Tocal's convicts
Who were they?
Assigned to Tocal
Living at Tocal
Working at Tocal
Further punishment
Becoming free
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Tocal's convicts 1822-1840
Introduction
About 150 convict men and boys lived and worked at Tocal between 1822 and 1840. They cleared Tocal's rainforest, planted the first crops and built Tocal's first fences. On the orders of their master they turned part of the ancestral land of the Wonnarua Aboriginal People into a privately owned farm.
A few of Tocal's convicts were habitual criminals, and some were rebels who had protested against conditions in England or Ireland. But most were simply working-class youths who had been caught stealing. For their crimes they were transported to New South Wales and spent time at Tocal. Most managed to rebuild their lives and gain their freedom, but many suffered the lash, the iron gang or other punishments along the way.
Details of individual convicts
You can view detailed information on any Tocal convict by clicking on his name in the list below. This data was collected over many years from a large number of sources. You need Adobe Acrobat reader to view these pdf files. Abbreviations include TOL ticket-of-leave, COF certificate-of-freedom, CP conditional pardon, SR State Records NSW, SG Sydney Gazette, NSWGG Government Gazette.
Further reading
Voices from Tocal - Convict Life on a Rural Estate, by Brian Walsh, 2008. Number 17 in the All About Tocal series. To purchase, see books.
Heartbreak and Hope, Deference and Defiance on the Yimmang: Tocal's Convicts 1822-1840, PhD thesis by Brian Walsh, University of Newcastle 2007. Available on-line.
Assigned convicts at Tocal:'ne'er-do-wells' or exceptional workers?, by Brian Walsh. Journal of Australian Colonial History vol 8, 2006, pp67-90.
List of Tocal's convicts
|
Name |
Age |
Trade or calling |
Offence |
Sent |
At Tocal |
|
22 |
labourer |
house breaking |
life |
1822 |
|
|
19 |
farrier |
stealing a coat |
7 yr |
1837 |
|
|
18 |
brassfounder |
house breaking |
life |
1829-33 |
|
|
19 |
ploughman |
sheep stealing |
life |
1825 |
|
|
19 |
carter |
burglary & felony |
life |
1833 |
|
|
26 |
servant |
burglary |
life |
1823 |
|
|
26 |
ploughs & shears |
burglary |
life |
1825-28 |
|
|
31 |
farm serv & butcher |
cow stealing |
7 yr |
1828-33 |
|
|
18 |
groom |
steal iron&brushes |
life |
1825 |
|
|
22 |
labourer |
highway robbery |
life |
1824 |
|
|
15 |
errand boy |
house robbery |
7 yr |
1828 |
|
|
25 |
ploughman |
burglary & robbery |
life |
1825 |
|
|
28 |
farm man |
sheep stealing |
7 yr |
1827-28 |
|
|
34 |
ploughman |
insurrection |
7 yr |
1825-29 |
|
|
25 |
ploughman & shears |
highway robbery |
life |
1825 |
|
|
23 |
farmer's labourer |
horse stealing |
life |
1827 |
|
|
21 |
file cutter |
house breaking |
14 yr |
1840-44 |
|
|
22 |
brickmaker |
house breaking |
life |
1836-43 |
|
|
32 |
sailor |
stealing |
7 yr |
1824-25 |
|
|
21 |
aid/assist burglary |
life |
1823 |
||
|
13 |
servant boy |
picking pockets |
life |
1833-53 |
|
|
24 |
stable & coachman |
picking pockets |
7 yr |
1830-34 |
|
|
20 |
house painter |
stealing clothes |
7 yr |
1828 |
|
|
17 |
errand boy |
stealing cash |
7 yr |
1825 |
|
|
19 |
mason's labourer |
picking pockets |
life |
1828-36 |
|
|
26 |
labourer |
house breaking |
7 yr |
1823 |
|
|
17 |
errand boy |
stealing clothes |
