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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Sussex Lookup Requests => Sussex => England => Sussex Completed Lookup Requests => Topic started by: Tom from OZ on Wednesday 16 January 19 04:10 GMT (UK)
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I have a number of records concerning Benjamin Kingman being convicted at the Sussex Assizes to Life in New South Wales. The date of conviction was 20 Mar 1803, he sailed on the Coromandel on 28 Mar 1803 and arrived in Sydney on 7 May 1804.
The query I have is firstly what was he convicted of ? Secondly why was he convicted in 1803 arrived in New South Wales in 1804 and then in 1805 pardoned, can anybody find any records to answer any or all of these queries please
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Hi there,
I think you will find that the Absolute Pardon awarded 20 March 1805 would likely be a reward for some deed/s or action/s undertaken by Benjamin during his time in New South Wales, including if sent to Norfolk Island.
I can confirm that quite a number of Absolute Pardons were awarded during the Governorship of Captain Philip Gidley King. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/king-philip-gidley-2309
Do you see anything significant between the co-incidence of dates ... convicted 20 March 1803, awarded Absolute Pardon 20 March 1805? NSW Archives has the Absolute Pardon indexed : https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/convicts-index
Some submitted information:
https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/kingman/benjamin/119334
JM
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https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/626201 Sydney Gazette etc 13 May 1804
This newspaper cutting shows his ship of arrival departed England, on 4 December 1803.
JM
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So he probably sat in a gaol or on a hulk for the first 9 months of his sentence. Many did.
Will leave the rest to JM who has many more resources and much more knowledge about NSW and convicts than I do . ;)
Wiggy
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No, No, No, Wiggy, I have nothing further on this chap ... zilch ... need your touch,
JM
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;D
sorry but I don't have anything either . . . . Just know about convicts sitting in custody waiting for a transport to be readied.
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What happened next....after he was pardoned in 1805?
You must know more about him to have any interest in him at all?
Serving such a short time on a life sentence sounds as though it was more important to remove him from Britain than to punish him. He was not to be a martyr to a cause?. Is he a political prisoner?
If you are just generally looking through records, do you see any other prisoner from the Coramandel treated similarly?
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Thanks to everybody for the added information. Hopefully somebody will come up with a record of the trial to find out what he was charged with.
Wivenhoe was your query as to what happened to him after 1805 directed at me? I can find no further record of Benjamin after this date in NSW
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FindMyPast Prison records - "Correspondence and Warrants"
"Benj'n Kingsman, George Mitchell - at the same time and place** of Burglary in the Dwelling house of William Lackman (?) and stealinghis Goods and Money value £5 9s"
** - Horsham, County of Sussex.
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Benjaman Kingman, along with seven other men, was found guilty of CR (whatever that was ??? ) at Horsham Assizes 28th March 1803. All were sentenced to life in NSW.
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From FindMyPast's records it appears that Benjamin Kingman and George Mitchell were transferred from the prison hulk "Portland" at Portsmouth to the "Coromandel" 1 Oct 1803.
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Thank you to everyone for your responses that just about wraps it up for Benjamin, unless somebody knows what CR means. Will continue to search for him after 1805.
Thanks
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I wonder .... are we sure it reads "CR" as err I thought CR was for .... Criminal Register and that really does not make good sense if I substitute into
Benjaman Kingman, along with seven other men, was found guilty of CR (whatever that was ??? ) at Horsham Assizes 28th March 1803. All were sentenced to life in NSW.
May I also ask similar question to wivenhoe ....
What happened next....after he was pardoned in 1805?
You must know more about him to have any interest in him at all?
Serving such a short time on a life sentence sounds as though it was more important to remove him from Britain than to punish him. He was not to be a martyr to a cause?. Is he a political prisoner?
If you are just generally looking through records, do you see any other prisoner from the Coramandel treated similarly?
And, don't forget that an Absolute Pardon means just that ... Absolute ... as in totally restored to pre conviction status .... so free to return to Britain as opposed to Conditional Pardon ... usual condition was free to move anywhere EXCEPT not allowed back to the country where originally convicted....
So in 1805 ... where could Benjamin travel to ... well in NSW, there was a penal settlement at Sydney, and one at Parrmatta and one at Newcastle .... and it was a trip by boat from Sydney to Parramatta, and again by boat to Newcastle .... or perhaps he took a passage on an empty ship out of Sydney returning from dropping off convicts or garrison forces ... these in those early 1800s could sail off to South Africa or off to China or the Sub-continent ... seeking cargo to sell back in Britain.... or he could remain in NSW or go to Van Diemens Land ...
But I cannot find him in NSW under that name after 1805.
JM
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Snip showing that there were six trials on 28 March 1803, and the newspaper reporter thought these were not worth reporting .... errr ... he had a Murder Trial commencing 29th March under that Judge, and his report on that trial is the 'next' paragraph on that page.
Tom, I assume you are in Australia, if so, you could consider a National Library of Australia readers card, no charge, and gives online access to Gale newspapers....
ADD https://www.nla.gov.au/app/eresources/
JM
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1803, a chap surnamed KINGMAN, burglar, and mention of Horsham Gaol
The Hampshire Chronicle, etc (Hampshire, England), Monday, February 07, 1803; pg. 4;
Info about an Edward KINGMAN, with others, and he ends up at Horsham Gaol.
On Monday, two of the robbers who burglariously entered the house and shop of Mr Lashmar, of Chiddingly, named Coggins and Mitchell, were taken at Ticehurst, and the same day brought to Lewes, where they underwent and examination before H T Shadwell Esq who committed them for further examination. When taken, a horse pistol, laden with slugs, and most of the stolen property were found upon them. Edward Kingman, an accomplice, was on Wednesday taken at Maidstone, in Kent, and the next day also brought to Lewes, and committed to the House of Correction. E. Kingman is by trade a blacksmith, and a native of Chiddingly, where he had the audacity to remain after the robbery, on Sunday se’nnight till noon, and was actually relieved by one of the Overseers, without the least suspicion of his guilt. Coggins and Mitchell have confessed themselves the persons who, some months since robbed T. Fuller, the Boreham carrier, on the Dicker, on suspicion of which Jones was taken up, and fully committed to Horsham Gaol for trial… They mentioned several circumstances which render the truth of their confession extremely probable…
JM
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There is plenty of info available on the George MITCHELL chap who was named in that cutting .... he eventually received a Conditional Pardon in 1821.... so I suspect Benjamin KINGMAN and Edward KINGMAN are likely to be the same chap... simply mis-recorded or mis-transcribed back in the early 1800s ...
JM
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Thank you to everyone who contributed, will continue the search for Benjamin
Tom