Family Treeof Trudy Mae COWLEY |
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This page last updated: 13 April 2009 Abodes Aliases Baptism Birth Burial Children Death Description Doing the Time Education Freedom Inquest Marriage Occupations Siblings Transportation Trial
* siblings in italics are step-brothers and step-sisters AbodesIn the Valuation Rolls for the district of Longford in 1858, a William FISHER is listed as the occupier of 98 acres of agricultural land at Field’s Paddock (owned by the executors of the late C Field) valued at £39 annually. It is likely that this is William and that he was renting the land and living off it with his family. In the 1868 Valuation Rolls for the district of Longford, a William FISHER is listed as renting 800 acres of agricultural land at Cressy from Donald CAMERON, valued at £160 annually. Once again, it is not certain that this is William, but it is likely. BirthWilliam's convict indent gives his native place as Boston, thus place of birth was probably Boston. DeathThe most likely death for William is that of William FISHER died on 31 October 1890 at Campbell Town, a labourer aged 78 years. It is possible he was living with his daughter Mary Ann FISHER at the time of his death, as she lived near Campbell Town at the time with her husband and family. William died of dropsy. The informant was Angus GILLIES, the undertaker's apprentice, and the death was registered the day he died. A death notice in The Examiner of 1 November 1890 stated: FISHER - On 31st October, at Campbell Town, William Fisher, aged 98 [sic]. DescriptionWilliam’s convict indent describes him as being aged 22 years, 5’ 5½” tall with a fresh complexion, light hair and whiskers, dark eyebrows and eyes, a large head with a sharp visage, a low forehead, a medium length nose, a wide mouth and a long chin. William had an anchor, William and a mermaid tattooed on his left arm. He was single and did not have respectable connections. Whilst waiting for transportation in the House of Correction at Skirbeck on 7 April 1836, two days after his trial, William underwent a medical examination by surgeon John Robert ROGERS and was pronounced free from any putrid or infectious distemper and in other respects fit to be removed from the House of Correction. William's trade on his convict appropriation list was given as being able to plough, reap, mow and thresh. Doing the TimeUpon
arrival in Tasmania, William was initially assigned to Mr James MURDOCH,
a Ticket of Leave man, at Green
Point. He was assigned to other
locations on 20 January 1837, 23 March 1838, 14 December 1838 (LAPHAM), 16
September 1839 and 29 November 1839. On
16 December 1842, 10 February 1843 and 9 January 1844 he was assigned in the
Morven district. On 12 January 1839 William was charged by LAPHAM for disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to 12 months hard labour in chains and returned to the Government to work on the Town Surveyors Chain Gang in Hobart. On 25 November 1839 he was working on the Town Surveyors Gang out of irons and charged with disobedience of orders and disorderly conduct and sentenced to hard labour in chains for three months at New Town Bay. Thus, William was still in the Hobart district at the end of 1839. FreedomWilliam was recommended to the Queen for a Conditional Pardon on 25 February 1845. His Conditional Pardon was granted on 15 January 1846. Government Notice No. 18 issued from the Colonial Secretary’s Office on 26 January 1846 was printed in the Hobart Town Gazette the following day – it read: The Lieutenant-Governor having receive instructions from Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for the Colonies, signifying Her Majesty’s approval of Pardons being granted to the under-mentioned Convicts, upon condition of their remaining in the Island of Van Diemen’s Land, or some or one of Her Majesty’s Australian Colonies or New Zealand, His Excellency has directed their names to be published for general information; these persons not having committed any offences since they were recommended to the Queen’s mercy which would disentitle them to the indulgence approved of:- 803 Fisher, William, Eden William's convict appropriation list record indicates that he received his ticket of leave. This would have been some time between 1839 and 1845. William must have received his Certificate of Freedom some time prior to 1852 - he was due to receive it in April 1850 - since he departed George Town per Sea Witch with his father William WALTON on 13 September 1852 as a steerage passenger to Melbourne, mostly likely as part of the gold rush, and he was then listed as holding a Free Certificate. InquestThere was an inquest into the death of this William FISHER. The inquest was held on 22 June 1893 before Mr WHITFIELD, coroner, at the house of Patrick BRAWLER known as the All The Year Round Hotel in the county of Cornwall. Oaths
