BENSON, CONVICTS, HANNAH HITCHENS,HUTCHINS, HITCHIN

HANNAH’S FAMILY

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From Penny and Marilyn I have further info.

To begin with, Phil Ready provided the following information. 

Hannah Hitchens first married Thomas Benson ( who is officially and possibly my ancestor ) and they had 2 daughters MARY ANN and SARAH ANN.

HANNAH HUTCHINS

MARRIED 15/3/1826

 THOMAS BENSON
MARY ANN
6/5/1627		   SARAH ANN
3/7/1831
 
Following Thomas’ death in Liverpool Asylum, Hannah bore children to and later married HENRY SAMUELS.
 
  HANNAH HUTCHENS MARRIED 12/9/1836 HENRY SAMUELS
HANNAH
1832		 LOUISA
1837		 HENRY W
1840		 JAMES C
1842		 ELLEN
1846
 
PENNY  SENT THESE DETAILS :
 
  •  
    • Greatly interested as  Hannah Hitchens/Hutchings is my gt gt grandmother by her second marriage to Henry Samuels. Their daughter Louisa Matilda married to Jabez Brown was my gt grand mother.I have just this very day being trying to trace both parts of the familie’s movements in Victoria and NSW. When was Thomas Benson admitted to Liverpool asylum and why? Hannah and Henry’s 1st child Hannah was born in 1832 within days of his death and they did not mary until 1836 with permission of the govt. Hannah did not get her Conditional Pardon until 1838.Henry was also a convict.
      Cheers Penny
  •  
    • The plot thickens!!!

      • No I don’t have much on Hannah Samuels jnr/Kilfoyle except Victorian death certs for her and husband Joseph (1889 & 1905).in Victoria.

      I also have dc’s for all her Samuels siblings except Ellen and a bc for Benson 1/2 sister Mary Ann born 1827 Lower Minto.

      Next step is to obtain a transcript of her birth cert. I feel there must have been a wee bit of a relationship overlap to say the least whilst Thomas was languishing in Liverpool insane asylum! His death cert has occupation – LUNATIC!

      I had a quick look on nsw BDM and saw the 1833 Jane Benson death but no mother is given. Where is the info from? It could be another Benson. I found Glen Mc Kenzie’s family tree on Rootsweb 2002 – World Connect a good guide to Samuels that got me going.  @   GLNMCK@HOTMAIL.COM 1927760   There are some inaccuracies eg Henry Samuels senior place of birth.

 
MARILYN ADDED THIS INFORMATION REGARDING HER DESCENT FROM SARAH ANN BENSON AND HER SECOND HUSBAND GEORGE MOORE:
  • I am descended from their 3rd child, Henry Thomas Moore who married Ellen McPhee, then their 2nd child Leslie Francis Moore who married Gladys May Robinson, then their 1st child Gladys Ivy Moore who married my father, Allen William Roberts. Mum and Dad only lived 3 streets away from each other in Lilyfield and knew each other from childhood. You would know that George was the 1st son of George Moore, convict of the ‘Asia’ 1822 and Ann Tracey, who came free on ‘ Elizabeth ’ 1818.  They married in 1827 and George was born in 1828.
  • Thanks for the new info and Penny has raised a few questions actually.  I hadn’t noticed but I have a child, Jane Benson, registered born and died in 1833 to Hannah and Thomas Benson, besides the child Penny mentioned, Hannah, born in 1832 (parents Hannah and Henry Samuels).  I hadn’t noticed the cross over of dates.  Will have to investigate further.  Perhaps ‘Jane’ and ‘Hannah’ are the same child?  Is it possible to ask Penny if she has anything on ‘Hannah’ except for a birth? I don’t have anything further on Thomas Benson’s death, only the BDM registered in Liverpool .  If Penny has a certificate she knows more than I at this time.  Of course, back in the early days asylums were also classified for use as ‘benevolent’, for not just the ‘ insane’ but also for people with invalidism or ill-health, or as paupers.  A cert would give some idea of his ‘condition’.

LYNNE WRITES : Sarah Ann was married in 1851 to Peter Mark Ready. They then go to Victoria in 1852 with their baby daughter. Hannah being only one year younger than Sarah it does seem likely there  is a connection in the Victorian experience. They lived in White Hills and then Back Creek near Amherst ( ah! this then became known as Talbot in 1861) It was there in 1862 that Peter Mark ready fell down a mine shaft and died.

