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  1. #1
    ColinClarke1945
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    Question Early Release from HM Prison Portsmouth 1850s

    Hello,

    My G GF Richard CLARKE b c1832 Cambs was sentenced to 7 years transportation for stealing hams when aged 19 (1851) and was sent to Portsmouth. He was released 3.5 years later, still in England. Eventually, as it turned out, he went as a free man to Australia in Dec 1856 from Southampton.

    He had already lost his mother well before He went to prison, and his father is “unknown”.

    My question to help my time line research is : What happened when a prisoner was released, if anyone knows. Were they just shown the front gate ? Were they given a few pence to get back to their hometown ? On his release papers there is notice of a “Referee” who is actually a landowner from Cambs. Did the Referee have some “right” to the prisoner’s labour- or was he simply a local official from Cambridge who was noted on release dockets.

    I’m trying to figure out if GGF Richard CLARKE spent his time around Portsmouth Southampton, or if he “had” to go back to Cambs. I am curious if there are any ways I might be able to find this out (given it fell between census years.

    All comments welcome. Thank you for reading. 😀

  2. #2
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    Initially Richard Clarke was imprisoned in Millbank prison (the National Penitentiary) in London, and then Pentonville in London before being moved to the Portsmouth Convict Gaol which opened in 1852.

    I can see from looking at his records that he had plenty of prior experience of prisons!

    It wasn't unusual for those convicts not sent overseas to be released early if they had behaved themselves - a little bit like parole.

    I do not think that the Referee would have had any rights over the convict, but I am sure that given the times they would have expected the convict not to abuse their faith in them - i.e. not to slip back into their old ways.

    Whilst I can't be certain, I doubt that the convicts were given any assistance to return home, but the incentive would be great to get home, because without financial support they would have to turn to parish relief and they would only be eligible for that in their home parish. If they resorted to begging they could be charged with vagrancy and find themselves locked up again!

  3. #3
    ColinClarke1945
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    Default The Richard Clarke Enigma ...

    Quote Originally Posted by Megan Roberts View Post
    Initially Richard Clarke was imprisoned in Millbank prison (the National Penitentiary) in London, and then Pentonville in London before being moved to the Portsmouth Convict Gaol which opened in 1852.

    I can see from looking at his records that he had plenty of prior experience of prisons!

    It wasn't unusual for those convicts not sent overseas to be released early if they had behaved themselves - a little bit like parole.

    I do not think that the Referee would have had any rights over the convict, but I am sure that given the times they would have expected the convict not to abuse their faith in them - i.e. not to slip back into their old ways.

    Whilst I can't be certain, I doubt that the convicts were given any assistance to return home, but the incentive would be great to get home, because without financial support they would have to turn to parish relief and they would only be eligible for that in their home parish. If they resorted to begging they could be charged with vagrancy and find themselves locked up again!
    Thank you so much, Megan, for taking the trouble to comment. I’m afraid that because this brick wall saga has been ongoing since before the Internet even, most are sick to death of it all. Yes, Richard had two “issues” at the Workhouse where he was enrolled from about 10 years of age. As was the case in those places for children, he was summarily dealt with on two occasions for refusing to pick old rope (and reading an account of what that task was, I can imagine he wasn’t the only one to be rebellious). Then of course, in company with another, stealing a duck valued two shillings got him six months for larceny in Cambridge Goal from 3 Jan 1850. And then, the big one, being party to a theft of hams etc, June 1851, sentenced to 7 yrs transportation, and then Millbank 25 days, Pentonville 9 mths and 27 days, until Portsmouth where he stayed until he was awarded an early release 2 Dec 1854, discharged on license 11 Dec 1854. Then there is “the gap” of about two years until he sailed for Australia as a free man on the “PARSEE”, arriving Moreton Bay Feb 1857.

    As you are a Brick Wall Smasher, the biggest stumbling block has been discovering his father (and despite my taking every DNA test (autosomal and YDNA all the way through to Big Y and YFull analysis) I have not been able to get a significant close match - even my closest on YFull would mean our ancestors were dining in the same house maybe in Roman England.

    Perhaps if you read the StickyNote page at the FB Page The Richard Clarke Enigma you will See my feeble attempts and where 40 years of searching has NOT taken me. Of all that CLARKE (CLARK) line around Fulbourn, Cambs, it seems he is the only child never baptised. I have thought perhaps his father was an uncle or cousin of his mother, but every Richard Clarke I find c1831/32 is also found later in death/burial in England. I have another in mind now, a John Clarke Elizabeth Clarke son Richard baptised Dec 1832 in Suffolk, not so far away if Richard’s mother was “sent for a holiday” to deliver an illegitimate child. Of course, it is easy to invent and “what if” this issue to false conclusions and only the written evidence or (these days)a very strong DNA match, will make me excited.

    In summary, as for my question earlier, maybe he went back to Cambs for those two years 54/56, although he apparently had no father to go to, and mother already dead. Or he stayed in the South. I’m afraid I may be family history, too, before I discover the answer.

    Best regards. Stay safe. Colin

  4. #4
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    Colin

    I was looking for something else and came across a newspaper article from 1825, which might answer some of your questions regarding what happened when a convict was discharged from a prison hulk.

    Although its 25 years before your Richard Clarke, it gives an interesting insight:


    https://newspapers.library.wales/vie...ating%20prison


    In case the link does not work, its from the Cambrian Newspaper dated 8 Jan 1825 and headed up "The Hulks". Its available free to view from the National Library of Wales on line newspaper collection.

  5. #5

    Default

    Check out the Penal Servitude Act 1853. Your "rellie" released in 1854 would be an early beneficiary of the change.
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  6. #6

    Default

    My usual site for viewing legislation delivers the 1857 Penal Servitude Act but not the 1853 unfortunately.

    You might try Hansard https://hansard.parliament.uk/search?partial=False
    Search text = ticket of leave and restrict your search period to 01/01/1853 - 31/12/1854 (Brit format date, of course!!). Should deliver 34 hits - to see all 34 click on view.
    I recommend the 2nd to start "Lord St Leonards 1 May 1854"

    I have described your "rellie" as a "beneficiary" - I wonder??

    Also change search text eg "convict discharge", "prison release" etc

    Good luck
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  7. #7

    Default

    Newspapers are a great source of info - not about how it should be but how it was. Loved this snippet - (col 1 "New Penal Servitude System")
    https://newspapers.library.wales/vie...14/3054016/13/
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

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