were given by John CAMPBELL, Alfred R WILKINS, William SMITH, John DEVINE, John
CHALMERS, Balsar WISE and George HERRON. They
swore that: ...how
and after what manner the said William Fisher came to his death do upon their
oath say that William Fisher on the twenty first day of June 1893 at his
residence, Wellington Road in the city of Launceston in Tasmania in an natural
way and not otherwise ‘did’ die. Thus, it would seem that there was some suspicion as to how William FISHER died, but all witnesses denied there was any ‘fishy business’. MarriageWilliam FISHER married Susannah BEAMS (she was a widow and her married name was Susannah QUIN) on 10 September 1851 at Longford. William was aged 35, a bachelor and free. Susannah was aged 29, a widow and free. They were married by Alfred STACKHOUSE in the United Church of England & Ireland at Perth. Witnesses to the marriage were John LAARSON and Emma FURNESS. Susannah made her mark (x) on the marriage certificate. SiblingsWilliam's father's convict indent says his father had a wife Maria and seven children at Spalding at the time of their transportation. There is a record of a marriage of William WALTON to a Maria STRONG in 1834, prior to their transportation. It would seem that Maria brought three surviving children to the marriage. TransportationWilliam FISHER being a common name, four possibilities arose in the convict records. After looking at the records, only one matched the dates and single marital status. This was William FISHER transported per Eden (1) which departed Portsmouth on 31 August 1836 and arrived in Tasmania on 22 December 1836, taking 113 days for the journey. William’s convict indent noted that his father William WALTON was also on board the Eden (1). William
was single and aged 22 years when transported.
His gaol report was bad as it noted that he had been convicted
previously. William must have been
held on the hulks prior to embarkation on the
Eden
(1) as his hulk report was good. The
surgeon’s report for William from the voyage was good. William’s trade on his convict records was variously given as farm labourer or able to plough, reap, mow and thresh. TrialPrevious to his transportation conviction, William was convicted on 1 January 1833 for stealing a shirt at Frampton West End on 22 November 1832 and received two months hard labour. A statement by the clerk of the court, Francis THIRKILL, regarding this conviction reads: I Francis Thirkill Clerk of the Peace for the Parts of Holland in the County of Lincoln do hereby certify that at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace held by Proclamation at Boston in and for the said Parts and County on Tuesday the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and thirty three before The Revered Basil Beridge, Clerk, Chairman, The Reverend Martin Sheath Clerk and Augustus Duggan Esquire Justices of our Lord the King assigned to keep the Peace of our said Lord the King within the Parts of Holland aforesaid and also to hear and determine divers Felonies Trespasses and other misdemeanors done and committed within the said Parts in the said County and one of whom is of the Quorum William Fisher then late of the Parish of Kirton within the Parts of Holland in the County of Lincoln aforesaid Laborer was duly convicted of Felony in having on the twenty second day of November in the third year of the Reign of His present Majesty King William the Fourth feloniously stolen taken and carried away one shirt of the value of six pence of the goods and chattels of one Edward Goodyear and that the said William Fisher was for such offence sentenced by the Court to be imprisoned and kept to hard Labor for two calendar months the first and last week in Solitude. A calendar of prisoners in the House of Correction Skirbeck Quarter for the Lincolnshire Easter Quarter Sessions of 1836, made by the gaoler William APPLEBY on 28 March 1836, lists several entries concerning William FISHER.
A calendar of prisoners in the House of Correction Skirbeck Quarter for the Lincolnshire Midsummer Quarter Sessions of 1836, made by the gaoler William APPLEBY on 20 June 1836, lists another entry concerning William FISHER.
