Convict George Chatterley

[Keitht]

George Chatterley (29 Nov 1779 to 18 Sep 1822) was my third great grandfather. He was convicted at Warwick Assizes, England, on 2 Aug 1817 of possessing counterfeit currency and sentenced to transportation to Australia for 14 years, arriving in Sydney on 30 April 1818, from where he was transferred to Hobart, VDL, where he arrived on 11 Jun 1818. he died there on 18 Sep 1822 and was buried at St David's, Hobart two days later.

I know absolutely nothing of his time in Hobart and would be most grateful to anyone who can provide me with any information, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant.

Thanks in advance,

Keith

[giblet]

You may have already got these but will post just in case you don't. [Hope the links work.]

https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=George&qu=Chatterley


https://trove.nla.gov.au/search/advanced/category/newspapers?keyword.phrase=George%20Chatterley&l-state=Tasmania

[Keitht]

Thanks Giblet. Those links are much appreciated and represent a great start.

Although I have a burial cert I have been unable to find a death cert and would very much like to know his cause of death. Can anyone help?

[Dundee]

There are no death certificates for that time period, just burial registers.

Debra 

[judb]

Was his marriage/relationship with your 3g grandmother in Australia or in England?

Judith

[Keitht]

George married Ann Sheldon in England in 1778 and they had 10 children, the youngest of whom was born just three months before his conviction. Ann remarried bigamously in 1819.

I spent several months researching the story behind his court appearance and he appears to have been a wholesaler of counterfeit pound notes working for a well established ring of forgers who had operated successfully for several years. It fell apart in 1816 when one of its agents was caught in London and named all of those involved in order to get a reduced sentence. Five members of the group, including George, were sentenced to transportation and the woman who had controlled the ring since its inception some 10 years before, was hanged. Unfortunately the Warwick Assize records had been destroyed at some time in history and I ended up getting a lot of help from the Bank of England archives, the bank having been the prosecuting authority in such cases at the time.

[giblet]

Your most likely seen the newspaper article on your fella but in case you havent ..

I'm unable to get anything more on the article besides the below. British newspaper archives, once you register you get 3 free searches then it's a pay site.

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

Published: Thursday 07 August 1817
Newspaper: Star (London)
County: London, England

 the uttering ; the prosecutor declined to offer any evidence in support of the denied and capital part of the charge. George Chatterley, charged with having at Birmingham, on the 2d of May, in his possession, without lawful excuse, three fnrged Bank of .

[matthewj64]

This correspondence from Lieut. Gov. Sorell shows that George Chatterley applied for his family to be brought out

Found here https://arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/9/2/0/public/B13858427S3V2pages231-470.pdf

M

[Keitht]

Thank you both, Matthew and Giblet for yet more very interesting links. I must admit that when posting my original query I had not expected to get much response at all, let alone the rich pickings which kind people are providing.

With extreme gratitude,

Keith