David Poultney
Convict Number P565
Policeman, Milkman, Landowner
© Richard Carlaw. 2003-2006
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Introduction to documentation
These pages contain documentation on David Poultney that I have collected over
time. I apologise for the size of some of the documents, but I have tried to
preserve the quality as much as possible, whilst also being mindful of download
times and restrictions on my own web storage space. Some of the documents are
of very poor quality and some detail may have been lost in scanning and
subsequent image reduction. If you are interested in a particular detail, feel
free to email me and I may be able to
check on higher-res copies or on the paper copies in my possession. I have
provided a rough transcript next to each document, which may also be of
assistance.
I have generally only included primary references, ie original or near original copies from source. On occasions I have included secondary references (eg transcripts) where these seem authentic and add substantial information to the story. I have not included other references such as internet lists or IGI transcripts, although I have a fair number of these.
1. Convict documentation
9th April 1829 - David Poultney, transcript
of trial record from Warwick Advertiser
Source: Unknown, but possibly Warwick Advertiser
This report, dated the day of the trial, is reputed to come from the Warwick Advertiser. The source is unproven, but the report seems authentic enough. Some of the defendants names appear differently on convict papers in Tasmania.
10th April
1829 - David Poultney, Letter to the Earl of Denbigh (by
John Carter)
Source: Unknown
This letter, dated the day after the trial, appears to be from the prosecution to the Earl of Denbigh. It gives the outcome of the trial and suggests that the Earl uses his influence to ensure that the death sentences given at the trial are not commuted on clemency appeals.
1829 - David Poultney, Convict Indent
Source: Archives Office of
Tasmania, MM 33/2
Scan 1 (503 Kb)
No. | Name | Height | Age | Trade | Where Tried | When Tried | Sentence | Native Place |
564 | Thomas Perkins (Poacher) |
5/7 1/2 | 23 | Weaver | Warwick Ass | 4 Apr 1829 | Life | ?Folhill? Warwickshire |
992 | Thomas Clewes (Poacher) |
5/9 3/4 | 33 | Weaver. ?Farm labourer? Milk & ?? | do | do | Life | ?Burkeden? Warwickshire |
613 | James Gilbert (Poacher) |
5/7 1/2 | 25 | Weaver. ?Farm labourer? Milk | do | do | Life | ?Four? Warwickshire |
472 | William Liggins (Poacher) |
5/3? 1/2 | 24 | Carter? | do | do | Life | ?Fourbell? Warwickshire |
565 | David Poultney (Poacher) |
5/7 | 20 | Weaver & labourer | do | 4 Apr 1829 | 14 | Bell Green Warwickshire |
907 | James White (Poacher) |
5/6? | 29 | Weaver & labourer | do | do | 14 | ?Warwickshire? eaton? |
1124 | James Bird (Poacher) |
5/7 1/2 | 19 | Weaver & labourer | do | do | 14 | ?Folshill? Warwickshire |
236 | John Earps (Poacher) |
5/4 3/4 | 19 | Weaver & ?farm labourer? | do | do | 14 | ?Folshill? Warwickshire |
993 | William Curtis | ?Died? at Sea | Wilts? Ass | 8 Mar 1828 | Life | |||
473 | John Lawrence | 5/10 3/4? | 50 | Farm Labourer & ploughman | Wilt Q.S. | 13 Jan'y 1829 | Life | Wiltshire |
Married or Single |
Children | Religion | Read & write |
Offence | Remarks | |
Thomas Perkins ... |
W | 1 | P | R | Shooting with intent to kill | ???? 6/8 ??? |
Thomas Clewes ... |
M | 5 | P | R | Do | Stealing a Goose 3m |
James Gilbert ... |
M | P | R | Do | ||
William Liggins ... |
M | 1 | P | R | Do | |
David Poultney ... |
S | P | U. U. | Do | ||
James White ... |
M | 4 | P | R & W | Poaching. Shooting with intent to kill. ?not with the others? | |
James Bird ... |
? | P | U | Shooting with intent to kill | ||
John Earps ... |
S | P | U. U. | Do | ||
William Curtis ... | 27 October 1828? | |||||
John Lawrence ... | W? | 7 | P | U. U. | Highway Robbery |
Alternate Copy
Page 1 (105 Kb)
Page 2 (73 Kb)
This document would typically have been compiled on board ship, either en route to Hobart or, more likely, on arrival at the port and prior to disembarkation. When a hulk ship arrived at Hobart with new convicts on board, the receiving authorities typically boarded the ship and spent a day or two enumerating and classifying the arrivals prior to allowing disembarkation. It is interesting to note that the Newham Paddox poachers are listed together, bar one - a Thomas Ensor, who is possibly listed on the previous page (references at the Archives Office of Tasmania for an application to marry indicate that Thomas Ensor was indeed transported aboard the Thames).
Of further note in the above list is the inclusion of one poacher who was not part of the Newham Paddox party. James White was one of the Merevale Poachers, a remarkably similar incident that makes incredible reading in itself. (Note in the "remarks" column above, the wording looks like "Poaching. Shooting with intent to kill. not with the others".) The Merevale incident took place on the estate of DS Dugdale Esq, near Atherstone North of Coventry, and occurred a few days before that of the Newham Paddox incident; both incidences involved shooting at and wounding the gamekeeper; the Merevale trial was heard immediately after the Newham Paddox trial and sentences of death, commuted to transportation, were given in both cases. Most of the Merevale convicts were transported to mainland Australia (Sydney), including three other White brothers (Henry, David, John). Only James and possibly a John Mogford were transported to Tasmania. David Poultney and James White became good friends (it is perhaps significant that their names appear consecutively on the above list). James appointed David to be executor of his Will, to hold his property in Trust on behalf of his wife, Sarah. When James died, David Poultney duly held the property in Trust and upon her demise, duly passed its care to her children. Sarah's death registration shows David Poultney of 144 Upper Goulburn Street as the informant, and her burial register entry gives her address as Goulburn Street. David Poultney also signed as witness to Sarah's marriage to John Mogford, another of the Merevale Poacher, following the death of James. For more info, read the story of James White and The Merevale Poachers.