We had always pictured Sarah as alone in Victoria with her 5 children but I doubt that after reading Penny’s emails. She married George Moore very quickly and returned to Sydney. Peter Mark was also known as Hogan ( the 2nd husband of his mother)

8 thoughts on “HANNAH’S FAMILY”

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  2. Pingback: HENRY SAMUELS « LYNNE BELL SANDERS
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  4. Pingback: Ticket of Leave details for Hannah Hutchings « LYNNE BELL SANDERS
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  6. Hello all! How exciting to find this website 🙂 Hannah & Henry were my 3 x great grandparents. I have pasted Hannah’s Old Bailey record below for your files if you don’t have it. Below that is Thomas Benton/Benson’s Old Bailey records & a little more about him which might explain why he was considered ‘mad enough’ to be placed in Sydney’s lunatic asylum – it was not a nice place. If you don’t have Henry Samuel’s Old Bailey record, just do a search for “Old Bailey” and you’ll find him in there as well. It is wonderful to find other ‘family’ researching our heritage here in Oz and I look forward to coming back to this site often to see how our ancestry unfolds. Cheers, Cherlock Qld.
    THE TRIAL OF HANNAH HUTCHINS – 25th June 1823 at the Old Bailey Courthouse. ORIGINAL TEXT: Before Mr. Justice Burrough. 911. MARIA WILLIAMS and HANNAH HUTCHINS were indicted for stealing, on the 20th of May, at St. Andrew, Holborn, thirty-three yards of poplin, value 2 l., the goods of Miles Metcalf, in his dwelling-house. CHARLES WILSON. I am shopman to Miles Metcalf , a linendraper, who lives in High Holborn. On the 20th of May, between six and seven o’clock in the evening, I was called down from tea, and found the prisoners in the shop, and as they were going out, I said I suspected they had something which did not belong to them; Hutchins denied it – Williams desired her to give it up if she had anything; she still persisted that she had nothing. I sent for a constable, and before he came Hutchins took the poplin from under her clothes, and gave it to me – it measured thirty-two yards, and is worth exactly 40 s., it cost us 1 s. 4 d. a yard – we should sell it for 5 s. or 6 s. more. Williams begged hard to be let go, and said she would take the print away, and pay the money if we would let them go; she said nothing about the poplin. Hutchins said she had never seen it after she had given it up – she could not account how it got under her petticoats. They at first said they had not enough to pay for the print, which came to 8 s. 3 d., but 14 s. was found on one of them. JOHN LATIMER CLARK . I am servant to Mr. Metcalf; the prisoners came to the shop, and both asked to see a printed cotton; I saw Bow the shopman who is not here, shew them a great many. I was behind the counter opposite to them, about a yard from them; they were about ten minutes looking at them, and did not like any of them. I saw Hutchins convey a piece of figured poplin under her petticoat; she rather stooped to do it; Williams was close to bet, she did not put it on the side Williams stood, but Williams came on the other side of her at the time, and held up a printed cotton, while she was doing it, and asked me the price of it. I immediately ran up stairs and told Wilson, who came down with me, they were than paying 1 s. deposit for a print – they were going out, and he said, he thought they had something which did not belong to them, Hutchins denied it. I left them with Wilson, while I fetched Collins, the officer. JAMES COLLINS. I am a constable. I was fetched. Wilson gave me the poplin and the prisoner’s in charge. (Property produced and sworn to.) WILLIAMS’S Defence. I was coming along Holborn, and met Hutchins very much in liquor. She asked me to go with her to buy a gown, and I went with her, not knowing that she meant to steal.

    HUTCHINS – GUILTY – DEATH. Aged 16. – Later commuted to Transportation. WILLIAMS – NOT GUILTY.

    This was found on the Jenny Fawcett site, for deaths of Convicts in NSW. Name: Benson, Thomas. Ship Arrived On: Ocean. Year of Death: 1832. Source: http://www.hotkey.net.au/~jwilliams4/cdeathsb.htm.

    Well the above certainly provided more information once I contacted Jenny Fawcett. The surname of Thomas was often spelt thus: ‘BENTON” and not BENSON, so another search of the Old Bailey records turned up a transcript of his Court appearance & subsequent conviction.

