Researchers who have claimed this convict
There is currently one researcher who has claimed Joseph Capewell
- Researcher (norman holloway)
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Biographies
Joseph Capewell was the eldest of four sons born to Fairbrother & Martha (nee Morriss) Capewell.
He was Christened on 03/04/1791 at St John the Baptist Lea Marston Warwickshire UK. He married Elizabeth
Cox at St Martins Birmingham on 24/10/1811. The couple had two sons both born at Coleshill (Warks), Joseph
1812/21 and James 1814/82. Jame's 2nd marriage, certificate, describes the groom's father as a 'horse dealer'
in fact the record shows he was an osler (ostler). However he obviously had ambitions to achieve the higher status, unfortunately at the expense of others. As a consequence, he was arrested for stealing a horse from the village of Chilvers Coton for which he was sentenced to death at the Warwickshire assizes lent 01/04/1817 session. This was commuted to transportation to Australia for 14 years. He was sent to the prison Hulk Retribution to await passage. Conditions on the hulks were horrific where those who survived were deemed fortunate.
Again Joseph was lucky, he along with another 179 male prisoners was assigned to the private transport 'Ocean'a fairly new vessel (built Whitby 1808). The Master was Sam Remmington & Surgeon, George Fairfowl. His medical journal of the voyage still survives. The ship sailed from Spithead 21/08/1817 stopping for water at St Helena before proceeding to Port Jackson NSW, arriving 01/01/1818 with a full complement of prisoners. Joseph was assigned to work for Mr William Cox & his two sons George & Henry of Clarendon, Windsor NSW.at no cost to the government.
Joseph's family did not accompany him to Australia as some convict families did, but I wonder if he saw the irony of serving someone with the same surname as his wife! Sadly he did not learn from the error of his ways & was once again apprehended in 1823, for entering the house of Mr Knight a tailor and stealing some garments. At his trial,
he was sentenced to three years transportation to Moreton Bay Queensland. (Quote) 'Capewell had not a word to say'.
This was a prison settlement and there was no extra time added to the original 14 year sentence. He returned to NSW & finally received his Certificate of Freedom 05/04/1831. Around that time another shipment of convicts arrived including one, Mary Gilligan an eighteen year old Irish coleen from Dublin. She and Joseph, 'hit it off'
and applied to be wed. Permission was granted. She of course was born in the same year (1812) as Joseph's firstborn son. As there is no certain record as to the fate of his first wife Elizabeth, it is unknown if this union was bigamous. In any case there were no further children. Nothing further is heard of Joseph (or Josh as he was called)
Until the 1858 coroners entry recording his death at Clarence Town NSW due to 'natural causes'. It is uncommon to have an intimate description of an ancestor (unless you have a stairwell full of portraits in your stately home)until then advent of photography. However bureaucracy ensures that convicts details are on permanent record for
posterity! Joseph is describe as being 4"1/2 inches tall of sallow complexion, brown hair & hazel eyes. Distinguishing marks include a scar on centre of forehead, another on left side of ???. A perpendicular scar on upper lip, another on nose between the eyes. Products of a violent life? Joseph's son James became a very successful businessman and one of his sons, William later emigrated to Victoria, his descendants live there to this day. Mary Gilligan's record will
be separate.
Submitted by Researcher (norman holloway) on 10 October 2018
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Disclaimer: The information has not been verified by Claim a Convict. As this information is contributed, it is the responsibility of those who use the data to verify its accuracy. Research notes
There are currently no research notes attached to this convict. Sources
- The National Archives (TNA) : HO 11/2, p.380
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