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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Suzy W on Wednesday 21 April 10 03:25 BST (UK)
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Sometime ago I posted about a man named Edmund Tew. He got his ticket to leave Hobart in 1834.
I have just been looking at the article in Hobart times http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/8647835?searchTerm=%22Edmund+Tew%22
At the beginning of the Text it states a Ann Jones + America, would someone know if all these people were heading for America?
This will be a big help to know if Edmund did head towards America as he is not recorded going back to England.
Cheers
Suzy W
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I think you will find that it is the ship that the person arrived on.
TEW Edmund
Arrived: 19 Aug 1830
Per:"David Lyon"
From: 02 May 1830 London
http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=11
Leanne
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Oh dear, so that threw that idea out the window :'(
Never mind, still posted on the American link to see if there were any census records for him.
A bit of a mystery on where he ended up.
Thanks for that.
Suzy W
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Hi Suzy :)
I agree - "Ann Jones" is the name of the first convict in that list to receive her ticket of leave; the "America" is the ship she would have been transported on.
Edmund TEW came on the "David Lyon" as Leanne says. If he only had his Ticket of Leave he would not have been allowed to leave the colony as he was not yet a freed man (or at least he may have been allowed to travel to other colonies such as New South Wales). Until a man received a Pardon or a Certificate of Freedom, he was restricted in what he could do and where he could go.
Have you found a Certificate of Freedom for him?
Cheers
Prue
Added: I see he received it in 1836, as per "The Hobart Town Courier", Friday 8 July 1836, page 1.
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Hi Prue
No I have not found anymore details on Edmund, he has just disappeared off the radar! No marriage or death records in the U.K.
So was his ticket to leave a freedom pass as well?
Sorry to be a bother but have no idea about convicts in Australia and how the system worked.
I know the Tew family in Tasmania are not related to him, so do not know where else to look.
Regards
Suzy W
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Hi Suzy :)
I think I remember doing a little bit of looking for Edmund once before, and he certainly didn't leave much of a trail!
A convict was (usually) first granted a ticket of leave after serving some of his or her sentence. It was sort of like being out on parole - they were allowed (with restrictions, depending on who they were, what jurisdiction they were in etc.) to be self-employed, to employ others, to choose a place to live etc. but were still answerable to the convict system. A ToL could be revoked if conditions were breached.
After the expiration of their full sentence, a convict was granted a Certificate of Freedom. This meant that they were essentially free to go and do whatever they wanted. Many chose to stay on in the colonies but some did return home or go elsewhere.
Some convicts, depending on their sentences, were granted Conditional Pardons and Full Pardons, but I don't know much about those. I think they were basically the same as getting a ToL and a CoF, but were for convicts with sentences such as Life (again, not 100% sure about that).
Edmund would have had restrictions placed on him when he was granted his Ticket of Leave - he would probably have had to stay locally to where he was imprisoned, for example. Once he had his Certificate of Freedom he could have moved away or done anything he liked.
Many people in these early times of the colonies do disappear off the radar completely and it may just be a matter of it being prior to civil registration - if they died in the bush they would probably have just been buried by family or neighbours with no church involvement. Even in a place like Sydney, and even after civil registration was introduced, people still just "disappear"...I have quite a few "undead" rellies there still!!
Cheers
Prue
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Hi there,
NSW State Archives online at http://www.rootschat.com/links/08i4/ has Guides including Ticket of Leave, Pardons, Certificates of Freedom etc. Guides also listed http://www.rootschat.com/links/08i5/ with good search engines. Prue's comments are supported by the information in those guides.
Very short version : NSW included the entire eastern section of Australia, and NZ and South Seas Islands at various times from 1788 until mid 1850's. Tasmania became its own colony in the 1820's, WA in late 1820's, NZ in 1840's, Vic & Qld in 1850's. No convicts ever transported to Sth Aus or NZ, but they may have moved there after receiving their various Certificates/Pardons.
Cheers, JM
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You may already have seen this - the Archives Office of Tasmania has digitised his conduct record see
http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON31-1-43,176,16,F,80
It's image 16 of 176. The writing is very faded but perhaps someone can figure out how to capture the image and enhance it
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Thanks guys, most helpful information.
It is surprising on how people treated each other back then, no empathy, and they were meant to be God fearing people?
So we may have to conclude that Edmund went bush, and died out in there. He was only a young man of 16 when convicted of stealing a little piece of bread and cheese, I think the village he came from had it in for the family, as they were evicted a few years earlier for having no work.
He was unable to spell, so I should think he relied on others to do any documents, so maybe his name had changed, which is no surprise, as I have came across a number of spellings.
Sadly I can not read the archives part written in red, anyone out there who can high light that area?
Cheers
Suzy W
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This is the best I can do from the conduct record - can anyone read it?
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The only words I can make out so far are, Single, First offence, will need a magnifying glass to see the rest.
At least the words are much clearer.
Suzy W
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I can't really make it out either, but here's my transcription and my cleanup...I don't think it gives any clues to Edmund's whereabouts after release, though.