1829 - David Poultney, Convict Description
(196 Kb)
Source: Unknown, but possibly, Archives Office of Tasmania, Con 31/34
"Name Poultney David Trade Common Labr Height without shoes 5/7 Age 20 Complexion Dark Head round Hair d br Whiskers none Visage round Forehead high Eyebrows brown Eyes brown Nose M L Mouth M W Chin M L fleshy underneath Remarks pockfilled" |
No 565 Bell Green Warwickshire |
This document would also have
been compiled onboard ship, possibly by the ship's surgeon as he examined each
of the convicts for their general health. In the absence of "mug-shots" the
Convict Description passed for an early version identikit
1829 - David Poultney, Convict Conduct
record (351 Kb)
Source: Archives Office of Tasmania, Con 31/34
Note: The microfilm copy of this record at
the Archives Office of Tasmania seems to be very faint (as is the original, I presume). In a 2004 scan ordered from the Archives Office
of Tasmania, the text describing the nature of the offence etc was not visible
at all. It was also obvious that the copy above contains a transcript of the
text, added in the space below the original text. The origins of this
particular scan are unknown as it has been forwarded from one person to
another, but it would seem that the researcher who obtained this copy also had
access to the original, and was able to add the transcript accordingly. We are
grateful for the diligence of
that researcher.
This document was an ongoing record of the convict's
passage through the penal system. Starting with the initial offence and
sentence, goal records and family connections, it was later augmented by any
additional offences and completed with details of Conditional Pardon, Free
Certificate, etc. Unfortunately in David Poultney's case, we are denied any
details of his family connections.
David's Conditional Pardon in 1836 comes 7 years after his sentencing at the Warwick Assizes. For prisoners serving a 14 year term, 7 years was the earliest they could obtain a Conditional Pardon. The Conditional Pardon enabled them to live as free persons within the penal colony (ie Hobart/Tasmania, possibly Australia), but not to leave. David would only have been allowed to leave Tasmania/Australia after his full 14 years and the granting of a Free Certificate, although by that time he was fully settled and probably not interested in returning to England.
1829 - David Poultney, Convict
Appropriation List (930 Kb)
Source:
Archives Office of Tasmania, MM 33/5, Thames,
p 15
No | Name | Trade | Where Tried | Sentence | Native Place | How Appropriated |
Perkins Thomas 23 | Weaver | Warwick | Life | ?Fausehill? Warwick | Field Police | |
Poultney David 20 | Weaver & Lab | Do | Life | Bellgreen Do | Field Police |
As soon after arrival as possible, convicts were assigned to work-gangs, landowners, etc using a classification / good behaviour system (the most dangerous convicts were assigned to road-gangs, confined to the Hobart gaol or sent to Port Arthur. )
Some few months before the arrival of The Thames, the Lt Governor had decided to bolster the police force using newly arrived convicts, before they could be "tainted" by the local convict population. David Poultney, Thomas Perkins and possibly others of the Newham Paddox poachers appear to have been early beneficiaries of this decree. In the trial Judge's summing up, he points to an incident where Thomas Ensor helped to foil a prison revolt. It's possible that this incident may have helped in having the Newham Paddox party assigned as "Field Police". It should be noted that this assignment was not necessarily an easy one as they were expected to "rat" on their fellow convicts. They were therefore mistrusted by the locals and the convict population alike and not respected by the constabulary.
c1829 - David Poultney, Alphabetical
Convict Indent (size 167Kb)
Source: Archives
Office of Tasmania CON 23-1
No. | Name | Height | Hair | Eyes | Age | Trade | Where Tried | When Tried |
564 | Perkins Thos | 5/7/2 | dbro | gray | 23 | Ribbon Weaver | Warwick City of Coventry Ass | 4 Apr 1829 |
565 | Poultney David | 5/7/3 | dbro | bro | 20 | F Labourer | Warwick City of Coventry Ass | 4 Apr 1829 |
Sentence | Ship | Native Place | Marks | No & Date of Pardon, etc |
Life | Thames Nov 21 1829 | Foleshill Warwickshire | dimple in chin | - |
14 | Thames Nov 21 1829 | Bell Green Warwickshire | p pitted | CP 820 9th March 1836 |
This copy from the Archives Office of Tasmania is, again, very faint and barely legible in parts. It would be interesting to know if the original has additional information not visible on this copy. For the purposes of making this available on the internet I have had to reduce the quality of the image further. Email me If you require a better quality copy.
The Alphabetical Convict Indent was a rehash of information contained in the ship indents and convict descriptions. It was compiled retrospectively, probably by one of the inmates, by transferring information from these lists to the alphabetical lists. Convicts were numbered consecutively according to the first letter of their surname, hence David Poultney was the 565th convict with a surname starting with the letter "P".
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Convict Tales and Ancestors. © Richard Carlaw 2006. [email protected]