All prisoners were committed for trial on 20th February 1836 by the Reverend William ROY (Doctor of Divinity). The trial was held on 5 April 1836. William FISHER and Richard WARD (alias Dick the Banker) both made statements on 20 February 1836. In these statements they were listed as being labourers, late of Boston. Both William and Richard read over the statements, agreed they were true, but refused to sign them (possibly because they were illiterate). Henry FOUNTAIN, a farmer of Wyberton, made a statement as complainant on 8 February 1836, in the presence of the prisoners. His statement reads: On Friday night last the 5th February instant or early the following morning he had taken out of his hovel in Wyberton ten couples of fowls his property. That yesterday he received information that a quantity of fowls and other articles were in the possession of Joseph Harrad Constable of Skirbeck suspected to have been stolen and that on examining the same this morning he discovered amongst the fowls a cockerel which he knows to be his property from the comb of the head being much swollen from fighting on Friday last the say before the fowls were swiped and that the cockerel now produced by Harrad the Constable is his property and is one of the fowls which he had taken from his hovel as above stated. Against the charge of stealing a cockerel from Henry FOUNTAIN, William FISHER stated, "I know nothing about it." and Richard WARD stated, "I know nothing at all about it." Matthew RICHARDSON made a statement as complainant on 8 February 1836, in the presence of the prisoners. His statement reads: Last Friday night or early the following morning four ducks, a drake and a hand sack were feloniously stolen, taken and carried away out of my outhouse in Wyberton which was broken open. This morning I have examined a duck and a drake now in the possession of Joseph Harrad constable and they are my property and part of the property stolen as above stated. The drake I know particularly by its having a white circle of feathers round its neck and also by the peculiar colour of the feathers on the head. I can swear to the duck being mine from its having a black mark on the top bill. Against the charge of stealing a duck and a drake from Matthew RICHARDSON, William FISHER stated, "I know nothing at all about the duck and the drake" and Richard WARD stated, "I have nothing to say about them." George DAWSON made a statement as complainant on 8 February 1836, in the presence of the prisoners. His statement reads: Last Monday night or early the following morning my pantry adjoining my house in Fishtoft aforesaid was broken open and two chines of pork, a ham and a pig's face were feloniously stolen, taken and carried away therefrom. That this morning I have examined a chine of pork in the possession of Joseph Harrad constable and am certain it is my property there being a slanting cut in it and I having cut mine before I put it in the pantry and it being exactly the same size. Against the charge of stealing a chine of pork from George DAWSON, William FISHER stated, "I know nothing at all about it" and Richard WARD stated: About three o'clock in the morning of the day I was apprehended (5th February instant) Coulson started on the Sleaford Road intending to go to Sheffield. I and William Fisher followed him and when we overtook Coulson near Cut Bridge he had a quantity of things in a sack which he said he had found. We all three returned back to Boston to Coulson's house when Coulson took out of the sack the chine of pork now produced. I then went to bed and Fisher soon afterwards followed me. William WESTMORLAND made a statement as complainant on 8 February 1836, in the presence of the prisoners. His statement reads: On Monday night the 2nd February instant or early the following morning he had taken out of his barn in Fishtoft two ducks and a drake, a rub stone, a plough line and a sack marked B.2 in red and out of his cart hovel two couples of fowls and also four turkeys from his garden adjoining the house. That on hearing that a quantity of fowls and other articles had been found in a house in Pipe Makers Lane in Boston, and were in the possession of Joseph Harrad constable of Skirbeck he came to Boston and on examining the articles he discovered his sack marked as above and which he had so taken out of his barn as above mentioned. Against this charge of stealing a sack from William WESTMORLAND, William FISHER stated, "I