Charles Lewis

[sasarina]

Hello everyone,
I am wondering if anyone has any knowledge of a Charles Lewis who is my gg grandfather.
I have some information, but it is all circumstantial.
Charles was born in London abt 1798 he was a convict sentenced to transportation to Australia.
There are a few different records mentioning this,  I think he came on the Neptune but I am not sure if it was the 1818 or 1820 voyage?
I have found a cert. of freedom states he was on the 1820 voyage and mentions he was blind in the right eye,  in the surgeons journal for the 1820 voyage it mentions a Charles Lewis that suffered terrible pain because of an eye infection and noted that his right eye cornea had ruptured, so this Charles Lewis certainly sounds like he was on the 1820 voyage.
A lot of research states he was on the 1818 voyage and that he was a baker?  so I am totally confused which voyage it was,  there is a plaque erected near Bathurst in Australia by the Lewis family which states the 1818 voyage.
I have not yet been able to find the conviction in 1817.
He did marry a Mary Anne Smith in Australia in May, 1830.
Hoping some of you wonderful people maybe able to help me?

[emeltom]

From what I can find on one of the subscription sites there were two men called Charles Lewis who were transported.

One was Charles Lewis, a Baker, born Stepney 1799 who was tried in 1819 for stealing a Great Coat. the other was Charles Lewis, a Mariner, born St Pancras 1800 who was tried 1818 for stealing a Bale of Cloth.

Presumably the Charles Lewis, Mariner was transported on the 1818 sailing and the Chrles Lewis , Baker was on the 1820 sailing.

Not sure if that helps or not.

Emeltom

[rosie17]

Don't know if you have seen this but maybe a possibility
Charles Lewis born 1799 imprisoned in Newgate 1819 age 19
Tried for grand larceny at the Old Bailey 26 May 1819 age 20
Accused of stealing on the 25 May one great coat value 10s found guilty and sentenced to 7 years
Transported to NSW 18 March 1820 age 21 aboard the Neptune
www.oldbaileyonline.org

Rosie

[sasarina]

Thank you so much for this information?  I never knew there was a Charles Lewis, mariner tried in 1818, does it state where he was convicted?
I only have Ancestry and haven't been able to find out any of this information, especially where they were born.  The Charles Lewis born Stepney is really interesting because I have been looking at this Charles  but I didn't have the resources to connect this to the trial.
The fact that the crime was committed at Aldgate which is 5 mins from Whitechapel where Charles the baker was born could be a possibility and also I have been searching for a sister named Elizabeth, from what I could research there was an Elizabeth born in Stepney also abt1798.
Thank you so much

[sasarina]

Thanks Rosie,  I know bits and pieces of this Charles tried at the Old Baily 1819,  but never knew where he was imprisoned, so now I know it's Newgate  a few more things fall into place.
so much appreciated
thanks again Rosie and Elemtom

[emeltom]

They were both tired  at the Old Bailey - Charles the Mariner in the April Session 1818 and Charles the Baker in the May Session 1919

Charles the Mariner is described as 5 ft tall, ruddy complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes, slender build.

Charles the Baker is 5ft 6in tall, dark complexion, brown hair, grey eyes, stoutish build.

Emeltom

[sasarina]

Hi, does it state that the 1818 voyage for Charles was on the Neptune?

[matthewj64]

From what I can see, as others have said there are only two convicts named Charles Lewis from around that time period

Charles Lewis, trial date 26th May 1819, stole a great coat, transported on Neptune I (2), arrived 16 July 1820. Free certificate (with matching trial date) says native place Chelmsford, baker, blind in right eye.

Charles Lewis, trial date 1st April 1818, stole shoes, transported on Asia (1), arrived 28th December, 1820. Free cert. says - Islington, Tailor (or maybe Sailor?)

I can't see a Charles Lewis on the 1818 Neptune voyage but I can see variation in the muster and census records for the arrival years stated for both of the convicts above, so I believe that errors were made that led to confusion.

M

Edit - to add links refering to the 1820 Neptune voyage. One of these has Neptune I, II and III to distinguish between three different ships (which I've used), but note that it looks to have been 'Neptune (3)' that was used at the time.

http://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimaconvict/ship.php?letter=N
https://www.jenwilletts.com/ConvictShipsNOPR.htm
1826 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 31 May, p. 1. , viewed 01 Jun 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2185888

Edit to add -

His convict indent can also be found on Ancestry, though its only indexed as 'Charles', but can be found by going to the indents database and searching with the conviction date and ship, or see New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842, Bound Indentures 1820-1821, image 73

The details agree with those on the free cert.
'Charles Lewis, London Gaol Deliv., 26th May 1819, seven years, Chelmsford, Baker, eyes - hazel blind of right'

[sasarina]

Yes this is so confusing,  some research state 1818 or 1820.
I have read the surgeons journal for the 1820 voyage it mentions a Charles Lewis almost every day for the whole voyage,  he had terrible pain from some eye infection, apparently the cornea of his right eye also ruptured, so this would confirm the 1820 voyage? for the cert. of freedom? but then there  is the paperwork from the prison hulk 'Justitia'  stating the conviction at Nottingham Assizes? I seem to be going around in circles.

If 1820 is correct it would make all the research done by the Lewis family as incorrect? as they have erected a plaque in Fitzgeralds valley which is near Bathurst as him arriving on the 1818 voyage.
Why did I have to have a Lewis convict as an ancestor,  probably the most common name for a convict.