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There is currently one researcher who has claimed George Betts
Biographies
A report had appeared in the Worcester Herald on Thursday, 27 February 1830, that George and an accomplice, Robert Giles, had been committed by the Rev. J R Hall to the county gaol at Worcester charged with entering the dwelling-house of the Rev. William Jones at Evenlode, and stealing sixty sovereigns and a five pound promissory note.
The Wolverhampton Chronicle & Staffordshire Advertiser noted that the Worcestershire Assizes were held on Monday, 8 March 1830, Mr Justice Littledale presiding. There were 62 prisoners for trial, and George and Robert received death sentences. After sentencing, both George and Robert were returned to the Worcester County Gaol.
George was about 20 years old at the time of his sentencing.
On Thursday, 27 May 1830 the Worcester Journal reported that George and Robert were removed from the Worcester County Gaol on the previous Thursday, ie 20 May 1830, and relocated to Chatham. Their sentence is noted as “For life”. Their offence was described as “a robbery at Evenlode”.
George Betts was one of 200 male prisoners transferred to hulks moored in the Thames awaiting transportation to New South Wales on the Florentia, a 453 tons barque under the command of John Jeffery Drake.
The Florentia departed on 11 August 1830 and arrived in Sydney on 15 December 1830. Four prisoners died on the journey. On 17 December 1830 the remaining convicts were mustered on board by the Colonial Secretary. On disembarking, the prisoners were sent to the Carter’s Barracks.
The Carter’s Barracks were situated on land known as the Brickfields, where bricks were manufactured for the colony, and the prisoners would have been put to work moving and carting the bricks, hence the name Carter’s Barracks.
I don’t know what happened to George between the time he was sent to the brickfields until 1840. I have a note that he had been assigned to Mr Scott of Long Swamp, also to a Mr Curtis, and finally to Major Henry Colden Antill of Molonglo. George received a Ticket-of-Leave in 1840 in Queanbeyan and this indicates that he was born in Worcester and his trade was Ploughman.
Major Henry Colden Antill
Major Antill and his family had arrived in the colony of NSW on the HMS Dromedary on 29 December 1809. Major Antill became Aide-de-Camp to Governor Macquarie. In 1822 he was granted land and established an Estate which he named "Jarvisfield". In 1828 Antill was forced to send his sheep and cattle to the Molonglo Plains because of drought.
On 5 July 1841 George married Jean Wise (a convict who had been assigned to Major Antill) at Stonequarry Court House (Picton). The marriage application dated 14 April 1840 indicated that the groom's surname had been changed to Bates and that Jean had Anglaicised her name to Jane.
Between 1840-1843 George Bates had been employed as a milkman and carrier in Queanbeyan. Perhaps during this time and up until 1848 he was still assigned to Major Antill. On 10 July 1848 George was granted a Conditional Pardon.
The couple's first child, Eliza Bates, was born on 17 July 1840 and baptised on 9 August 1840 at Stonequarry. In adulthood, Eliza included Antill in her name, ie Eliza Antill Bates. Other children born to the couple were Charles 1842, Nancy 1844, John 1847, and twins George and James 1849, and another daughter, Louisa in 1851, were born in Queanbeyan.
On 15 April 1856 and 20 April 1858 George was granted licences for the Shamrock, Rose & Thistle, Macquoid Street, Queanbeyan.
In April 1883 George took up a selection of 98 acres in the parish of Keewong.
The Goulburn Evening Penny Post reported on Tuesday 21 July 1891 that "Mr George Bates, one of the oldest residents of Queanbeyan, died early on Friday morning. He was one of the first members of the local Oddfellows' Lodge, having resided in Queanbeyan for nearly 40 years."
Submitted by Researcher (5623) on 31 May 2016
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There are currently no research notes attached to this convict. Sources
- The National Archives (TNA) : HO 11/7, p.463
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