never stole the sack" and Richard WARD stated, "I have nothing to say about the sack". Joseph HARRAD, a constable of Skirbeck, made a statement as complainant on 8 February 1836, in the presence of the prisoners. His statement reads: On the afternoon of Saturday last I went accompanied by John Lee and Richard Clarke constables to the house occupied by Richard Ward alias Dick the Banker, William Fisher, William Coulson, and William Arnall alias Strapy Arnall, the four persons now present to situate in West Street in Boston to search for some stolen property supposed to be secreted in the house. I and Lee went up stairs in the garrett and under one of the chamber boards we found the following articles - a duck, a drake, one cockerill, a chine of pork, two sacks and a part of a sack, a hand saw, pair of pattens and a bag of feathers, all of which I took possession of and within course of the same evening I apprehended the four men above named and gave them in charge of the Boston Police. William ARNALL, an illiterate labourer of Boston, made a statement as complainant on 20 February 1836, in the presence of the prisoners. His statement reads: I know the prisoners William Fisher and Richard Ward commonly called Dick the Banker. I have lived with them on and off for some time in a house in West Street. William Coulson also lived with us and my two sisters Ann Coulson (Coulson's wife) and Mary Arnall. We were all living together when I, Fisher, Ward, and Coulson, were apprehended on a charge of Felony this day fortnight (Saturday 6th February). I and my two sisters and a girl of teh name of Martha Cornwell slept in the house the night before (Friday night). Fisher, Ward and Coulson did not but was out all night. I and my sister Mary Arnall and Martha Cornwell went to bed about ten o'clock. Ann Coulson did not go to bed when we did. I don't know when she went to bed I was asleep. I don't know when Fisher, Ward and Coulson came home. I got up in the morning between six and seven o'clock. Ward was then in bed. Fisher and Coulson were in a room below sitting by the fire. We had only two beds to sleep in both in the same chamber. Coulson and my two sisters slept in one of them and I Ward and Fisher slept in the other. On the Friday night above named Martha Cornwell slept in the spare bed with me. On my getting up in the morning (Saturday) I observed by the wall near the chamber window two ducks three fowls and two pieces of bacon and a tin bucket below stairs near the outer door of the house (inside). It was fresh bucket never having seen it before and like the one now produced but I cannot positively swear whether it is the same or not. And I cannot swear whether the ducks and fowls are the same which I saw in the chamber as above stated but I think they are, they look a good deal like them. After I got up I went to my father's and returned in the evening on hearing that Coulson had been taken. The constables were then in the house. I went with the constables up stairs to the garret above the chamber in which we all slept and saw them take from under the boards of the floor two ducks a fowl two pieces of bacon wrapped up in a piece of a sack and a handsaw a pair of pattens and from off the floor a sack and a bag of feathers from under the bedshead in the chamber below. I was then taken down to gaol. Mary ARNALL, an illiterate single woman of Boston, made a statement as complainant on 20 February 1836. Her statement reads: On Friday night - the night before William Fisher, Richard Ward, William Coulson and her brother William Arnall went to prison - she slept at her sister's Ann Coulson's. She was ill with the ague. Did not see Fisher nor Ward nor Coulson in bed that night. There are only two beds in the house - in one of these beds Martha Cornwell and her brother William Arnall slept. In the other bed she and her sister and her child slept. She got up about seven o'clock in the morning. Neither of the other three men, Fisher, Ward or Coulson, were in bed. They were sitting by the fire in the room below. Her brother William Arnall was in bed with Martha Cornwell when she got up. She did not see any ducks or fowls or any other property on the chamber floor. She went to Mrs Brown's after she was up. Complainants William WESTMORLAND, George DAWSON and Matthew RICHARDSON and constable Joseph HARRAD were called as witnesses at the trial on 5 April 1836. Both William and Richard pleaded not guilty, being charged with:
