Chapter 7.2
Convict Stories
This history would not be complete without recognising the part played by the many convicts who helped develop the wealth of the Mosman twins. This chapter looks directly at some of these convicts.
With the help of Wendy Corbett Kelly, herself a descendant of John Corbett, a convict who worked for both Archibald and George Mosman (his story is told below), we have the names, and histories of over 50 of the convicts assigned to Archibald and George Mosman.
The stories also show how hard life was then for the Mosman brothers and those living with them at the frontier of settlement in remote bush surrounded by potentially dangerous natives.
Profile of Convicts assigned to the Mosman twins
Sentences:
- Life for - murder; burglary; horse, pig and sheep stealing; and even stealing a handkerchief.
- 14 years for - burglary; and stealing (eg watch and fowls).
- 7 years for - assault; stealing (watch, book, clothes, shoes).
Age:
About one third under 21, with the youngest 13; the rest mostly under 30; eldest 52.
How many Abscond:
About a third abscond before getting to their Ticket of Leave. Most get recaptureed and punished.
Re-offend after or without TOL:
About one third abscond and when recaptured receive harsh punishments. Lashes, Iron Gang, Cockatoo Island and even execution.
Age at death
Lower than average probably due to effect of harsh treatment during their sentence. Nearly half died under 40, but one third over 55. The eldest was 69, and had TOL at minimum time and didn’t reoffend.
A recurring theme was the effect of loneliness when assigned to a remote location and constant fear of hostile natives. If they absconded their overseers would hunt them down and the bush was not an easy place to survive.
Convict stories
Benjamin Joyce 1821-1890
Benjamin’s story is a sad but eventually a glad story.
He was born in Somerset and moved to London as a young boy. When he was 13 years old he was arrested and charged with stealing two pairs of shoes. His sentence at that young age was seven years transportation.
He spent some time in Newgate Prison and then over a year in a prison hulk before a four month voyage via Bombay to Australia. When he arrived in January 1836 he was still only 14. At the time he couldn’t read or write.
He was assigned to George Mosman in Raymond Terrace. He was still there in December 1841 when he got his Ticket of Leave at the end of his sentence, two days before his 21st birthday. Compared with other convicts assigned to George he was one of the few who achieved their freedom on time for good behaviour.
Benjamin chose to remain in Australia and started off growing tobacco in the Williams River area. Later on he was granted 71 acres of land at Burrell Creek and grew wheat.
In 1845 he married Ann Trotter. While the marriage was a tempestuous one, they had 14 children. At the time of Benjamin’s death at around 69 they had 53 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren!
In an Obituary in the local paper he was called “A useful colonist “ who had many friends and was noted for hospitality and kindness. This is great recognition for a life which started off so badly.
John Flynn 1811-1834
John was born in Ireland and transported in 1830 for 7 years for sheep stealing. He was assigned to Archibald Mosman at Williams River in March 1833.
In April 1834 Archibald Mosman’s property was attacked by a party of blacks. It was feared that they would attack again so an armed party from Mosman’s and a nearby property was sent to the natives’ camp a few miles away. Flynn was trusted enough to be given arms (a fowling piece).
On seeing the party the blacks were disturbed as they knew what firearms could do. When the party approached, one of the blacks threw his spear which struck John under the shoulder blade. The blacks then charged the party and threw spears. The party fired back but no one was hurt.
John pulled out the spear and the wound seemed to be okay. However he was forced to walk several miles later that day to the hospital. A doctor said the wound was okay but it got worse overnight and he died the next day.
The black ’Jacky’ was captured. He was known locally and had been friendly and trusted enough to be permitted to supply wood to the settlers.
Jacky was tried for murder by the Supreme Court. He was taken to the Court in irons which bit into his legs. He didn’t understand what was happening and asked to be judged by his own people. A civilian jury found him guilty and he was transported to Tasmania for life.
He died the following year - one of the earliest examples of an Aboriginal death in custody.
John Corbett 1796-1856
John Corbett’s life story is a sad, then glad, and ultimately a very sad story.
John was born in poverty in Ireland. The English landlords in their benevolence provided loans to help poor tenants survive famine. When John couldn’t pay a warrant was issued to take money out of his non existent income. One day,in desperation, he stole two sheep and sold them to the local butcher. He was sentenced to seven years transportation.
