Convict Richard Lewis 1825 transportation to Van Diemens Land, Australia

[janjim]

Hi,
I am looking for more details on Richard Lewis who was born approx 1825 Newbury.   He was married to Harriett Pyke in 1844 at Newbury, Berkshire.  Seems he was convicted in 1848 for cattle stealing at Berkshire, and sentenced to transportation for 10 years.   Have found him on board the "Fairlie" departing England 9.3.1852 and arriving Tasmania 3.7.1852.

So far unable to find any further information on him in Tasmania, but have found a Richard Lewis b. 1825 Newbury who was working on board the ship "Hero" as a Cook around 1869 travelling between Melbourne, Sydney and New Zealand.   Not sure if he is the same person.

If anyone can assist me, would greatly appreciate that.

Jan

[Neale1961]

You need to look here for his convict record.
https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-107
Image 161

If you do a name search for him, there are other documents possibly related to him.
https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=Richard&qu=lewis&qf=PUBDATE%09Year%091852-1867%091852-1867&isd=true#

[janjim]

Neale, thank you so much for this, at least now we can see that we stayed in Hobart Town.  Very difficult to read.   Now to find what happened after he was pardoned.   Appreciate your  help.
Jan

[majm]

His Native Place was Midgham. (from the convict record Neale has provided in his post).

From the Reading Mercury, Saturday 14 October, 1848

Berks Michaelmas Sessions.
The Michaelmas County Sessions commence on Monday next, at the Town Hall, Reading.  The question of building the new Assize courts, we perceive, will again be brought under consideration.  On Tuesday the trail of prisoners will begin, a list of whom we subjoin:-
(a long list including ….)
Richard Lewis, 25 for stealing a wether lamb, the property of Richard Dickens at Midgham.



From the Reading Mercury, Saturday 21 October 1848

Tuesday
The Court opened this morning at ten o’clock, before Robert Palmer Esq MP, Chairman and other magistrates.
……………..
RICHARD LEWIS, 25, charged with having, on the 17th of August, at Midgham, stolen a wether lamb, the property of Richard dickens.  Mr Carrington appeared for the prosecution,  Mr JJ Williams for the defence.

The evidence in support of the case was that the prosecutor, a farmer, had missed a lamb, between 2nd and 6th Aug.  The prisoner was in his employ, but was not the shepherd.  Sarah Allen his next door neighbour deposed that on Sunday morning the 6th between 5 and 6 oclock heard a noise and smelt something burning, and her broom was wet.  Prisoner’s wife brought out a sack between 8 and 9 oclock which she hung on the wall.  She also brought out a pail and poured out some bloody water.  In the evening saw in the house a large meat pudding.  Sarah Duck proved that she was staying prisoner’s father’s.  On the Tuesday following prisoner’s wife came to dinner and some head was cooked and taken into the field to prisoner.  Another witness reaping with prisoner, saw the dinner brought, it was part of a lamb’s head, and again on the Friday, part of a shoulder.  He threw the blade bone away, and it was found among the withies. 

The constable of Thatcham searched and found some bones in an ash-heap, and in the house found part of a leg of lamb.  Prisoner said he had it of the butcher and afterwards of his father in law.  Mr Stroud, buther, proved the bones & c., to have belonged to a lamb.  Prison’s father in law deposed that he did not supply prisoner with the lamb.

Mr Williams contended that the evidence did not show that the lamb stolen was the property of Mr Dickens, or had ever belonged to him 0 that in fact the record had not been proved. 
The Chairman summed up the evidence and the jury, after a short consultation returned a verdict of not ‘guilty’.

A previous conviction was then proved, and the Chairman sentenced the prisoner to ten years’ transportation.

JM

[majm]

I have found a further newspaper article, so I will type it up and post it here later this evening.

Here 

From the Reading Mercury, Saturday 21 October 1848 page 2.

RICHARD LEWIS, 25, was indicted for having, on the 17th of August last, stolen a wether lamb, the property of Richard Dickens.

