McDonald William

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WILLIAM MCDONALD

Convict

Arrived Tasmania per “ Asia ”

William was born about 1803 in or near Glasgow . He had a brother James and his parents were probably poor Tennant farmers. The boys drifted into crime as a result of poverty which was probably caused by the landlord forcing the family off the farm.

On the 9th August 1821 William was tried in Glasgow for stealing a silver watch with a wind up key, at that time his aliases were O'Neil and Morgan, in 1822 he arrived before the sheriff of Edinborough , he stated he stole the watch from a married man in Glasgow, he was sentenced to 14 years transportation on the 6th January 1823.

On the 15/7/1823 he was embarked on the Justitia Hulk at Woolwich (Thames Estuary, near London ) to await transportation to the colonies. He was transferred to the "Asia" and left Portsmouth on the 28/8/23, he arrived in Hobart Town on the 19/1/24 at this stage he was 21 years old with a height of 5 foot 7 inches or 170cm,with grey eyes, dark hair, and fair skin. On arrival in Tasmania he was assigned to Valentine Chapman. On 10 September he was found guilty of insolence, given 50 lashes and sent to the penitentary by Knopwood. On 26th march 1826 Champion charged him with being absent from his masters premises without leave, and was returned to the prisoners barracks. On 26 April 1826, while still at the Barracks, he was charged with having engaged in an assault with some soldiers, but it was discharged, with no prosecution offered. In 21 September 1826, now assigned to Thomas Stace, he was charged with being absent from muster and church, and reprimanded by Robert Knopwood, only to repeat the same offence the following March.

He married Margaret O'Brien on the 5/2/1827 in St Davids church Hobart (980), having petitioned for permission to marry on thd 23rd December 1826. Permission was granted on 20 January 1827. The Rev'd William Garrard, Chaplain took the service.

The next month he was in trouble again, he was still assigned to Mr Stace, but living in his own premises with his wife. He was charged on 17th April 1827, "with harboring James Ingle and Henry Phillips, assigned servants to Peter Degraves, and Thomas Sprout, assigned servant to Thomas Stace, in his house in Davey Street at 10 o'clock on the night of 15th April, and keeping a disorderly house for the reception of lewd persons of both sexes. "He was returned to the Prisoners Barracks.

It was this occasion that led to Thomas Simpson being charged "with being in the house Of William McDonald with Catherine Porter, aged 14 years". Catherine was the niece of Margaret McDonald, and Simpson was a convict, and they were married five months later when she was still only 14.

William sent a petition to Lieutenant Govenor Arthur in May 1827 :-

"The humble Memorial of William McDonald, respectfully sheweth:- That your excellency's memoralist arrived in the colony (per ship Asia ) sentence 14 years Transportation now in the penitentiary.

The object of your memorialist's petition is to solicit that your Excellency may be pleased to order an investigation into your memorialist's conduct and if found satisfactory - your memorialist prays for the indulgence of being allowed to be out of the penitentiary and live with his wife and one child. Your memorialist flatters himself his conduct will bear scrutiny from this inspection and hopes your Excellency will condescend to take his case into your humane consideration".

After reports were considered on previous conduct and from his employer ,the petition was refused.

The next month, on 11 June 1827, he was absent from his muster at one o'clock in the prisoners Barracks, and sent to the chain gang for one week. On 7th August 1827, still at the barracks, he was out after hours at 12 minutes past eight, and was reprimanded.

On the 6th November1827, while working in the stables and lumberyard, he had in his possession a bundle of hay believed to be stolen, back he went to the barracks. On the 14th December 1827 he was absent from his gang or an hour and a half during the afternoon without leave and went back to the chain gang for a week.

He then went to work for the Post Office as a postman, on 24th September 1828 he was charged with

" having taken a horse, the property of some person unknown, for the purpose of riding to New Norfolk with his mail bags instead of walking". For this he was sent to the chain gang for two months, and it was recommended that he not be employed again in such a situation.

On 2nd March 1829 and 23rd June 1829 he was in trouble for being drunk in the police Barracks, for which he spent ten days on the treadmill, for being drunk and neglecting his duty at the lumber yard, he was given 25 lashes, and then for being drunk in the Barracks again another two weeks on the treadwheel.

Things became more serious when on the 5th January 1830 he was charged with stealing a watch belonging to Robert Cox of Elizabeth Town, New Norfolk. He was remanded for further examination and had a detainer lodged at the goal against him being confined and fully committed on another charge. It is not clear what these other charges were, although the press reported that he was convicted for stealing a pair of leather fronts worth two shillings (20cents), the property of William Clarke, a shoemaker, on 9th May ( Hobart Courier 9/1/1830) He was sentenced to twelve months hard labour.

on 14th January 1831 he was charged with stealing from the person of Robert Parkinson on the 13th Jan two promissory notes worth five pounds each, and two more worth one pound each. He was committed for trial and sentenced to 14 years transportation.

on 6th March 1833, still in the prisoners barracks, he was found near Austin 's Ferry on 20th February without a pass and was sentenced to Port Arthur for the remainder of his sentence, in irons

On 3rd March 1836, having completed hid time in port Arthur, he was charged with not reporting himself in proper time at his establishment, and as forwarded to his station in custody. The 1837 census shows him living at Newtown with his wife Margaret and six children, all under 14 years of age. The last notation on his record was that he was sentenced to life in prison, or transportation, on the 1st January 1843, but there is no report in the press of any trial.

It must have been a very odd marriage, William was often incarcerated, and therefore away from home. But they still managed to have eight children between October 1826, before they were married, and 1845. There are some long gaps, in particular between 1833 and 1840, the time he was in Port Arthur .

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