50-Day Family History Blogging Challenge - Day 9

Fragments of Family History – Thomas Rose - Convict

Jennifer Jones from TRACKING DOWN THE FAMILY has initiated a 50-Day Family History Blogging Challenge. This is a big writing commitment but I have decided to participate. I have decided my topic will be “Fragments of Family History”. I will write short posts of newspaper items or single stories connected to my family history. This may expand over the 50 days.

---

Introducing Thomas Rose - Convict

Thomas Rose, my 3x Great Grandfather, was convicted, along with William Trevor, of “burglariously breaking open and robbing the shop of Mr Morris, Mercer of Newport” on 19 March 1793.¹ They were sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to transportation to New South Wales for Life.² Thomas sailed on the Barwell convict ship and arrived in Sydney Cove on 18 May 1798.

In New South Wales, convicts were assigned to Government projects like roads, building, or coal mining, or to settlers who provided them with shelter, food and clothing in return for their free labour for the term of their service or to penal settlements. It is unknown who Thomas was assigned to.

In March 1801, Thomas Rose, Richard Perkins, Paul Loutherborow [Lutherborogh] and Samuel Pain were convicted of stealing a boat and attempting to leave the colony. [Another of my convict ancestors to try it!] They were all sentenced to death. However, Philip Gidley King, the Governor of N.S.W. granted them “grace and mercy” and once again Thomas escaped a death sentence.³

Does Thomas Rose learn his lesson? More to come.

View of Sydney Cove, by Thomas Watling, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Hereford Journal, 27 March 1793, p. 3, FindMyPast, online, https://www.findmypast.com.au/search-newspapers

2. Shrewsbury Chronicle, 29 March 1793, p. 3, FindMyPast, online, https://www.findmypast.com.au/search-newspapers

3. Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Convict Registers of Conditional and Absolute Pardons, 1788-1870 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Original data: New South Wales Government. Copies of returns of Absolute and Conditional Pardons granted. Series 1165. State Records Reel 774, copy of 4/4492. State Records Authority of New South Wales, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.