    ORIGINAL TEXT: Before Mr. Baron Garrow 28. THOMAS “BENTON” was indicted for stealing, on the 30th of October 1822, five shirts, value 25 s., and two handkerchiefs, value 2 s., the goods of Thomas Barnett; and one pair of shoes, value 2 s., the goods of Sarah Spencer, from her person. SARAH SPENCER. I live with my mother, in Vinegar-lane, Commercial-Road – she is a laundress. Thomas Barnet is my father-in-law. On the 30th of October, about a quarter before eight o’clock, I was in Gravel-lane with a bundle of linen, into which I put a pair of shoes which I had bought there. As I came out of the shop, I saw three men standing there – one of them snatched my bundle, and was gone in a moment; one of the others ran after him. The prisoner held me fast while the others got away – he held me full two or three minutes; it was moon-light, and the lamps were lit; I screamed out for assistance, and he ran towards the others, but was stopped before I lost sight of him – I am certain of him. My bundle was produced in a few minutes; it had been picked up in the direction they ran. JOHN AVERY. I am a Bow-street patrol. I heard a young woman scream out, and ran to her – she said, “They have got my bundle, there he goes, that is him.” The other two ran up Chigwell-hill, and the prisoner ran up by the dock wall, and took to the left. I secured him; she immediately said he was the man who held her. I went to Chigwell-hill, and picked up the bundle. The linen belonged to a Captain, and was given up to him. I asked how he came there, he said he went on an errand from his master, Mr. Ward, French-alley, Goswell-street, and afterwards said he went on his own pleasure. (Shoes produced and sworn to.) Prisoner’s Defence. I was going to the Black Horse, public-house, Gravel-lane, to see a man. The prosecutrix screamed out, and said she was robbed – I went up and asked who by; she said a man, and pointed towards the wall-several people ran, and I was taken. SARAH SPENCER. He did not come and ask who robbed me. I am certain of him.

    GUILTY. Aged 19. SENTENCE: “Transported for Life”.

    Thomas was placed aboard the Ocean II, which sailed from Portsmouth on 24th April 1823, and arrived in Sydney on 27th August 1823. The trip took 125 days, with 173 men embarking on the journey, but only 165 persons disembarked at Sydney. The ships Captain was William Harrison, and the Surgeon, James McTernan. Thomas was immediately marched to the Hyde Park Barracks where he worked for the Government and in 1826, applied to marry Hannah.

    It would seem that Thomas ran away in 1830 and was subsequently recaptured some days later, as the following report states. He did marry Hannah in 1826, and it appears that they proceeded to have 3 children – 2 girls (Mary Ann 1826, Sarah A 1831, & a son named William in 1829 who died shortly after in 1831).

    A notice was sent to the Principal Superintendent of Convicts’ Office in Sydney on May 15, 1830 & printed in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser on Tuesday, 18th May 1830. On Page 3, Column 5. It read:

    The undermentioned prisioners having absconded from the Individuals and Employment set against the Names, respectively, and some of them being at large with stolen Certificates, and Tickets of Leave, all Constables and others are hereby required and commanded to use their utmost Exertions in apprehending and lodging them in safe Custody. Any Person harbouring or employing any of the said Absentees will be prosecuted as the Law directs- (among those listed)

    1. Benton or Benson, Thomas, Ocean, 28 Toy Maker, London. 5 feet 3, light blue eyes, black hair, brown complexion. From: Employed-Hyde Park Barrack. By: F. A. Hely, J.P., Principal Superintendent of Convicts.

    Printed in the above newspaper on Thursday, 3rd June 1830, Page 4, Column 4, was the following:

    Principal Superintendent of Convicts’ Office Sydney, May 29, 1830

    LIST OF RUNAWAYS APPREHENDED DURING THE PAST WEEK (among those listed) Benson Thomas, Ocean, from Hyde Park Barrack. F. A. Hely, J.P., Principal Superintendent of Convicts.

    After obtaining Thomas’s Burial Registration, it appears the poor fellow died in Sydney’s first Lunatic Asylum. His “Quality or Profession” – Insane, with his abode noted as “Lunatic Asylum”.

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