Extracts from the Colonial Secretary's Correspondence for William Wellard aka PETERS
Below are the transcribed extracts relating to William Wellard from the Colonial Secretary's Correspondence post 1825. [Indexed by Joan Reese]. All spelling is per the original documents.
365/368
List of 105 Convicts whose applications have been transmitted to the Secretary of State in the Dryad, with a recommendation that their Wives and Families may be sent out to join them at the expence of the Government.
Ryan James Mangles 2
Sanderson David Cambridge
*Stephenson John Surry
*S……es Thomas Countess of Harcourt 2
*Simple….s Isaac Minstral
Singleton Hugh Almorah
Slattery Timothy Mangles
Sloane Peter Regalia
Stevenson Wm Eliza 4
Sullivan John *Mariner 3
Sullivan David Prince Regent 3
Sullivan John Brampton
Tierney William Mangles 4
Tierney Joseph Regalia
Turner Alfred Bussorah Merchant
Vine Thomas Neptune
Walsh Martin Boadicea
Walsh James Morley 4
*Warner Mathew Marquis of Huntley
Wellard a Peters Wm Marquis of Hastings
Wellings George Royal Charlotte
Whalan David Countess of Harcourt
Whelan John Prince Regent
Whelan *….an Mangles
White Thomas Guildford 7
Whitehill Wm Regalia
Wright Thos Florentina
Note: The * indicates that the name was hard to make out. [Only the page with William Wellard on it was sent to me, I do not have all 105 convicts, only those shown above].
32/7791 – 17th October 1832
P****** Supl of Convicts Office
17 October 1832
Sir
I have the honour to enclose you that it may be submitted for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor a Petition from Elizabeth Wellard who arrived free per Burrell at the expense of Government to join her husband the prisoner named in the margin (William Peters in Wellard per Marquis of Hastings 1827 Life) praying that he may be allowed the indulgence of a Ticket of Exemption for Parramatta to enable him to live with and support his family
I have the honour to be
Sir
Your servant
Wm ******* (Can’t read the signature) Approved Oct 18
32/7791
To His Excellency Major General Archibald Bourke Captain General, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of His Majestys Territory of New South Wales, and its Dependencies
The Respectful memorial of Elizabeth Wellard a free subject per ship "Burrell" and the wife of William Wellard alias Peters a prisoner of the Crown for Life
Humbly s*****s
That your Excellencys memorialist arrived per the aforesaid ship with her family at the expense of the crown for the purpose of joining her said husband who arrived in this Colony per ship Marquis of Hastings (2) on the 31st July 1827 a prisoner for Life.
That on her said husbands arrival he became assigned to the sevice of Mr Robertson Watchmaker Sydney where with unreproachable character he still remains
Your Excellencys memorialist under the circumstances and from the accompanying certificate of Mr Robertson of the good conduct of her said husband during upwards of 5, five years servitude, andof his willingness to dispense with the further services of her said husband, provided it should meet Your Excellencys approbation; is induced most respectfully to crave that Your Excellency will take the circumstances into your humane consideration and be pleased to extend toward her said husband the indulgence of a Ticket of Exemption for the District of Parramatta whereby Your Excellencys memorialists said husband would be enabled to maintain his family
For which mark of Your Excellencys clemency memorialist will ever pray
Elizabeth Wellard
I certify that the above W Peters has been in my service ever since his arrival in the Colony 1827 and that he has conducted himself honestly ******ly and much to my satisfaction
J Robertson
North Shore
16 Oct 1832
Wm Peters Marquis of Hastings 2 No. 27/1332 age 45 real name William Wellard tried at Surry Assizes 18 *** 1826 for Horse stealing sentence Life
Wife arrived free by Burrell
Submit ***** - they want a Tick Exemp for Parramatta 17th
32/7791
Colonial Secretarys Office
Sydney 24 October 1832
Sir
In reply to your letter of the 17th inst No 32/579, enclosing a Petition from Elizabeth Wellard came free per Burrell, for a Ticket of Exemption for her husband William Peters or Wellard per Marquis of Hastings.
I am directed by His Excellency the Governor to approve of the preparation of the above indulgence for this man for Parramatta.
F A H**** Esq.