The jurors for William and Richard's trial were: John SHILCOCK, Joseph PEARSON, John CHRISTIAN, Edward WATSON, John WOODS, William HILTON the younger, John SCOTT, William MERIDETH, Benjamin MASON, Thomas OSBORN, John ASH and Thomas BARTOL. Witnesses called against William and Richard were: Henry FOUNTAIN, Joseph HARRAD, William ARNALL and Mary ARNALL. William APPLEBY was also called as a witness against William. Both Richard and William were found guilty by trial for the first offence. William FISHER was convicted of stealing, taking and carrying away one cockerel of the value of six pence and one fowl of the value of six pence of the goods and chattels of one Henry FOUNTAIN. It was ordered by the court which sat on 5 April 1836 and by His Majesty's Justices of the Peace (Reverend Basil BERIDGE, Reverend William ROY Doctor in Divinity, Reverend Martin SHEATH and Charles BOOTHBY) that: the said William Fisher be transported as soon as conveniently may be to such of His Majesty's Colonies or Plantations beyond the seas as His Majesty and the Privy Council shall think proper and direct for the term of fourteen years from the date hereof and it is further ordered that the said William Fisher be conveyed by William Appleby, Keeper of the House of Correction at Skirbeck Quarter in the said parts to the County Gaol at Lincoln there to be kept in safe custody until he is transported pursuant and according to the said sentence - and it is further ordered that William Brocklesby keeper of the said Gaol at Lincoln do receive the said William Fisher into his custody accordingly. These instructions were delivered to the gaoler, William APPLEBY on 7 April 1836 by the clerk of the court, Francis THIRKILL. Richard WARD was sentenced to transportation for 7 years. He had previously been convicted, once for disobeying his master's orders and once for trespass. William COULSON, who was tried separately on 28 June 1836 at Boston for feloniously stealing a cockerel to the value of six pence and a fowl to the value of six pence, the property of Henry FOUNTAIN, was sentenced to 14 years transportation. He was married with one child, a labourer in a good state of health, but with a bad character and not respectable connections. He had been convicted previously of two felonies. Matthew RICHARDSON, a farmer of Wyberton and complainant against Hannah COULSON, made the following statement on 8 February 1836 in the presence of the prisoners: About nine weeks ago I lost from my premises situate at Wyberton aforesaid two geese, a gander and a sack and supposed they had been stolen. That his morning on examining a sack in the possession of John Lee I know it to be my property, from its having an old brand mark T and a patch on it and this the same that was stolen from my premises as above stated. John LEE, a constable of Skirbeck Quarter, made a statement on 8 February 1836 against Hannah COULSON, which read: Yesterday afternoon I went to the house occupied by Hannah Coulson in Innocent Street in Boston to search for some articles supposed to be stolen and on examining the premises I found a bucket and a sack - and the same sack has this morning been identified by Matthew Richardson as his property. John LEE made another statement on 13 February 1836, which stated: Last Sunday having received information that some stolen property was supposed to be in the house occupied by the prisoner Hannah Coulson in Innocent Street Boston I went to the house in the afternoon between 3 and 4 o'clock to search it and in the front room I found an old tin bucket and took possession of it - I have had the custody of it ever since and that the bucket now produced by me is the same. Rebecca BELLAMY, a single woman (illiterate) of Skirbeck Quarter Fen made the following statement on 13 February 1836: I am servant to John Smith of Skirbeck Quarter Fen, farmer. At the latter end of last week I missed a bucket belonging to my master out of the stable and supposed it had been stolen. John Lee, constable of Skirbeck Quarter brought a bucket down to my master's house last Wednesday morning to enquire if he had lost one. Immediately I saw it I knew it to be my master's property and the same that was taken out of his table last week and the bucket now produced by Lee is the same. John SMITH, a farmer of Skirbeck Quarter Fen made the following statement on 13 February 1836: Last Friday night week I placed an old bucket my property in my