Thomas Macfadyen

TRIAL: 1866, 30 November: At Liverpool Quarter Sessions, Thomas MacFadyen was convicted of housebreaking and previous convictions (two for felony) and sentenced to 10 years’ penal servitude (England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 for Thomas MacFadyen; England; Lancashire; 1866). --0--

JAILS: 1866-1867: Held at Liverpool Gaol (most likely Liverpool Borough Gaol, Walton Hill, Liverpool, or Kirkdale County Gaol, North Dingle Lane, Kirkdale) – served 1 month 18 days in separate confinement , behaviour “good”. “After a sentence of transportation was handed down, the prisoner entered into a separate stage where he was placed into an individual cell, isolated from others, apart from brief periods of exercise and attendance at chapel. However, no communication of any kind with other prisoners was permitted at any time. The philosophy behind this penal methodology had its provenances in the religious, monastic traditions; i.e., that in the isolation of his cell the malefactor would be able to contemplate the errors of his way, unadulterated by the negative influences of former contemporaries, and be reformed.” (Edgar, 2018, pp39-40) When first put into practice, the mandated period of separate confinement was 18 months. By the late 1840s, authorities had conceded that such conditions of imprisonment were “injurious to many prisoners’ mental health” and the stint was reduced to 12 months. Periods of separate confinement were reduced further “as a prisoner displayed good behaviour tendencies” (Edgar, p40). Millbank, Pentonville, Wakefield and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--

1867, 18 January: Admitted to Millbank Prison, London – inmate #2810 Thomas McFadyen, 24, labourer, single, semiliterate, Church of England; convicted 30 November, 1866, housebreaking and previous conviction,10 years’ PS; twice prev conv; twice summarily; --0--

1867, 23 August: Admitted to Woking Invalid Prison – inmate #3258 Thomas McFadyen, 24, housebreaking after prev conviction felony, 10 years; surgeon’s report “healthy”; behaviour “very good” (England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1876 for Thomas McFadyen; Quarterly Returns of Prisoners in Convict Prisons/Lunatic Asylums; 1867; September; image 322) --0--

1867, 27 September: Sent from Woking to Portsmouth Prison – inmate #1237; health “good”, behaviour “very good” (England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1876 for Thomas Macfadyen; Quarterly Returns of Prisoners in Convict Prisons/Lunatic Asylums; 1867; September; image 292; and December; image 316). --0--

EMBARKATION: 1867, 5 October: Thomas MacFadyen was sent from Portsmouth to board the Hougoumont for WA (England, Criminal Lunatic Asylum Registers, 1820-1876 for Thomas Macfadyen; Quarterly Returns of Prisoners in Convict Prisons/Lunatic Asylums; 1867; December; image 316). Note: His WA Convict record incorrectly states that he was last held at Woking before boarding the ship. “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 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 senior Fenian, Captain Moriarty; rather, 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, Thomas MacFadyen, 25, was listed as convict #9812; sentenced to 10 years, at Liverpool, 30 November, 1866, for “housebreaking after previous conviction”; labourer; single, no children; literate; Protestant; family – T Atkinson, Albert Street, Everton, near Liverpool; character “good”. Described as 5’4½” tall, brown hair, brown eyes, round visage, dark complexion, strong appearance; missing little finger right hand, anchor tattoo on left hand. Other: Ticket of Leave 15.2.73. Cert of Freedom 10.1.83 at York. 30.9.1869 at Bunbury – stealing £3.10 from a letter, making away with sundry letters, and permitting the men under his charge to get drunk; 12 months’ hard labour at Fremantle Prison. 19.5.71 ... 9812 has promised restitution when able of a sum of £3.10.0 stolen by him from a letter. 7.1.78 By S.S. Parker JP – convicted of stealing from a dwelling, 5 years’ P.S. 5.2.80 Remission of 3 months, cook and orderly Prison Hospital 1.7.80 Remission 6 months, re escape of prisoner [aided in recapture?] 10.12.80 Remission 2 months, cook and orderly Prison Hospital 9.1.83 Unexpired portion of cumulative sentence remitted & provided a Certificate of Freedom (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9599-10128 cont. (R16)). --0--

FREMANTLE JAIL RECORD: MACFADEN, Thomas; inmate #9812, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Alias: MACFADYEN Date of Birth: 1841 Marital Status: Unmarried Occupation: Labourer Literacy: Literate Sentence Place: Liverpool Crime: House breaking Sentence Period: 10 years Previous Convictions: Yes Ticket of Leave Date: 15 Feb 1873 Certificate of Freedom Date: 10 Jan 1883 Comments: Cook, teamster, general servant, labourer, farm servant, self-employed, 1881, orderly (https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/research/convict-database/). --000--

NOTE: Year of Birth is taken from official records but day and month are not known. The latter dates have been entered as 01/01 because the site does not allow those fields to be left empty.