7 yr |
1834-37 |
|
|
22 |
farm man |
highway robbery |
7 yr |
1827-37 |
|
|
30 |
plough & fisherman |
stealing malt |
7 yr |
1828-32 |
|
|
15 |
errand boy |
stealing sheets |
7 yr |
1828 |
|
|
24 |
ploughman |
stealing |
7 yr |
1823 |
|
|
28 |
weaver |
stealing duck |
7 yr |
1833 |
|
|
22 |
ploughman |
highway robbery |
life |
1823-34 |
|
|
24 |
tailor & labourer |
stealing clock |
7 yr |
1831 |
|
|
32 |
farm servant |
cow stealing |
life |
1836-37 |
|
|
22 |
plasterer's labourer |
sheep stealing |
7 yr |
1827 |
|
|
39 |
ploughman & shears |
insurrection |
7 yr |
1823-27 |
|
|
20 |
sugar refiner |
stealing shawl |
7 yr |
1832 |
|
|
30 |
linen weaver |
unlawful oaths |
life |
1826-34 |
|
|
24 |
butcher |
stealing in house |
7 yr |
1832 |
|
|
22 |
groom & gardener |
stealing clothes |
14 yr |
1828 |
|
|
28 |
shoemaker & groom |
street robbery |
7 yr |
1829 |
|
|
24 |
butcher |
house breaking |
14 yr |
1833 |
|
|
40 |
stone mason |
stealing money |
7 yr |
1837-42 |
|
|
24 |
steal bagpipe&flute |
life |
1825 |
||
|
23 |
shepherd |
absent from home |
7 yr |
1825-29 |
|
|
26 |
ploughman & shears |
insurrection |
7 yr |
1823-27 |
|
|
19 |
shoemaker, tolerable |
highway robbery |
life |
1836-39 |
|
|
18 |
plasterer's labourer |
picking pockets |
7 yr |
1822 |
|
|
41 |
cabinet turner/wheelwright |
stealing clothes |
7 yr |
1832-34 |
|
|
30 |
shepherd |
burglary&robbery |
life |
1824 |
|
|
25 |
milkman, brewer & ostler |
house breaking |
life |
1832 |
|
|
34 |
farm servant |
sheep stealing |
life |
1833-41 |
|
|
17 |
plasterer's boy |
stealing boots |
7 yr |
1832 |
|
|
16 |
shoemaker, tolerable |
robbing master |
life |
1833 |
|
|
31 |
flour miller |
stealing |
7 yr |
1822-26 |
|
|
29 |
farmer's man |
rioting |
life |
1827-28 |
|
|
20 |
rope maker |
burglary |
life |
1825-32 |
|
|
20 |
hawker |
stealing truck |
7 yr |
1832 |
|
|
32 |
ploughs,shears,reaps,sows |
horse stealing |
life |
1830 |
|
|
22 |
blacksmith |
larceny frm person |
life |
1828-29 |
|
|
19 |
labourer |
stealing cloak |
7 yr |
1830-38 |
|
|
19 |
hairdresser |
shop breaking |
14 yr |
1827-28 |
|
|
17 |
labourer |
highway robbery |
7 yr |
1837 |
|
|
30 |
ploughman |
asslt/Whiteboyism |
life |
1824-28 |
|
|
60 |
Rep'd plough'd & tailor |
Base coin |
life |
1829 |
|
|
25 |
ploughman & milks |
horse stealing |
life |
1829-37 |
|
|
19 |
print blocker |
larceny |
7 yr |
1828 |
|
|
36 |
ploughman |
house robbery |
14 yr |
1823-24 |
|
|
19 |
piecer |
stealing a shirt |
7 yr |
1828 |
|
|
26 |
clothier & indoor servant |
house breaking |
7 yr |
1833-38 |
|
|
21 |
plough, shepherd & herd |
picking pockets |
7 yr |
1828-32 |
|
|
27 |
farm labourer |
steal ton of bags |
7 yr |
1828-33 |
|
|
20 |
ploughs, shepherd, milks |
house breaking |
7 yr |
1830-34 |
|
|
40 |
brewer's labourer & soldier |
stealing cloth |
7 yr |
1836-37 |
|
|
25 |
steam engine labourer |
cutting & maiming |
life |
1835 |
|
|
20 |
brush maker |
house breaking |
14 yr |
1828-34 |
|
|
23 |
stonemason & plasterer |
stealing coat |
7 yr |
1829 |
|
|
23 |
spadesman & reaps |
attacking house |
life |
1836-37 |
|
|
20 |
butcher |
assault & robbery |
life |
1836-37 |
|
|
26 |
ploughs, sows, reaps |
perjury |
7 yr |
1832-37 |
|
|
27 |
ploughs & shears |
insurrection |
7 yr |
1823-27 |
|
|
25 |
ploughman |
insurrection |
7 yr |
1823-27 |
|
|
19 |
tobacco twister |
stealing chairs |
