Now I was hoping someone can help me with a query. I have found an entry for a William Braddon who was convicted in the Devon Assizes Court on the 19 July 1845 & sentenced to Fifteen Years. He was transported to Van Dieman's Land, Australia on the vessel, Pestonjee Bomanjee. Voyage date: 6 Sep 1845.He was recommended for a conditional pardon on 4 Jan 1855.What I was hoping to find out was what crime he committed, how old he was, and any family details?If anyone can help, I would be most grateful.
Margaret
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3 comments:
Merry Christmas David,
also to Margaret and Ted.
William Braddon was the older son of William Braddon a blacksmith, and also my great great grandfather whom David kindly identified from a small detail I sent in one of a flurry of emails earlier this month.
The reply email I received from David in which he identified WB was simply headed " Eureka! ".
At that time I knew nothing about William's life prior to 1861 when he appeared seemingly out of nowhere as a ship's steward in Sandridge (Port of Melbourne) Vic Au and in the same year married Mary Ann Selman.
The lives of convicts, I have since learned were well documented, so this is a plus or at least a start.
Also William Braddon is mentioned in the book " A drift of Derwent Ducks " authored by Trudy Mae Cowley, which records
and reveals in detail the lives of several hundred Irish female convicts who arrived in VDL (Tasmania)on board the ship Australasia.
William married one of these Irish lassies in 1853 and there was also issue an infant b1852 named Mary Ann Braddon, sadly the infant
died 1853.(ref-au gvt archives).
It was startling but at the same time interesting to discover that one is the direct descendant of a convict, yet where he was sentenced to 15 years penal servitude, it is highly unlikely to have been for a mere minor offence.
As yet I havent been able to unearth any details of his trial
but it is early days and hopefully
this too will come to light.
Wishing you a very lovely Christmas, Ted - it is indeed
truly wonderful to find other descendants of William Braddon the blacksmith here.
Best wishes to you all and your families
from Wendy
Greetings to my fellow Braddon researchers,
I would like to thank Wendy for mentioning the book "a drift of Derwent Ducks", which I have now obtained. The information in it, confirms what I had suspected. William Braddon, the convict, was the father not the son. When he married Catherine Maguire on 17 April 1853, he was listed as full age, blacksmith, widower.
His wife Catherine, left him c1859 to take up a de facto relationship with William Colley.
William Braddon was hospitalised on 3 March 1870 & transferred to New Norfolk Insane Asylum on 4 April 1870 for amentia. He was listed as 68y, labourer & blacksmith, resident at Hobart, cause jealousy, his wife having been false to him.
William Braddon died 21 May 1872, 70y, pauper, died of ulceration of the intestines at New Norfolk Insane Asylum; buried 23 May in St. Matthew's Church Cemetery, New Norfolk.
His estranged wife, Catherine, died 10 August 1872 at Bruny Island, 39y, cancer.
William is supposed to have fathered an illegitimate daughter, Mary Ann Maguire born 22 July 1851.
Mary Ann Maguire died 14 May 1853, 1y 10m, blacksmith's child, died of influenza.
I believe his daughter, Mary Ann born c1829 was probably already deceased, hence the infant's name.
I have also asked the OPC for Dartington to check the date of Walter Braddon's baptism which she has now amended to 29 Dec 1844, (1841 was a typo). Which means William & Mary Ann the parents were still around Dec 1844.
I hope the above info hasn't been too traumatic for William's direct descendents. Because of his exploits, he has left a trail of documentation, which is not a bad thing.
I would like to congratulate & thank David for putting this wonderful site together & for sharing his wealth of information.
Cheers from NZ,
Margaret
Hi Margaret, David & Wendy,
I read with interest all your comments but am still very confused
as I have paperwork that shows
William born 1831 sentenced at
Exeter Assizes for 15 years at the
age of fifteen, so how can that be
the father not the son! Perhaps the father went out to Australia as
well? Would appreciate your views.
Regards, Ted Braddon
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