stable that the next morning on going into the stable I missed the bucket and supposed it had been stolen. Last Wednesday morning Lee the constable came down to my house and brought an old tin bucket to show and I identified it immediately as my property and the same that was stolen out of my stable as above stated and that the bucket now produced by Lee is the same. Henry DRAKE, a police constable of Boston, made the following statement on 13 February 1836: Last Monday information was given to me of there being a quantity of stolen wheat in a house in the occupation of the prisoner Hannah Coulson in Innocent Street Boston when I immediately went to the house and in the chamber I found a quantity of wheat in a sack which I took possession of that the wheat now produced by me is the same. William REYNOLDS, a servant of Wyberton (illiterate), made the following statement on 13 February 1836: About a week before Boston Horse Mart my master William Betts of Wyberton had about seven quarters of wheat thrashed and which was afterwards deposited in the barn. On the 17th day of November last having observed a quantity of wheat strewed about the ground leaving from the barn to the gate led me to suppose some wheat had been stolen. When I went into the barn and discovered that two sacks and about one sack of wheat had been stolen therefrom. This morning I have examined a quantity of wheat in a sack in the possession of Henry Drake police man and am sure it is part of the same stolen out of my master's barn in November last. I knew it particularly from there being a small quantity of white oats and some grist mixed with it and from a number of bunts and some of the wheat being split, my master's wheat being exactly the same. William BETT, a farmer of Wyberton, made the following statement on 13 February 1836: On Tuesday the 17th day of November now last past being Boston Horse Mart I missed about a sack of wheat out of my barn in Wyberton aforesaid and suspected it had been stolen. Last Wednesday I was informed by John Lee constable of Skirbeck Quarter that a quantity of wheat in a sack was found in a house occupied by a woman named Hannah Coulson in Boston and I examined the wheat and from the appearance of it generally and also there being mixed with it some white oats and grist I have not the least doubt but that it is my wheat and part of the same taken out of my barn as above stated and that the wheat now produced by Henry Drake police constable is the same. Against the charge of receiving stolen goods, Hannah COULSON (illiterate) stated, on 20 February 1836: The wheat was brought into my house about eight o'clock on Friday morning the 5th day of February instant by William Fisher and pretty Dick which they left and shortly afterwards I carried it up stairs. I borrowed the bucket of my son the next morning (Saturday) and about five weeks before that time my son gave me the piece of sack to fetch my coals in. Matthew RICHARDSON, John SMITH, William BETT, William REYNOLDS and Rebecca BELLAMY and police constables John LEE and Henry DRAKE were called as witnesses at the trial on 5 April 1836. Hannah was found not guilty by the jurors of:
The jurors for Hannah's trial were: John SHILCOCK, Joseph PEARSON, John CHRISTIAN, Edward WATSON, John WOODS, William HILTON the younger, John SCOTT, William MERIDETH, Benjamin MASON, Thomas OSBORN, John ASH and Thomas BARTOL. On 5 April 1836, William was tried at the Lincoln Quarter Sessions and convicted of stealing a cockerel and a fowl from Henry FOUNTAIN, a farmer of Wyberton. FOUNTAIN was able to recognise his stolen cockerel as its head was swollen from fighting. He was convicted with Richard WARD. William COULSON was convicted of the same crimes on 28 June 1836. Hannah COULSON was found not guilty of receiving stolen property from them. William was sentenced to 14 years transportation. He was also accused of stealing 5 lbs weight of pork from Geroge DAWSON, a labourer of Fishtoft, stealing a duck and drake from Matthew RICHARDSON, a farmer of Wyberton, and stealing a hempen sack from William WESTMORELAND, a farmer of Fishtoft, but he was not tried on those charges. William, Richard WARD, William COULSON, Ann (Hannah) COULSON, William ARNALL and Mary ARNALL shared a house in West St, Boston. References: HQS A/1/1836/Bo/Eas/16,23-35,38-43,65-76,98; HQS A/1/1836/Bo/Eas/44-64; HQS A/1/1836/Bo/Mids/90-110, 177 |
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