The facts of the case were stated to the jury by Mr Carrington, counsel for the prosecution, and were as follow:-  Mr Dickens, the prosecutor, is a farming living in the tything of Midgham, and in the early part of the month of August he had a flock of lambs consisting of 91 wethers and 71 ewes.  A wether lamb was missed from the field on Sunday morning, the 6th of August; this caused some inquiry, and it was ascertained that on the night of Saturday, the 5th of August, something was going on in the house of the prisoner (who lived in Thatcham) which attracted the notice of a neighbour, Sarah Allen.  One thing was, that between five and six o’clock on Sunday morning she heard a noise as of scrubbing with a besom, and on looking out of her window she saw the prisoner coming from the bottom of the garden where was a cesspool.  An hour or two afterwards, there was an unpleasant smell as of something burning, and about nine o’clock the prisoner’s wife brought a sack out of the house, and hung it on the wall to dry, the lower part she observed to be well.  Afterwards a pail of liquid was thrown away having the appearance of blood.  On the following Tuesday, the prisoner’s wife carried out to him in the field, a lamb’s head for dinner, and the same day he was seen to throw a blade bond of a lamb into some witheys adjoining the field in which he was reaping.  Information was given to Harris, the constable, and, on the 12th he searched the house and found a leg and a portion of a second leg of lamb; in the cesspool, he dragged up a bundle containing a portion of the entrails and a piece of a lamb’s skin.  When asked how he came possessed of all these, he first stated that he had them from the butcher above (meaning Mr Stroud), and when it was ascertained that he had told a falsehood, he said he got it from his father in law, who lived at Shaw.  This was likewise discovered to be an untruth.  In support of this statement, several witnesses were called and examined, and it was showed that the prisoner lived in Mr Dickens’ service.

Mr Williams, in addressing the jury, said, the case was pregnant with suspicion, but the evidence failed to show that the meat found in the prisoner’s house formed portions of the lamb lost by the prosecutor.  To make the case complete, the property should have been laid in the indictment as belonging to Mr dickens, or some person unknow; and in the absence of such count, they could not convict the prisoner of the charge against him.

The Chairman summed up, observing that the case depended entirely upon circumstantial evidence.  There was no positive proof that the prisoner was seen to take the lamb from the prosecutor’s fold, but there was the fact that a lamb was lost, and portions of a lamb were found in the prisoner’s house shortly afterwards.  A verdict of guilty was returned by the jury, and a previous conviction for felony in October 1847 was proved by Lieutenant Hackett, Governor of the Reading Gaol.

The Chairman told the prisoner it was evident he was a very bad character and had not taken warning by a former punishment.  The offence of which he was now convicted was of a serious nature, and became the more serious as it was the property of his employer, which he was bound to protect.  The sentence of the court was that he be transported for ten years. 

The Court rose at six o’clock.

JM

[janjim]

Thanks so much for this majm.   Just wish the court proceedings would say who the Prisoner's wife was.   Hopefully this was Harriett Lewis !!
Jan

[majm]

 

Richard Lewis, 24, was charged with having stolen twenty-eight pounds of iron on the 30th of January last,

BACK SHORTLY

[janjim]

Yes I think I saw another case of stealing the year before, not sure.
Jan

[majm]

Richard Lewis, 24, was charged with having stolen twenty-eight pounds of iron on the 30th of January last,

BACK SHORTLY

Reading Mercury 23 October 1847

Berks Michaelmas Sessions,

Richard Lewis, 24, was charged with having stolen twenty-eight pounds of iron, on the 30th of January last, at Greenham, the property of the Rev. J.C. Townsend.

The property was proved by John Brown to have been lost from the Greenham silk mill between the 15th of January and 6th of February; and Fanny Pitcher deposed to having bought the iron, on behalf of her sister, who keeps a shop in Bartholomew Street, Newbury, of the prisoner. It was identified by Mr Thomas Hybell, for many years the occupier of the mill, as Mr Townsend’s property and the prisoner was convicted, and sentenced to three month’s hard labour. 

I have read and re-read and confirm that in my opinion the article seems to say that

Fanny Pitcher bought the iron on behalf of her sister
Her sister is a shopkeeper for the prisoner.  The shop is in Bartholomew St, Newbury. 


JM