Looking for more info on John Bonnett

[MrDudley]

Hi
I'm looking to see if anyone can help me with more info on my 5th grt grandfather John Bonnett/Bonnet, He was born abt 1809 Cambs/Norfolk

He was convicted of Sheep Stealing and exiled to Australia for 10 years in 1847.
He departed England 8 Aug 1849 aboard the ship 'Adelaide'
As far as I know he was dropped off or sent to Wollongong,Illawarra.
He received a Ticket of Leave in 1849/1851 and after that I'm not sure where he is.
He isn't present back with his family in England so I assumed he stayed in Australia.
He could possibly be the John Bonnet who is featured in the police gazettes as being shot at with a pistol 1870/1871 Grenfell.
Any help wold be appreciated.

[Essie]

A death in NSW with surname recorded as BONNITT may be a possibility is his parents were named Thomas and Elizabeth?

Essie

[MrDudley]

Does it list an age by chance?
I have my John as being born around 1809 going by criminal record and census.
He married Catherine Vincent in 1830 terrington st clement, Norfolk.
In 1841 which is the only census he is on they are living in Emmeth, Norfolk and mistranscribed as Bennett. John is listed as not born in Norfolk and born about 1811
John and Catherine baptise all their children in Ely, Cambridgeshire in the 1830s.
There is a baptism in 1809 for a John Bonnett in chettisham, Ely, Cambridgeshire which I think could be him. But the parents are William and Ann.

[MrDudley]

A quick check on ancestry shows that a John Bonnitt/Bonnett/Burnet came from Yorkshire to Australia in 1837 and it fits this John Bonnitt you mention so it doesn’t seem to be mine.
Back to square one I guess.

[MrDudley]

Interestingly he also seems to receive 2 tickets of leave.
One when he arrives in 1849
Prisoner Number 49/1075
John Bonnett
Ship Adelaide
Sentence 10 years
Trial place Ely (Wisbech)
Trial date 6 Jan 1847
Remain in district of Illawarra.

And then another in 1851?
But some dates are different but same arrival year, ship and name?
John Bonnett
Ship Adelaide
Arrival 1849
Trial place looks like Salford but not sure
16 March 1847
Sentence 7 years
Ticket of leave number 49/1391
Allowed to same as preceding?
There could be 2 different Johns but I’m sure there was only one John Bonnett aboard the Adelaide when it docked unless it made 2 trips

[Aussie1947]

Hi,

The ToL issued in 1849 allowed for John BONNETT to remain in the Illawarra Police District.

The ToL issued in 1851 was a Passport ToL which was probably an additional document that allowed John to visit/work in another Police District outside of the Illawarra.

Gerry

[MrDudley]

Hi,

The ToL issued in 1849 allowed for John BONNETT to remain in the Illawarra Police District.

The ToL issued in 1851 was a Passport ToL which was probably an additional document that allowed John to visit/work in another Police District outside of the Illawarra.

Gerry

Thank you for that, I did notice it said passport but thought they were the same.
I wonder why the Trial date and place are different from the original Ticket of Leave?
The first one is correct about date and trial place being Ely/Wisbech.
Somebody did also point out to me before that it seemed perhaps odd that he got a ticket of leave so soon after arriving, I'm not sure if it is or not?

[majm]

Hi there,

The NSW State Archives 'Convict Index' has a chap as
John BENNETT, per Adelaide 1849.
Under that spelling of his surname the index shows John Bennett receives several Ticket of Leave:
In 1849  #1236, for the District of Illawarra - trial at Ely Wisback Quartersessions
In 1849  #1391, for the District of Newcastle - trial Staffordshire Assizes
In 1851  #0038  (28 Jan 1851) Ticket of Leave 49/1391 (ie District of Newcastle, ex Staff Ass) he receives a ToL Passport on the application of Mr Osborne.

So, was there ONE or TWO chaps on the Adelaide named John BENNETT (or variations)... 
https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/search_form?id=65   (you can search by vessel only)

JM

[majm]

Convictism had effectively ceased to NSW back in 1840, so ToL and ToL Passports were issued 'promptly' for those arriving in 1849, to reflect the unpopularity in NSW of the delivery of more convicts from Britain. 

JM