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Henry Hancock was born about 1817 in Somerset, England. His occupation at the time was an apprentice chair maker, so it is of no surprise that he lived and worked as a sawyer and carpenter.
He was convicted of the theft of a furnace on October 19, 1835, Somerset Quarter Sessions. He was sentenced for life and transported to the Colony of Australia, setting sail aboard the "Strathfieldsay".
Also on the same convict manifest was his brother, John.[1]
When Henry arrived on June 15, 1836, He was convict number 170 of 270 male convicts on that vessel[2] and he was assigned to Kenneth Munro of the Southern Highlands area in Sutton Forest, New South Wales, Australia. Here he labored as a sawyer, carpenter, field hand, and general worker.
Henry was granted a ticket of leave on March 18, 1845 - No: 45/484 and was then given a Conditional Pardon on the Oct 5, 1849 - No: 49/1417. [3][4]
The above records of Ticket of Leave and Conditional Pardon are available from the State Records Authority of New South Wales ©
He was married to Mary Ann Crosbie in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on August 11, 1853.[5] The marriage only produced a daughter, Emily Hancock, born 1855 and a son, Henry William Hancock on March 11, 1858. At the time of Henry William's birth, his mother, Mary Ann Hancock nee Crosbie, was 21 years old.
Henry died in Bundanoon, New South Wales, Australia, from Gastritis, a sickness which can now almost always be prevented. He was buried at Sutton Forest Cemetery, Sutton Forest, New South Wales, Australia, on July 26, 1872.[6]
According to Wikipedia, a barque [7] or bark or barc, depending on which way you want to spell it, is a sailing vessel with three or more masts, having the foremasts rigged square and only the aftermast rigged fore-and-aft.
The "Strathfieldsay" was such a vessel and was built at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, in the United Kingdom in the year of Our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Twenty Nine, and was owned by Mr Thomas Ward of London. The "Strathfieldsay" was mainly in used as a bounty transport ship, but had also carted some cargo before its demise in the year of Our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Forty Two.
The "Strathfieldsay's" first Convict Voyage was on 2 August in the year of Our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Thirty One, where she was Australia bound. She called in at Plymouth before she left England for bound for HobartTown, Van Deimen's which she reached on 15 November in the year of Our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Thirty One. The ship, commanded by William Harrison, brought 221 prisoners along with their guard to Australia on that voyage.
The Medical and Surgical Journal of His Majesty's hired transport "Strathfieldsay" for 16 December 1835 to 24 June 1836 by T. B. Wilson, surgeon for the voyage aboard the "Strathfieldsay", was not a glowing report of the abilities of Master Phillip Jones. This is an excerpt of some of what Thomas Braidwood Wilson had to say, who received his orders to join the "Strathfieldsay" on 15 December. "I received my instructions and joined the ship at Deptford," and after setting sail for Australia, he reports:
In consequence of heavy weather and contrary winds we
did not reach the Downs until the 3 February, the wind
being fresh and fair, we continued our course and at ½
past 5 next morning the ship struck on a sand bank where
she remained hard and fast.
Fortunately the tide was flowing rapidly and in rather more
than half an hour the ship was afloat and at noon of the
same day we anchored at Spithead. This clumsy accident
at the very beginning of the voyage on a weather shore
vexed me exceedingly, and it tended to make me lose
confidence in the Master. The ship however did not receive
any material damage.[8]
As you can see Master Phillip Jones would not be on T. B. Wilson's Christmas list.
With Philip Jones as master and having started from London, the "Strathfieldsay" left Portsmouth on 18 February 1836 and traveled via Rio and reached Sydney on 15 June with 276 male prisoners.[9]
The "Strathfieldsay" is listed as departing Port Phillip for India on 6 June 1840 under Captain Spence. In 1841, mastered by George Warren and carrying migrants, the Strathfieldsay journeyed from London on 1 May, called at Plymouth and Port Phillip, before sailing on to Sydney which she reached on 5 October 1841.
See also: Convicts After the Third Fleet
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