Transpd for 14 years? House/Horse? Gaol Report .....
tolerably well in prison. Hulk Report "Oran", single, states this offence
? in a Devd House - first offence - single [P]
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Just found this link, there is a microfilm available in Queensland http://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?ct=display&doc=slq_voyager1084280&indx=7&fromLogin=true&vl(freeText0)=%20David%20Lyon.
Record number 1084280. So it looks as if one has to pay a visit to get the full records. Ahhh just came back from there, no chance going again soon.
Cheers
Suzy W
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Here's a description of him
http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON18-1-2,202,86,F,34
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Thank you very much ShaunJ.
Interesting to see the grey eyes even go back that far.
Think I need to upgrade to broadband this old dial up is taking for ever, but what a surprise once it gets there.
Kindest of Regards
Suzy W
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Hi All,
Will just add my little deciphering efforts to the game!
I go along with Prue's great effort to........
..........Hulk Report Orderly (meaning he behaved in an orderly fashion) Single (could this be a way of saying solitary?)
States this offence took place in a Divisional House (the last couple of letters elevated and abbreviated)...........
Now a quick look around to find what a Divisional House might be shows it is a sort house of correction.......
http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/placeH/essexh03a.html
Not sure, but there you have my effort ;D
Sue
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Now I wonder what these dates indicate ( at the end of his conduct record):
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I assume this is him with the wrong name.
Not sure if this is to do with the date but the last record of him on the Tasmanian Convict Muster lists is dated 1835 (Piece: HO 10/50)
Name: Edward Tew
Vessel: David Lyon
The lists for 1830 and 1832 show him as assigned to G Thomson Esq, 1835 just says he has the Ticket of Leave
Could this mean he was not on their lists after that?? According to the description of the records the musters go to 1849 but Edward/Edmund is not shown after 1835.
Cheers, Judith
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His transportation period expired in July 1836. See the Hobart Town Courier for 8 July 1836 page 1, final column:
http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4176070?searchTerm=%22edmund+tew%22 for his
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Hello to all
Had a relation look at the transcript, and he thinks it says - Transported for stealing 5 silver spoons. (that will be the other things he stole as well as the bread and cheese)
So a little closer to figuring out what it all says.
Suzy W
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I really don't think it says "Transported for stealing five silver spoons..." - I have never seen a convict's record written this way. It might say "Transported for [period of time]" or "Offence [whatever it was]" but not "Transported for [offence]".
Anyway, it doesn't help you find out what happened to him. As we've already pondered, I think he probably just went off and did his own thing and perhaps never came to the attention of authorities again, not even at his decease :-\
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Hi all,
Single means he was not married and the NN stands for New Norfolk a Town in Tasmania.
Johngirl
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This may be of some help.Someone is researching Edmund Tew.
Here is the link for the information on the person who is researching him.Just click onto the name of the person researching and you can send them a message through mailform.
Scroll down and you will find Edmund Tew.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~austashs/convicts/con_t.htm
Johngirl
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Thanks for that, but already in contact with her.
Regards
Suzy W
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"Transported for stealing five silver spoons..."
That's what the entry for the next prisoner (Tookey) says!
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Well that's a new one on me! Never seen it before...but then I don't have any Tassie convicts. Maybe it was something particular to the administration down there.
Pity it's in reference to the wrong person! ;D
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So that is not about Edmund? It was right next to his name but written in red.
The only other thing is to get a record from the Leicester office detailing his offence. I did notice on the Leicester board about convicts and paupers and Edmund came up, it was a pay to view site.
May have to get the wonderful "Mike from Leicester" to do some digging around for me.
But still we may have to conclude that the poor man died in the bush with no records of his demise.
Cheers
Suzy W
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HI Suzy,
No, there are two names on one page - one is Edmund TEW and Shaun and I posted his "bit" earlier in the thread. THe second name is George TOOKEY and he's the one who states that he stole 5 silver spoons.
Cheers
Prue
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Thanks Prue
Forgive me when I get a bit confused on these old records, still a novice trying to work them out.
Regards
Suzy W
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That's OK Suzy - takes a while to get used to them! ;D They're new-ish to me too, the NSW convict records are quite different from the Tassie ones.
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Just to say thanks to all who have provided me with even more information than before. There has been some brilliant web links that I never knew about.
And to all our Australian cousins, hope you have good turn out for ANZAC Day. We are blessed with a lovely day, so no standing in the rain this year.
Our thoughts go out to our fallen brothers in arms, from the Great War and others that followed.
Regards
Suzy W
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Hi Suzy,
That is very nicely said, thank you.
A bit to add on Edmund (British Newspapers site is back online ;D)
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser (Leicester, England), Saturday, May 23, 1829; pg. 3; Issue 958. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.
COMMITTED TO THE COUNTY GAOL
By the Rev. T. Adnutt, 18th instant, Edmund Tew charged with felony, for the assizes.
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser (Leicester, England), Saturday, July 18, 1829; Issue 966
County Sessions
Edmund TEW, 15, also pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with stealing a loaf of bread, some cheese and beef from the dwelling house of John BOOTH at Leicester. The prisoner receiving a bad character was sentenced to be transported for 7 years. The prisoner heard his sentence with the most perfect indifference. :P
Debra