"Parkhurst Boys" transported to NZ 1842/43

[BAC3]

Hello,

I wonder if any descendants, or people who have knowledge, of the "Parkhurst Boys" who were transported to NZ on the "St George" and the "Mandarin" in 1842 and 1843 respectively can help me.

My research for a Ph D at Southamton University here in the UK is based on Parkhurst Prison 1838-64 and I am attempting to create a database of Biographies for the juvenile convicts who were imprisoned there over that period, especially those who were subsequently transported.   Any information, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, about the individuals concerned......there were 123 altogether...... would be  marvellous.

I look forward to any help you can offer.

Regards

Tony Cocks

[Mk2_Zephyr]

..

[BAC3]

Hello Mk2_Zephyr,

All-in-all there were 123 "Parkhurst Boys" transported to NZ, via Auckland........92 on the "St George" landed 25/11/1842 and 31 disembarked from the "Mandarin" on 14/11/1843.

66 were termed "Apprentices"  who were subject to control by the Immigrant Agent, David Rough, and were indentured to settlers wherever possible.....the remaining 57 were "Free Immigrants" and not subject to any restraints except supposedly being unable to leave NZ until their sentences had expired.

I hope the above is helpful.

Regards

BAC3

[spades]

Hi Tony,

I found this reference on Tapuhi, the database of unpublished manuscripts held by Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand.
http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/MSG/ARCHIVESNR/MNRMENU.HTM

Record Title  : Sheryn Sunderland - My family origins in New Zealand
Display Dates  : 1990
Reference Number  : MS-Papers-4280-083
Collection Record  : New Zealand Society of Genealogists : 1990 Sesquicentennial Family Biography Competition collection (MS-Papers-4280)
Issue Restriction  : Unrestricted
Collection Status  : PART OF COLLECTION
Issue Status  : Issuable ITEM
Quantity  : 1 folder(s)
History  : William Astle came to Auckland in 1842 in the St George with 91 other `Parkhurst' boys
Scope and Contents  : The essay covers the period 1842-1940 and describes the lives of William and Mary Astle, Edwin Joseph Roden and Mary Astle, Gertrude Hannah Roden, John McCann and Annie Burke, Edward John McCann, Ida Irene Catherine McCann, Isabella Wishart Dickson, James Rose, Elizabeth Mary Rose, Alfred Edward Sunderland and Henry Edward Sunderland, all forbears of the writer. 
Finding Aids  : Published guide available
Names  : Sunderland, Sheryn, fl 1990 (Contributor)
Astle family (Subject)
Roden family (Subject)
McCann family (Subject)
Dickson family (Subject)
Sunderland family (Subject)
Parkhurst Prison (Subject)
Subjects  : Pioneer life - New Zealand - Auckland Region
Pioneer life - New Zealand - Otago Region 
Institution  : Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand

I would suggest that other likely sources, since the Parkhurst Boys arrived in Auckland, would be Auckland Museum and the NZ Society of Genealogists http://www.genealogy.org.nz/

You might also consider placing notices in the NZSG's  nationally distributed journal, The New Zealand Genealogist. The NZSG has a national membership of about 20,000.

Regards, riley

[BAC3]

Hello Riley,

Thank you for your email and all the details for William Astle.   They were very much appreciated.

It appears he was quite a well-known character in early NZ genealogical history for several weeks ago, courtesy of a notice I placed in the "The New Zealand Genealogist", I was contacted by one of his Great Great Granddaughters, Lois Coutts, and now have on my database a fairly substantial Biography for him.  Unfortunately Lois is not an email user, so I have written to her airmail this morning, sending all the citation details for the Alexander Turnbull Library.   She lives in Palmerston North and is scheduled to visit the Library in September.   

It will be interesting to read Sheryn Sunderland's "My family origins in New Zealand" because William Astle from a very shaky beginning, both in England and NZ, became quite successful.......probably far beyond his wildest dreams had he remained in England.   And, most importantly, another addition to the credit side of my Ph.D. hypothesis.   It will also be interesting to find out whether or not Lois Coutts knows Sheryn Sunderland.  Very often I have been able to introduce descendants to each other for the first time or where they have lost touch.

Again thank you for all your help....once I have read "My family origins in New Zealand" there may be "leads" to other "Parkhurst Boys".

Regards

Tony

[liverpool annie]

Hi Tony!

Two questions -

Are you just concentrating on the New Zealand "boys" ?
How many of the "boys" went to Australia do you know?


Parkhurst Prison is a category B trainer prison situated near Newport on the Isle of Wight. It was first built as a military hospital in 1805 then later transformed to a prison for boys awaiting deportation, mainly to Australia, as part of the Parkhurst act of 1835. It became such a success the Home Office decided to increase its size, and by 1847 a new wing (C wing) was built by the prisoners who actually dug the clay and baked the bricks. This wing is still in use today. In 1863 it was temporarily used as a female wing, then further wings (A B wings) were later built in 1869 to increase the population.

Annie

[BAC3]

Hello Annie,

New Zealand, along with VDL and Port Phillip, has proved difficult to research and it was recommended that I post a request on RootsChat for NZ.   My Supervisor has agreed (dictated??) that a credible database representing the 123 "Parkhurst Boys" transported to NZ would be 20%, that is, 40 - 50......to date I have managed to research fairly reasonably 23 and thus have some little way to go yet!!

There were 1,499 juvenile convicts transported direct from Parkhurst Prison to Australia/NZ over the period 1838-1864, but this figure ignores those transferred from Parkhurst to other Prisons, Pentonville, Millbank and Dartmoor for instance, and then subsequently transported.   Most of these eventually disembarked in Western Australia, with a small proportion arriving in VDL and Port Phillip.

Including the 23 Biographies documented for NZ my database extends to some 350 Biographies, with very much  emphasis on Western Australia where the "convict stain", though not exactly disregarded, did not deny the keeping and researching of family records that may have been more obvious in the Eastern States until quite recently.   For both VDL and Port Phillip I need 100 Biographies each, though that is probably something of a forlorn hope.   

Still, that is research!!.......and snippets of information about any one of the above, no matter how small, would be welcome.

Tony

[liverpool annie]

Well Tony!

You do have a job on your hands - thats for sure...! - but how much fun is that?? you know of course you're not allowed to have a life while you're doing this??
How much time do you have? I hope more than a couple of weeks ...!
I'm sure you'll get some help here - we have quite a reputation for being able to come through!!

Fingers crossed!!

Annie

By the way - do you have a list of names you're going by??

[BAC3]

Hello Annie,

But I have got a life.......some people call it the "Third Age", others becoming a "Senior Citizen" (whatever that is!!!) and the sensible ones just plain, old-fashioned retirement.   I'm of the latter persausion and the Ph.D is the next challenge to keep me off the streets and, I have to admit, out from under my wife's feet.

I have a list of the 1,499 "Parkhurst Boys" who were transported, including the 123 to New Zealand, although those that were transported after being transferred to other prisons are slightly more problematic.

My dissertation has to be submitted within the next 3 years, so I do have some leeway, and the main advantage is that researching for the Biographies continues alongside my other research and writing.    Trouble is you get sidetracked too easily.......cricket, rugby, the occasional visit to the local, even researching at the University library can have diversions!!

As you say, fingers crossed for some positive feedback and I did notice tonight that my posting had had 89 "hits".

Tony