7 yr |
1837 |
|
|
35 |
ploughman |
sheep stealing |
7 yr |
1829-33 |
|
|
26 |
ploughman |
rape |
life |
1825 |
|
|
33 |
soldier |
insubordination |
7 yr |
1836-37 |
|
|
16 |
errand boy |
shop robbery |
7 yr |
1830-33 |
|
|
42 |
house painter |
obtn money falsely |
7 yr |
1830 |
|
|
20 |
reaps & milks |
stealing geese |
7 yr |
1829-34 |
|
|
25 |
carter |
horse stealing |
life |
1828 |
|
|
31 |
weaver |
stealing clothes |
life |
1833 |
|
|
32 |
shear & thrashers |
cow stealing |
7 yr |
1828-30 |
|
|
24 |
farm servant |
sheep stealing |
life |
1828-37 |
|
|
19 |
labourer |
house breaking |
7 yr |
1828 |
|
|
20 |
labourer |
stealing a coat |
life |
1828 |
|
|
19 |
errand boy |
house breaking |
life |
1832-38 |
|
|
35 |
baker |
st watch&banknotes |
7 yr |
1825 |
|
|
22 |
weaver & porter |
stealing carpets |
7 yr |
1830 |
|
|
21 |
ploughman |
insurrection |
7 yr |
1825-29 |
|
|
25 |
seaman |
stealing watches |
7 yr |
1831-33 |
|
|
18 |
labourer |
stealing |
7 yr |
1823-26 |
|
|
16 |
errand boy |
picking pockets |
7 yr |
1832-33 |
|
|
14 |
butcher's boy |
stealg snuff boxes |
7 yr |
1832 |
|
|
40 |
weaver |
pig stealing |
7 yr |
1829 |
|
|
20 |
Cow boy |
st clothes&rabbits |
7 yr |
1824-28 |
|
|
31 |
labourer, shears, reaps |
stealing potatoes |
7 yr |
1829-34 |
|
|
20 |
farm labourer & herds |
lamb stealing |
7 yr |
1829-34 |
|
|
19 |
reaper |
highway robbery |
7 yr |
1825 |
|
|
27 |
farmer's labourer |
house robbery |
life |
1828 |
|
|
19 |
carter & coal miner |
burglary |
life |
1827-30 |
|
|
23 |
servant & labourer |
highway robbery |
life |
1823-37 |
|
|
20 |
weaver |
steal thread & tape |
7 yr |
1825 |
|
|
28 |
farm servant & shepherd |
murder |
life |
1828 |
|
|
23 |
blacksmith |
stealing bundle |
7 yr |
1829-34 |
|
|
20 |
plough & stableman |
stealing umbrella |
7 yr |
1828 |
|
|
28 |
barber & labourer |
desertion |
life |
1822 |
|
|
20 |
calico printer |
stealing money |
life |
1825-26 |
|
|
16 |
cutler's boy |
robbing shop |
7 yr |
1832 |
|
|
28 |
plough shear, make butter |
stealing |
7 yr |
1825-32 |
|
|
16 |
errand boy |
stealing a shirt |
7 yr |
1833-40 |
|
|
23 |
farmers man & shop groom |
house breaking |
7 yr |
1830 |
|
|
46 |
labourer, reaps |
house breaking |
14 yr |
1832-37 |
|
|
19 |
reaps, milks, labours |
murder |
life |
1830-34 |
|
|
30 |
farm worker |
burglary |
life |
1829 |
|
|
14 |
cotton spinner |
stealing necklace |
7 yr |
1836-37 |
|
|
25 |
ploughs reaps shears sows |
abduction |
life |
1831-34 |
|
|
14 |
rope maker's boy |
stealing money |
14 yr |
1836-42 |
|
|
28 |
ploughs & shears |
burglary & robbery |
life |
1825 |
|
|
32 |
reaper |
highway robbery |
life |
1824 |
|
|
30 |
labourer |
steal handkerchief |
life |
1827-34 |
|
|
18 |
coachsmith |
stealing cloth |
life |
1822-30 |
|
|
28 |
farm servant |
fire arms |
7 yr |
1836-37 |
|
|
50 |
gardener& complete soldier |
machine breaking |
life |
1832-36 |
|
|
18 |
printer's boy |
picking pockets |
7 yr |
1836-37 |
|
|
25 |
waterman |
horse stealing |
life |
1826 |
|
|
39 |
plough shear reap milk sow |
stealing tools |
7 yr |
1831 |
|
|
21 |
carter |
robbing person |
14 yr |
1836-37 |
|
|
15 |
tailor's boy |
picked pockets |
life |
1835-37 |
|
|
20 |
farm labourer |
horse stealing |
15 yr |
1840-44 |
|
|
23 |
shoemaker |
picking pockets |
7 yr |
1828 |
|
|
18 |
carter's boy & reaper |
sheep robbery |
14 yr |
1834-37 |
