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Archiver > AUS-CONVICTS > 2006-05 > 1147998411


From: "Peter Thomas" <>
Subject: RE: Matthew ELKINS and the expiry of his sentence.
Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 09:57:32 +0930
In-Reply-To: <000a01c67a8b$23a35f70$0100000a@JohnThorpe>


From my reading of that era, he was probably "free" in the practical
sense of not being confined in a prison. The trick was, however, that
without proof of his emancipated status, some difficulties faced him:
particularly, travel, especially back to the old country.

One case I am familiar with, from 1837, involves a convict waiyting for
years after being granted a pardon for a piece of paper to prove that
fact. He was one of a group pardonned together, and the Government
Clerk demanded a fee to produce copies of the original pardon.

Another case from 1842, involved a prisoner originally transported in
1820, who suffered secondary transportation to N.I. for a colonial
offence in VDL, in 1834. Then he was sent to P.J., in 1842, but the
paper trail didn't keep up with him. He was pardonned for the 1834
offence, but the 1820 offence remained operative until his death in
1858: he never progressed past a ToL.


Peter THOMAS
Darwin, AUSTRALIA
<>



-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Thorpe [mailto:]
Sent: Friday, 19 May 2006 12:26 AM
To:
Subject: Matthew ELKINS and the expiry of his sentence.


Hello all,

First let me say thankyou to everyone on the list who have been so very
helpful with information re ELKINS, MOSS, MARTIN, WILBOW and MAYERS.

Now I have another question: Matthew ELKIN(s) - sorry, sometimes it
doesn't have an "s" on the end, but other times it does - was tried in
1797 and sentenced to death, later remitted to 7 years transportation.
He arrived in NSW in 1802 so almost 5 years of his sentence had already
been served when he got here.which means he should have served his time
by about 1804-5. So why do I find him in the Colonial Secretary's Papers
in 1816 on a list of convicts "claiming that he has served his time but
has no supporting documents" ? Surely, it was long overdue for him to be
free? What would cause such an extended period of time to pass?

As I'm new at convict research perhaps someone can tell me where to look
to find out when he did get his freedom? And should there be a record of
a request or permission for convicts to marry? If so, where can I find
it? I can't find either event for Matthew ELKIN in the Colonial Sec.
Papers online or in SAG online databases.

Regards, Sue.

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