47/756
New South Wales
CONDITIONAL PARDON
SEAL By His Excellency Sir Charles Augustus Fitz Roy, Knight Companion of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Territory of New South Wales, and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c, &c, &c,
WHEREAS, by an Act of the Imperial Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland, passed in the Sixth Year of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, intitled, "An Act to amend the Law affecting Transported Convicts, with respect to Pardons and Tickets of Leave," it was amongst other things enacted, that, after the taking effect of the said recited Act, in any place to which Felons and Offenders had been or might be transported by law, the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor should, from this time to time, by an Interdictment in Writing, under his Hand, recommend such Felons or other Offenders as he should think fit to be recommended, to Her Majesty, for an Absolute or Conditional Pardon; and in case Her Majesty should, through one of her Principal Secretaries of State, signify Her approval of any such recommendation, it should be lawful for the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor to grant an Absolute or Conditional Pardon, pursuant to such Instructions as should be sent to him by the Secretary of State, by an Instrument in writing, under the Seal of his Government,which should be deemed from the Day of the Date thereof, to have within such Place or Places, as should be specified in such Pardon, but not elsewhere, the same effect in the Law, to all intents and purposes, as if a General, Absolute, or Conditional Pardon, had passed on that Day, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom: And whereas the said recited Act has taken effect in the said Colony of New South Wales; And whereas William Peters, whose Description is hereto entered, having been indicted and convicted at Surry Assizes on the Eighteenth day of December One thousand eight hundred and Twenty six, of the Crime of Horse stealing, was, in pursuance of the said Conviction, sentenced to Transportation, and was accordingly Transported to the said Colony, for period of his Natural Life: And Whereas, in consideration of the good conduct of the said William Peters since his arrival in the said Colony His Excellency Sir George Gipps Knight Governor of New South Wales, recommended the said William Peters, to Her Majesty for a pardon, to take effect in all parts of the World, except the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: And Whereas Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to signify Her approval of such recommendation, through Her Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, SIR CHARLES AUGUSTUS FIZ ROY. in pursuance of the Power and Authority so in me vested by the said recited Act, and of Her Majeaty's gracious approval so signified, and of the instructions of the said Secretary of State in this behalf, do hereby grant unto the said William Peters, a Pardon for the Offense, in respect of which such Sentence of Transportation was passed as aforesaid, which shall take affect in all parts of the World, except the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; PROVIDED ALWAYS, and it is hereby expressly declared to be a Condition of this Pardon, that if the said William Peters, shall at any time during the continuance of the term of his said Sentence, go to, or be in, any part of the United Kingdom of Britain and Ireland, then said Pardon shall thenceforth be and become wholly void, as by Her Majeaty's Commands expressly Noted and directed: And all Her Majesty's Officers and Ministers of Justice, and all other, Her Majesty's Subjects, are hereby required to take notice accordingly.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have caused these Letters to be made Patent, and to be Sealed with the Seal of the said Territory. GIVEN under my Hand at Government House, Sydney, this thirteenth day of July in the Eleventh Year of the Reign of Her Majesty, and the Year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty - seven (Signed) CHAS. A. FITZ ROY
ENTERED upon Record of Page 11 and 12 Register No. 28 this Eighteenth day of September One thousand eight hundred and forty - seven
DESCRIPTION.
NAME........................................... William Peters
SHIP............................................. Mqs of Hastings (2)
MASTER..................................... Drake
YEAR OF ARRIVAL................ 1827
NATIVE PLACE....................... Kent
TRADE OR CALLING........... Labourer
OFFENCE................................. Horse stealing
PLACE OF TRIAL................. Surry
DATE OF TRIAL................... 18th December 1826
SENTENCE............................. Life
YEAR OF BIRTH.................. 1787
HEIGHT.................................. 5 feet 3� inches
COMPLEXION..................... Dark Sallow
HAIR....................................... Dark Brown to Grey
EYES....................................... Dark Brown
GENERAL REMARKS........ Bald
1841 CONVICT CENSUS
The 1841 Convict Census is very sparse on details and only shows approximate ages and the number of people in each house within these age ranges. My thanks to Wendy Meredith for transcribing our WELLARD family. From this information we have been able to work out who was living here....this is only conjecture at the moment, although we believe it to be fairly accurate.
Beside each entry in bold black (information shown on the census) I have tried to place the people within the correct age ranges, their approximate ages are shown after their names in brackets ( ).
Ellalong & Quorrobolong (Police District of Wollombi)
Head of house William Welyard (sic)
Males: 1 under 2 James TUTT (1)
2 aged 2 to <7 Francis ANDREWS (3) Alfred ANDREWS(2)
4 aged 21 to <45 William ANDREWS (33) Stephen WELLARD (29) William WELLARD (24) Lewis WELLARD (37)????? not sure about Lewis being here
2 aged 45 to <60 William WELLARD (63) and unknown male
Females: 1 under 2 Jane ANDREWS (1)
2 aged 21 to <45 Sarah ANDREWS (26) Mary Ann TUTT (22)
1 aged 45 to <60 Elizabeth WELLARD (58)
Men: 2 married William Wellard senior and William Andrews
7 single All the other males
Female: 2 married Elizabeth Wellard and Sarah Andrews
2 single Jane Andrews and Mary Ann Tutt (widow)
Men: 3 born in colony James TUTT, Francis and Alfred Andrews
2 arrived free William Wellard junior and Stephen Wellard
1 other free (expired sentence) unknown male
3 ticket of leave holders William Wellard, William Andrews and ???Lewis Wellard???
