MONTROSE JOHNSON

Mount Rose Johnson and Elizabeth Smith were married by Banns in 1808 in Hayes, Kent, U.K. They were married by Rector John Hill or Hills. Witnesses: Backett Chapman, Ann Smith.

Ref: Copy of Parish Record (Church Record pg.18 No. 69)

They had two children before Montrose was convicted and sentenced to transportation.

Ref: copy of marriage registration.

 Tried at Kent Assizes 21 Aug 1811, sentence 'Life Transportation'. Transported per the 'Indefatigable'.  Sailed 4 June 1812 from London , England in company with the 'Minstrel' which was bound for NS.W. and making her second voyage as a convict ship, but the first voyage of any ship which sailed directly to Hobart Town .

The 'Indefatigable' was built in 1799 and was a first class ship of 549 tons. A square-rigged three master, with a length of 127 feet and three decks.

Arrived 19 October 1812, Van Diemen's land . 137 days at sea, Master was Jn Cross, Surgeon unlisted.  200 male convicts boarded, 199 arrived alive.  

Convict No. 40381, Records: Conduct Record: con 31/23 p3, Other Records: con 13/1 p11.

Ref: Convict CD

 The 'Indefatigable' brought the first convicts direct from England . In 1815 she had made her second voyage as a convict ship and then sailed for Java. On 23 October she caught fire in Batavia , and became a total loss.

Ref: The Convict Ships 1787-1868

Ref: Missing Information Sheet

Ref: Convict CD

 Was assisted in an unsuccessful attempt to escape from VDL by the son of John Pascoe Fawkner.

Ref: Copy of file on J.P. Fawkner Ref: T.H.R.A. P & P, Dec 1955, Vol. 4 No. 3

Article John Pascoe Fawkner in Tasmania by Rogert C. Sharman

The important night fell, the clouds of evening set on the night of the 15th of April 1814 when I with the seven men, the four named foreigners and William Green, Patrick McCabe and Montrose Johnson took our places in the boat, five as oarsmen, myself as steersman and without noise or show we pushed off, passed the guard boart and soon took up sail and away with a fair breeze.  Fixed on Recherche Bay in D'Entre.......on a fresh water stream and set to to cut timber to build a lugger;  this work was completed by the end of June 1814 we had no rope sufficient and set up a rope walk and from bark supplied our wants.  Wooden tanks were made to hold fresh water, and the course to be taken was to make out South America when the lugger was launched.  I got these men to land me near Hobart Town and they then put to sea.  After sailing some 100 miles they found the tanks unsafe and returned to get water casks and whilst five men were away on this Service the two left in Charge ran the lugger into the Derwent on their way to Hobart Town, the Government Vessel, the Estramadiera caught sight of the strange lugger rigged craft, sent a boat and took her to Hobart Town, these base men told that I had found the means to build and victual the Lugger and the result was I had to meet the charge and suffered for my quixotism.  

The two men who surrendered the lugger were merely ordered back to  their usual Governmental labour - one Englishman Montrose Johnson was allowed to return to his labour, an Italian Antonio da Silva also was unpunished.  I and Fortesa da Santo were banished for two years to Sydney and the two Irishmen William Green and Patrick McCabe received 500 lashes each, this sentence was fixed by the Chaplain the Parson Bob of Hobart Town the Rev. Robert Knopwood.

 The account of this Escapade met with the following notice in the Sydney Gazette of date July the 16 1814 in these words

"Escaped in a boat - Antonio Martinio, Fortesa da Santo Patrick McCabe, Vinsenso Boucharis Antonis Janio (da Silva) Mountrose Johnson, William Green and John Fawkner Junr a free man who aided and assisted the said persons in making their escape and accompanied them' (Note, the names are not perfectly correct)

John Pascoe Fawkner also received 500 lashes for his part in the attempted escape which supposedly took place in front of his father's house at Claremont

 In 1819 Land Muster, he is listed as having no children. (he would have been 31 yrs of age if his age at death is correct)

He made a purchase of land, 3 of wheat,1/2 barley, 1/2 beans, no potatoes, 56 pasture, 60 acres, no horses, no cattle, 100 sheep, no grain in hand, proprietor 1N = not victualled, (not fed from stores), no wife, no children, no G/S (Government servant), no F/S (free servant), total one person at HC (Herdsman Cove).  This is in the Bridgewater area near the Derwent River .

There is still a 'Herdsman Cove' school in the area.

Ref: Land & Stock Musters 1819   (Land Musters 1803-1822 pg.138)

Conditional Pardon: No. 1451  August 7, 1821

Ref: Copy of Conditional Pardon

May 10, 1827 Not supplying his assigned servant with sufficient food & slops - dismissed

Ref: con 31/23 pg.3

 Free Pardon: No. 434 18 June 1839

Ref: Copy of Free Pardon

 Free Pardon: No. 434 on the  June 18, 1839

Copy of Free Pardon

1842 Census in the Parish of Staffe shows that Mount Rose Johnson's residence was 'Fair Fields' Richmond or Native Corners area near Campania , a property owned by John Hills .

Religion Church of England .

Census Return 1842

 Montrose Johnson, Head of Household, 2 persons residing, all free

Ref: 1842 Census

 Appointment of a caretaker for the Roads Department huts at Half-Way Hill, Richmond .

A letter written by him dated Hollow Tree, January 6th. 1845

 CSO/file 1883 - re land - file not found

CSO 22/68/1496 Feb 16, 1843

 In 1856 he leased a property, a farm of 100 acres at Glenorchy from a Mr. Fiddler.

 Died of Influenza at the home of his son at No. 14  Warwick Street , Hobart . He was of Glenorchy. He was noted on the death certificate as a carter and his grandson, John Johnson of Warwick Street signed the death certificate.

Ref: Copy of Death Registration