Benjamin Pearce (1807 - aft. 1835)

Born 1807 in Bristol, England

Died after Sep 1835 after age 28 in New South Wales, Australia [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Shoshanah Luckie [send private message]

Africans convicted and transported from Great Britain to Australia

Biography

Benjamin Pearce has African ancestry.

Benjamin Pearce was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to Van Diemen's Land

Benjamin was born in 1807 in Bristol in England. His father was at Limehouse in East London and he was a native of Barbados (images upper, mid right) ^[1][2] Benjamin was a convict after the 3rd fleet to Van Diemans Land. His trade was that of "Gentleman Servant".

Benjamin was tried at The Old Bailey in London (see image to lower right) and convicted of Grand Larceny, when he was aged 18. He was found guilty with a man called George Scott. The transcript of the the trial begins:

GEORGE SCOTT and BENJAMIN PEARCE were indicted for stealing, on the 18th of March , 15 oak staves, value 12s. , the goods of Richard Biggs .. ^[3]
A full transcript of the trial is available at ^[4]

Benjamin was transported with 189 other convicts on the Convict ship Governor Ready which left England on 26th March 1827 and arrived at its destination in Hobart, Van Diemen's Land on 31st July 1837 ^{[5] [6]}

The following details are recorded about Benjamin

• Marital Status: Single
• Description, hair: black,
• complexion: black,
• eyes: black,
• Height:5 ft 2 ¾ in,
• Body Marks: Mermaid WP EP inside right arm WP CP AP CP JP BP RB inside rt arm scar on eye
• Family: Father at Limehouse, native of Barbadoes (images upper, mid right).
• Conviction: 6/4/1826,
• Sentence: 7 yrs,
• Place Of Sentencing: Newgate, (Central Criminal Court - image lower right) ^[7]
• Gaol Report: Not Known,
• Hulk Report: Bad,
• Stated This Offence: Stealing ### prosecutor Mr Briggs,
• Surgeons Report: Good,
• Transported For: Felony,
• Muster 1830-12-31: Assd. to E. Lord Esq.,
• Muster 1832-12-31:
• Ticket of Leave, Muster 1833-12-31: Ticket of Leave, Sailed: 1827-04-03, Sailed Days: 119,
• Sailed From: Portsmouth, Ship Master: John Young, Ship Name: "Governor Ready"
• Arrived: 1827-07-31 ^{[8] [9]}

Benjamin was granted his ticket of leave on 1st February 1832

It is recorded that Benjamin was freed on 25th June 1833, and again on 21st April 1834 when he was 27 years old. ^[10]

Ticket of leave 25 Jan 1832, suspended 26 Mar 1833 when Pearce was committed to face trial before the Supreme Court for perjury on 26 Jun 1833

Certificate granted 25 Apr 1834 (Hobart Town Courier 25 Apr 1834)

Benjamin Pearce, William Wilson, and Abraham Hood, all respectable shopkeepers and venders of bread, were charged with selling bread short of its reputed weight. The bread produced had been weighed within the law prescribed, and was short of weight though not much. They were each fined 20s. We wonder the bakers do not study the act. They should have their scales on the counter, to weigh every loaf they vend, and if one proves short of the intended weight, take a piece off ' a broken loaf, this woùld avoid all the difficulty they are daily subject to from cheating constables, who are the only persons that ate (Colonial Times, Hobart 1 Sep 1835) ^[8]

Benjamin passed away after September 1835.

The original handwritten notes kept about Benjamin have been digitally transcribed and are available at Libraries Tasmania ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Library of Congress.org An accurate map of the island of Barbadoes [1]
2. ↑ Slavery Images.org, Plantation Scene and Slave Houses, Barbados, 1807-08 [2]
3. ↑ Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 25 March 2022), April 1826, trial of GEORGE SCOTT BENJAMIN PEARCE (t18260406-119).
4. ↑ The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London's Central Criminal Court 1674-1913, George Scott, Benjamin Pearce [3]
5. ↑ Convict Records, Benjamin Pearce [4]
6. ↑ Convict Ship, Governnor Ready (1827) [5]
7. ↑ Wikipedia, Old Bailey [6]
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Founders and Survivors.org Convict Chain [7]
9. ↑ Beyond the Pale, Immigrants to Van Diemans Land before 1900 [8]
10. ↑ The Digital Panopticon Benjamin Pearce b. 1808, Life Archive ID obpt18260406-119-defend688 (https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/life?id=obpt18260406-119-defend688). Version 1.2.1, consulted 25th March 2022.
11. ↑ Libraries Tasmania Online Records, Benjamin Pearce [9]