James Armour (abt. 1795)

Born about 1795 in County Tyrone, Ireland

James Armour was a convict after the Third Fleet.

Biography

James Armour was aged about 37 when he was tried in County Antrim and found guilty of the crime of burglary. He was sentenced to transportation for life.^[1]

James Armour, a "notorious thief and burglar", was arrested at his own house at the bridge-end of Ballymacarrett after "several desperate and determined attempts at resistance". For a long time James had been "the ringleader of a band of thirteen thieves infecting the counties of Antrim and Down. It is praiseworthy on the part of the constabulary that during the many violent attempts of the prisoner to escape (he being a powerful man of six feet stature) they did not use their own arms although forced to resort to every other means to secure him. We are sorry to say that the police received several injuries from his hands and feet before they got him handcuffed and secured".^[2] Other newspaper reports noted that James was belonged to the "party of burglars and highwaymen who were the terror of the Counties of Down and Antrim for a length of time; he is six feet high, well proportioned and of fierce disposition. When arrested in Ballymacarrett he fought six policeman until he received twenty-two very severe wounds".^[3] James was sent to the Belfast Police office directly after his arrest.^[2]

James was then sent to Carrickfergus Jail where he awaited trial at the next Assizes. Joining him there were other members of the gang: Robert Boyd, Thomas Connolly, William Fitzsimons, Francis Friars, William McCullough, Robert Martin and David Campbell. They were all charged with several burglaries and robberies in Antrim and Down along with acts of violence towards the residents of houses they had "plundered".^[4]

James was specifically tried for breaking into the dwelling house of Samuel Hawthorn at Islandmagee on 4 December 1831 and stealing articles from the house. In addition the act of burglary, James and his gang threatened violence upon Mr Hawthorn and his wife. James was specifically identified by the victims and their servant girl who accused James of tying her hands and feet as well as slapping her. Fitzsimons (one of the burglars) gave evidence against Armour at the trial and clearly identified James as the ringleader of the crime. Another witness (a fellow prisoner at Belfast prison) stated that James had said there "was as much against him as would hang 8 or 10 men". James had a character witness, a T.E. O'Flaherty, who gave evidence that he was an honest and industrious man.^[5] The jury, after some deliberation, found James guilty but not Martin. The newspaper account stated that "the trial excited considerable notice as it was generally understood that the prisoners and the approver belonged to the gang of depredators who perpetrated so many outrages in this neighbourhood some months ago".^[6]

James was found guilty and in August 1832 (along with a number of other convicts including Robert Boyd aged 36, David Campbell aged 20 and Thomas Connolly aged 28^[3]) was sent to Kingstown (Cork)^[7] where he was imprisoned on the prison hulk Essex. All of these men travelled to New South Wales together with James on the Roslin Castle.^[8]

James travelled to New South Wales on board the Roslin Castle arriving in Sydney in February 1833. According to the records James was a carpenter/joiner prior to conviction and was married with six children (four sons and two daughters)^[8] and a Protestant. He also came from County Tyrone although at the time of his arrest he was living in Ballymacarret in County Down.^[9] James was said to be five feet ten inches tall with dark brown hair and brown eyes; he had a scar on his left cheek bone, scar on the back of his right wrist, a scar on the back of his left hand and the nail on the fourth finger of his left hand was disfigured.^[10]

On arrival in Sydney, James was allocated to "SG Department W*ll*m Bridge".^[11]

James obtained a ticket of leave in June 1842 and was required to stay in the district of Illawarra.^[12] In 1843 he was recommended for^[13][14] and obtained a conditional pardon on account of his good conduct on 30 July 1847 on proviso he never returned to the United Kingdom. ^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ National Archives of Ireland, Irish Transportation Database, PDF compilation database of records contained in the National Archives of Ireland; entry for James Armour, page 46; Record reference code: CRF 1846 Misc 3.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Belfast Commercial Chronicle, 28 December 1831. Accessed on Find My Past, 29 September 2016.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Belfast Newsletter 10 August 1832. Accessed on Find My Past, 29 September 2016.
4. ↑ Belfast Commercial Chronicle, 7 January 1832. Accessed on Find My Past, 29 September 2016.
5. ↑ Belfast Commercial Chronicle, 17 March 1832. Accessed on Find My Past, 29 September 2016.
6. ↑ Newry Telegraph, 23 March 1832. Accessed on Find My Past, 29 September 2016.
7. ↑ Northern Whig, 9 August 1832, accessed on Find My Past, 29 September 2016.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842. State Archives NSW; Series: NRS 12189; Item: [X635]; Microfiche: 703.
9. ↑ Irish Convicts to New South Wales, entry for James Armour.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia; Card Index to Letters Received, Colonial Secretary; Reel Number: 783; Roll Number: 1250. Pardon no 47/385. Accessed on Ancestry, 29 September 2016.
11. ↑ Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Class: HO 10; Piece: 30; The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England. Convict arrivals 1833-1834.
12. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Tickets of Leave, 1810-1869. State Archives NSW; Series: NRS 12202; Item: [4/4164]. Accessed on Ancestry.com, 29 September 2016.
13. ↑ State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia; Card Index to Letters Received, Colonial Secretary; Reel Number: 797; Roll Number: 1250. Accessed on Ancestry.com, 29 September 2016.
14. ↑ Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Class: HO 10; Piece: 53); The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England. Pardons 1842-1845.