He was 35 years old and left a wife and two children behind him. After more than four months at sea on the Jane, one of his first work locations was building ‘The Barn’, a store at Archibald Mosman’s whaling station on the north shore of Sydney Harbour. Archibald vouched for John and assisted him when he petitioned to have his wife and children brought over on a free passage from Ireland, to arrive at the end of his sentence.
In 1836 John was assigned to George Mossman at Williams River. In the following year he received confirmation that his wife and children had been approved to come to Australia. In 1837 his ticket of leave was granted and he was a free man! He continued working for George Mosman while waiting for his wife and family to arrive.
It was a great day for John when his wife Joanna and his two children arrive in Sydney in April 19, 1838. However his joy was short-lived as Joanna died in Parramatta hospital on 27 January 1839. We don’t know why but we can easily suspect that she died in childbirth.
John was absolutely devastated and the next we hear of him is his arrest, possibly for drunkenness. He was given the choice of a fine or 10 days in jail. Because he didn’t have the money he chose the jail term.
Later that year he is back in jail again for stealing clothing. He was found in a state of intoxication in an uninhabited building in Sussex Street. His ticket of leave was cancelled and he was sentenced to a year on an Ironed Gang This is an extremely cruel form of punishment, especially given to free convicts who had committed crimes after their freedom.
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| Ironed Gang building roads |
Ironed Gangs worked in leg-irons, a 6kg iron collar around each ankle joined together by a length of chain, that could only be removed by a blacksmith. These men were punished by having to carry out the most labour-intensive part of the road building operations i.e. cutting down trees, moving large pieces of stone and splitting rock etc.
When he was free again he continued to offend and in September 1843 was convicted at Bathurst for breach of his agreement. In January 1856 he spent a short time in Bathurst jail for drunkenness and similarly in August 185 for obscene language. Nothing can be found after that November 1856 when he would have been 60 years old. No death records can be found.
You can find a detailed review of John‘s life in “Counting sheep – Corbett style” by Wendy Corbett Kelly, who provided all of the information for the story.
James Allen 1808-1838
This is a story of how transportation and assignment to the bush turned a young cocky Cockney boy into something akin to a caged animal.
James was sentenced in London in 1826 at age 18 to transportation for life for stealing a handkerchief. There’s no information about why he got such a severe sentence for what looks like a relatively minor offence. However if you read his later performance in Court you can only suspect that he made the Magistrate so angry he gave him a more severe sentence.
After arrival in Sydney it is two years before he is assigned to George Mosman. He has absconded before and spent 12 months on an Ironed Gang for destroying his Master’s property and threatening his Overseer’s life with a knife.
After reassignment to George Mosman he absconds again. When he is recaptured George tells the Court that James has never done a day’s work in the five months he has been assigned to his property.
A newspaper article of the court hearing clearly reports verbatim his responses to the prosecutor.
“Prosecutor-Well, my man, have you any questions to ask your master?
James-No Sir, I have been milled, celled, flogged, iron-ganged, and I won't go to Williams' River.
Prosecutor-Why not?
James-I'm afraid the blacks will eat me. I have been seven years in the country. I have been always assigned to masters with whom I could not get a bellyful and who buried me in the bush. Many other assigned servants are better off in Sydney.
Prosecutor-You say you have been seven years in the country. Had you behaved well and stopped another year, you would have obtained a ticket-of-leave.
James-No ! That I shall never have.
Prosecutor-No, I'm afraid not, as you now conduct yourself. I am really sorry to see à man so obstinate. I find you guilty of absconding from your service, and sentence you to receive fifty lashes.”
The prisoner then walked from the Courtroom with a very swaggering air. Two months later he has absconded again and spends another 12 months on an Ironed Gang.
About five years later in 1838 we find him at Cockatoo Island, another hard labour quarrying facility for unruly convicts. He had been unwell for some time and died suddenly at the Stockade hospital. A doctor examined the body and because there were no signs of violence he was of the opinion that his death at age 30 was the result of natural causes.
So a “Visitation of God” took the life of this unhappy cheeky Cockney who had suffered so much for his arrogance and didn’t live to reach his freedom.