Transportation

From the 17th century, criminals convicted of certain – often petty – crimes were transported to serve their sentence in the newly-discovered colonies in Africa, North America, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), and Australia.

But this could not be done against their consent until the passing of the Transportation Act [1824], which enabled the King in Council to appoint places of confinement beyond the seas.

A later act of 1827 imposed the penalty of transportation for felony in all cases where no other punishment was provided.

The convicts were first sent to Millbank Prison, Pimlico, London, where they were held for up to 3 months – possibly in a Prison Hulk – until it was decided where to send them. During this time, they were (possibly) held in solitary confinement.

Some of them returned to Britain when they had served their sentence.

The colonies protested so strongly that the sentence of transportation was abolished in favour of penal servitude.

Transportation to the east coast of Australia had ended by the 1850s. That to the west coast ended in 1868.

Several local people were transported for their various misdemeanours.

Abraham Akroyd Samuel Asquith John Baines John Baines John Bancroft William Barber Jonas Barrett Isaiah Bentley Joseph Bentley Isaac Broughton John Bulmer Henry Clayton John Clayton Joseph Clayton John Cockroft and 2 others John Crowther John Downs Charles Evans Mark Farrar Gideon Fearnley Joseph Firth James Fletcher William Gaukroger The Hermit of Hathershelf John Holden Samuel Holdsworth Mary Hyde George Ibbetson Joseph Ingham

John Kitson William Law Simeon Lord John Mellor John Mitchell Jonas Mitchell William Mitchell James Mozley James Naylor Ellis Nicholl Joseph Noble Prison hulk Henry Riley Jonathan Rushworth James Scholes George Cropper Smith William Snowden Thomas Squires Benjamin Stott John Swallow Joseph Tatham Benjamin Thorpe Robert Titterington Intruder apprehended by Mr Wade Sidney Whitaker Joshua Wilson John Wood

See Assigned servant, Certificate of Freedom, Millbank Prison, London, Punishment and Ticket of leave passport

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© Malcolm Bull 2017 / [email protected]
Revised 15:06 on 28th August 2017 / qq_63 / 10