Thomas Hodgetts, Second Fleet Ancestor - The Crime

 

      Thomas Hodgetts - Convict Pioneer

  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.....

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