Women: 1 born in colony Jane Andrews
3 arrived free Elizabeth Wellard, Sarah Andrews and Mary Ann Tutt
13 Anglicans
6 employed as stockmen/agricultural workers 7 others
Wood house
Wendy also notes the following information:-
From the order of the census returns of the houses it is likely William etc. were living on the estate known as Barraba, which in 1841 was some 6,000 acres owned by George Palmer who resided in Parramatta. Palmer also owned Eringui at Mulbring where the Andrews family was known to be living later in the 1840's. I don't doubt William & family were head tenants on a part of the estate & maybe even overseer if Palmer was working convicts there as well.I have also seen a couple of early references to a creek in the Quorrobolong/Sandy Creek area being known as Wellard's Creek. It seems the family did spend a few years in this area before moving just 2 miles or so to Mulbring.
William and Elizabeth WELLARD were living in the house with Sarah ANDREWS (their daughter) her husband William ANDREWS and their 3 eldest children, Francis, Alfred and Jane ANDREWS. Also living with them were their sons William, Stephen and possibly Lewis WELLARD + one other unknown male.
The other male under 2 and female 21 to <45 were Mary Ann TUTT and her son James.
Mary Ann's husband James died on the voyage, aboard the "Earl Grey" to Australia and Mary Ann arrived very pregnant. She was met in Sydney 1st April 1840 by Stephen WELLARD and endured the trip back to "Sugarloaf" by horse and dray. James was born 15th April 1840. James TUTT senior (died on voyage) was the son of Sarah PETERS and James TUTT, Sarah was the sister of Elizabeth WELLARD.
Also from the Journal of Arthur Wilcox Manning a cabin passenger aboard the "Earl Grey" 1839-1840 mentions James' death.
Feb 18th 1840
Another death has taken place; the man who was so ill yesterday. He was one of the quietest and most respectable men on board; and was only married two months before embarking. His widow is in a terrible state. They were always remarked as being most attached; so her grief is not likely soon to subside. It has now appeared that Tutt�s death was not occasioned by fever alone. Some months ago he fractured his scull; and a fortnight before his death he fell down one of the �hatchways� and had never been right since � he became very ill before he was taken into the hospital. Mr Lunn and Lewis Whittaker are of opinion that he must have fractured his scull. They were not told the accident till after the man�s death; and, therefore, naturally attributing the delirium to fever, though there was something in the case that puzzled them, being different from all who had died of Typhus fever. How silly on the part of the wife not to have mentioned the circumstances of the fall to the doctor as the man�s life might have been saved.
The journal is fascinating reading. Arthur Manning makes pithy comments and character sketches about his fellow "cabin" passengers.
If you would like to read the whole journal, make a cup of tea/coffee and settle in for a couple of hours reading.
Journal of Arthur Wilcox Manning "Earl Grey" 1839-1840
TRIAL INDICTMENTS FOR WILLIAM PETERS
The following 2 indictments were found and transcribed by Sheila Pearson and Pat Saunders.
Kew Public Record Office
English Assize Records
Indictments - Surrey Winter Gaol Delivery - 1826 - Felony File
Kew Reference ASSI.94/1959
1st Indictment
The jurors for our Lord the King upon their oath, present, that William Peters late of the Parish of St Giles Camberwell in the County of Surrey, Labourer, on the Twenty-ninth day of September in the seventh year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Fourth by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King Defender of the Faith, with force and arms at the Parish aforesaid in the county aforesaid, one gelding of the price of Twenty pounds of the goods and chattels of John Buxton then and there being found feloniously did steal, take and lead away against the peace of our said Lord the King his Crown and dignity.
Note: Written on the top of the document are the words:-
Puts himself. Jury say Guilty. No goods. To be hanged by the neck until he be dead. Rep'd to Life
2nd Indictment
The jurors for our Lord the King upon their oath, present, that William Peters late of the Parish of St Mary Newington in the County of Surrey, Labourer, on the third day of October in the seventh year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Fourth by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King Defender of the Faith, with force and arms at the Parish aforesaid in the county aforesaid, one cart of the value of four pounds, of the goods and chattels of Robert Bray then and there being found feloniously did steal, take and carry away against the peace of our said Lord the King his Crown and dignity.
Note: Written on the top of the document are the words:-
Judgement on another indictment.
Agenda Book - Surrey Winter Gaol Delivery
Kew Reference ASSI.31/25
Thursday 21st December 1826 before Mr Justice Gavelee
William Peters. Stealing a Gelding price �20 of John Buxton.
Puts himself. Judgement on another indictment.
Said William Peters. Stealing goods value �4 of Robert Bray.
Puts himself. Jury say Guilty. No Goods. No corn. Guildford Rept. Trans Life.
