hi Tony

Do you have this report from TROVE the Australian newspapers etc

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/49302906

Cheers Janette

[Janette]

Another article from TROVE

"On Thursday, March 1, Walter Huntley was tried at the Supreme Court, Auckland, for the murder of Hemi Te Kopi, and found guilty of manslaughter, and on Saturday he was sentenced to penal servitude for life. On Monday March 5th, the native chiefs had a conference with his Excellency the Acting Governor, when Wetini, the brother of the de- ceased Te Kopi, expressed himself recon- ciled to the decision of the court. He said " I carne to see the European on the gallows. I went to the court house and listened ; I then heard the man was not to be hung. I felt light because of this. I then said it is right the European should not die ; let God get payment, if he is wrong, in the day of judgment."

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/699830

Maybe that had something to do with him being free

Cheers Janette