The
Crime
Thomas's Crime
Details
of the trial of Thomas Hodgetts are unavailable, however it is known
that Thomas along with three other men were charged with theft,
having broken into a dwelling in Aldridge, Staffordshire and
stealing a flitch of bacon on November 15th 1787.
All
four men were tried at the Assizes, Market Hall, Staffordshire
in March 1788, however two of the men were acquitted while
Thomas Hodgetts
and the remaining prisoner, Thomas Collier, were originally sentenced
to death which was later commuted 7 years transportion to New
South Wales.
While
awaiting transportation, Thomas and the other prisoners
were held in Stafford Prison and then on the 17th May 1788
they were transported to
the prison hulk, The Lion which was moored off Portsmouth Harbour
with many other prison hulks overflowing with convicts also awaiting
transportation.
On
the 29th November 1789, Thomas boarded the Second
Fleet ship, the Scarborough to wait for departure to New South
Wales. By December 1789, the
convict ships of the Second Fleet were nearly complete and ready
to sail the treacherous journey to it's destination half way
around the other side of the world.
While the
Second Fleet was waiting to depart, a letter from
the Home Secretary, William Grenville was
sent to Lieutenant John Shapcote aboard the convict
ship, The Neptune advising that some of the prisoners wives would
be allowed to accompany them for the journey. Previously, this
had not been allowed, but Thomas Hodgetts it seems was one of
the prisoners lucky enough to take advantage of this decision.
Harriet Hodgetts is listed as his wife in this instance and was
one of six free women allowed to travel with their husbands on
their journey to New South Wales. It is still to be determined
as to whether Thomas and Harriet had to leave any children behind
in England as many of the prisoners may have had to do.
The Second
Fleet,
comprising of the ships, The Scarborough, The Neptune and The
Surprise,
set sail on January 19th 1790 in the middle of an English winter
for the most treacherous and arduous journeys ever, destined
to a
land that would change the lives of the convicts forever.....
Next..........
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