Looking for information about Richard MacDonald

[DeeBee58]

I am looking for additonal information about Richard MacDonald.
I know that he was tried in Staffordshire England on 13 Mar 1817 and sentenced to 7 years.
Transported to Australia on Batavia - arriving in April 1818
His native home was listed as Tyrone Co
Thanks
D

[maddys52]

Born c1795. His certificate of freedom (18 March 1824) states his home town as Edinburgh? Though the convict indent says Co Tyrone. 

[maddys52]

I don't have a subscription to findmypast (or British Newspaper Archive), however I can see an article there about his case:

"Richard MacDonald and James Crow for breaking open a box at the Crown Inn, Stone, and stealing money and wearing apparel"
24 March 1817 - Aris's Birmingham Gazette

Possibly another article here:
03 May 1817 - Staffordshire Advertiser

[sparrett]

It would appear that his accomplice, James Crow, arrived with him per Batavia.

https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/crow/james/72119

Sue

[Capetown]

Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 3 May 1817

On Wednesday last, the following named twelve convicts, under sentence of transportation, were sent from our county goal to be put on board the HULK at Woolwich, viz,
Peter Ward
Joseph Crutchley
Edward Whitehouse
William Yates
Samuel Whistance
Richard Collier
Henry Shaw
William Tarlington
William Mander
William Thomas
RICHARD MACDONALD
and
James Crow

[Capetown]

? His accomplice, James CROW - where was he from ??  Must have known Richard from 'somewhere'

Aris's Birmingham Gazette - 28 March 1817

The people who went to Woolwich with him, committed the following offences.

TRANSPORTATION

Henry SHAW, for uttering a forged 1l note
Margaret YATES, for uttering 3 forged 1l notes
W TARLINGTON, for uttering a forged 1l notes
all fourteen years

Samuel Whistance, for stealing a pig
Wm Yates for stealing gunpowder, the property of Lord Dudley
Richard MACDONALD and James CROW, for breaking a box at the Crown Inn, Stone,
and stealing money and wearing apparel
and
William Thomas and William Mander for stealing two hens, an iron pot, and a copper furnace
all seven years

Sarah Wilshaw, for the wilful murder of her husband Wm, Wilshaw, at Cheddleton, was found guilty on manslaughter, and sentence for twelve months imprisonment.


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There would be clues most probably in family names Richard gave his children.

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My x Grandad from Wiltshire,  in 1870 onwards, left his Wife and Children and went to Chile...... but once in Chile, he fathered other children and they were given family names.

[DeeBee58]

Thank you all very much for your help. 
Deb

[Capetown]

Debbee

As Richard MacDonald committed his offence in 1817 (not sure what day the event was?)

Stone is still known as the Canal Town, as The Trent & Mersey Canal runs right through.

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GENUKI, Full Contents, Staffordshire (on the net)

Is you 'click' on Stone. 

Go down the page and under Description & Travel

'A transcription of the section on Stone from'.....

A Topographical History of Staffordshire by William Pitt (1817)

It's very interesting and one paragraph says....

Stone ia well-built market-town, situated on the northern bank of the Trent, seven miles north from Stafford.

The Trent and Mersey Canal passes near the Town, and has much facilitated its commerce.

It is a place of considerable extent, and contains eight streets and lanes.  There is a good weekly market for corn and other provisions held on Tuesday.

The Principal office for conducting the business of the Trent and Mersey Canal is at Stone.


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Possibly, Richard was working on the boats and had travelled down from say Liverpool.

If the offence was committed on a Tuesday, that would have been market day, with good takings in the Pub and no doubt a lot drank by the men!!!

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The first write-up on Genuki, mentions no fewer than 38 stage coaches passed through the town daily.


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The Trent and Mersy Canal (T&M) was built to link the River Trent at Derwent Mought in Derbyshire to the River Mersey, and thereby provide an inland route beetween the major ports of Hull and Liverpool.

The Mersey connection is made via the Bridgewater Canal, which it joins at Preston Brook in Cheshire.


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[DeeBee58]

Thank you, it is an interesting read. I will include it in my story.