Christopher Edge

TRIAL: 1866, 7 August: John THORNTON and Christopher EDGE were convicted and sentenced at Liverpool Assizes to 20 years’ penal servitude for “burglary, before convicted of felony” (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892; England, Lancashire, 1866). —0—

NEWSPAPER REPORTS OF TRIAL: 1. From the Manchester Courier - Thursday 09 August, 1866, p3: “THE BURGLARS AND THE PARROT. John Thornton and Christopher Edge were charged with having, at Liverpool, on the 23rd of May, committed a burglary in the house of Mr. Edward Pugh Rogers, and stolen a coat and other property.—Mr. Gardner prosecuted. Mr. Rogers, the prosecutor, resides on Everton-brow and at three o'clock in the morning of the 23rd May the inmates were alarmed by noises which they heard in the house. The servant, on going downstairs, found that the grid of the coal cellar was open and that a number articles in the house had been removed. Amongst other noises that had attracted attention was the screaming of a parrot in the kitchen, and the servant, on going to its cage, found that one of its legs had been cut off. Miss Rogers, daughter of the prosecutor, had been awoke by the rustling of a dress, and then she saw two men, like the prisoners, in her bedroom, and on examination she discovered that some money had been stolen from her purse. Information was immediately given to the police, and the prisoners were apprehended on suspicion about hundred yards from the prosecutor's house.—They had both been several times convicted, and his lordship sentenced them to 20 years' penal servitude.” (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000206/18660809/024/0003) --

2. From the Liverpool Mercury - Friday 10 August, 1866, p9: “John Thornton, aged 30, and Christopher Edge, aged 24, were indicted for having, on the 23rd May, broken into the house of Edward Pugh Rogers, Everton-brow, and stolen a coat, a shawl, and other articles. Mr. Gardner prosecuted. About three o'clock in the morning the inmates of the house were alarmed by noises in the house and on the servant going downstairs she found that the grid of the coal cellar had been removed. Miss Rogers was aroused by a noise in her bedroom, and saw two men about the height of the prisoners, leaving the room. She was very much frightened, and did not at once give the alarm; but on hearing a window close she aroused her brother, and information was at once given to the police, who apprehended the prisoners about 70 yards from the house. The burglars had cut off the leg of a parrot belonging to the prosecutor, and on the prisoners being taken into custody a knife with blood upon it, and a feather corresponding with the feathers of the parrot, was found on the prisoner Edge. Both prisoners were found guilty, and previous convictions having been proved against them they were each sentenced to penal servitude for 20 years. The prisoner Edge, it appeared, was one of the first criminals sent to the reformatory ship Akbar, when she lay in the Great Float. He made his escape, but was recaptured, and he has since suffered several long periods of imprisonment for felony. He defended himself with considerable ability, displaying an aptitude at cross-examination for which it is said he is indebted to the instruction given at a judge and jury club held in Peter-street.” (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000081/18660810/034/0009) --0--

JAILS: 1866, 20 September: Christopher Edge, alias Hedge, was sent from Kirkdale prison, where he had served 1 month 13 days, and admitted to Millbank prison, London, inmate #2414; aged 24, married with one child, Roman Catholic and semi-literate. Family – wife, Catherine, at 74 Gordon Street, Liverpool. He had been convicted and sentenced to 20 years’ p.s. for burglary, with previous convictions including 5 years in a Reformatory from May 1856, 3 times convicted and 4 summary convictions (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Christopher Edge; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1866-1867). --0—

1867, 28 May: Both John Thornton and Christopher Edge were sent from Millbank to Portsmouth prison (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1866-1867). Portsmouth, Portland, Chatham and Spike Island in Ireland were listed public works stations and the second stage in the penal process. After separate confinement, prisoners were “placed on work parties at various locations, most commonly naval stations, where maintenance of facilities was vital for the effective protection of Britain’s far flung commercial and military influences around the world. While there, attitude and behaviour were monitored closely. In theory, only after consistently positive reports was a prisoner moved on to the third stage of his incarceration—transportation.” (Edgar, p40) --0--

1867, 5 October: John Thornton, inmate #967, and Christopher Edge, alias Hedge, #968, were sent from Portsmouth jail to board the Hougoumont for WA. These are the only details recorded for each man in the prison register (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Christopher Edge; Portsmouth Prison; Registers of Prisoners; 1866-1868). --0—

BOARDING THE HOUGOUMONT: “The hired convict ship Hougoumont, which has been taken up, by the Government for the conveyance of a numerous party of convicts to Freemantle, Western Australia, left the Nore [anchorage in the Thames estuary] on October 1, and proceeded down Channel, after receiving on board 150 convicts from the establishments at Chatham and Millbank. The convicts from the Chatham establishment, at St. Mary's, embarked from the dockyard on board the paddle-wheel steamer Adder, Mr. W. J. Blakely, and were in charge of a numerous party of convict guards and wardens, all heavily armed. Among the convicts shipped were a party of fifteen Fenians, who were engaged in the late conspiracy in Ireland, together with the officers and crew convicted of scuttling the ship Severn [only two were on the Hougoumont – Thomas Berwick and Lionel Holdsworth, each sentenced to 20 years for fraud], and some others who have achieved notoriety from their crimes. The Fenian convicts, like the remainder of the prisoners, were chained together in gangs, but it was observed that they were kept apart from the other convicts in a portion of the vessel by themselves. The steamer Petrel also took down a number of convicts from the establishment at Millbank, for shipment on board the Hougoumont, in charge of a strong escort and convict guard. On Tuesday, October 8th, the Hougoumont arrived in Portland roads. Shortly before midday ninety convicts were marched down to the Government pier at Portland under a strong escort of the 12th Light Infantry. The party included twenty-three Fenian convicts, among whom it was said, was Moriarty [not “the” Moriarty, though; this was Bartholomew Moriarty, aged 17]. The Government steamer employed in the breakwater service was used for conveying the convicts on board the Hougoumont transport ship. The convicts were chained together on embarking, and on board the steamer a strong guard of marines from her Majesty's ship St. George was formed, and saw the convicts safely placed on board the Hougoumont. The Governor of the penal settlement at Freemantle, Captain Young, is on board the Hougoumont, and returns in that ship to his sphere of duty after paying a visit to his native land.” (Sydney Morning Herald, 19 Dec 1867, p4, at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271). --00--

IN WA: 1868: On arrival in WA, convict #9725 Christopher EDGE was listed as 26, married with one child, literate, Protestant and a sailor (also recorded as a tailor), sentenced to 20 years’ for burglary and previous convictions. His next of kin was his wife, Catherine, 21, living in Liverpool with their daughter Mary Ann, 6. His behaviour in Portsmouth jail was described as “indifferent”. His Conditional Release was granted at Geraldton on 22/8/85 (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department Registers, General Register for Nos 9059-9598 cont., 9599-10128 (R15-R16)). --0--

From his FREMANTLE jail record: EDGE, Christopher; inmate 9725, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1840 Marital Status: Married, 1 child Occupation: Sailor Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Liverpool Crime: Burglary Sentence Period: 20 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket Leave Date: 12 Oct 1877 Comments: Conditional Release 22 Aug 1885, Geraldton. Labourer, shepherd, cook, miner, self-employed, 1884 (https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/research/convict-database/). --0--