Claim a Convict
home | search & browse | resources | contact us |login

Details for the convict Jonathan Tunbridge (1829)

Convict Name:Jonathan Tunbridge
Trial Place:Middlesex Gaol Delivery
Trial Date:22 June 1826
Sentence:7 years
Notes:
 
Arrival Details
Ship:Lady Harewood (1)
Arrival Year:1829
 
Claim Jonathan Tunbridge as yours

Researchers who have claimed this convict

There is currently one researcher who has claimed Jonathan Tunbridge

  • Researcher (10857)
Claimed convict

Biographies

Jonathan Tunbridge, 14-year old tailor's boy sent to Tasmania for 7-year sentence - arrived in 1829. 1st January 1842 census for District of Spring Bay lists: Name of Householder: 'Jonathan Tunbridge'; Place of Residence: Sandspit (in the region of today's Rheban Beach, near Orford); Name of person at the head or in charge of this house or establishment: Jonathan Tunbridge; Proprietor: William H Glover, Sorell (Note: Captain William Henry Golver, Horsecroft, from Dublin); Is the dwelling-house built of stone of brick or of wood?: Wood (hut); How many persons generally reside in this establishment beside yourself?: None; How many of these persons are Free?: (This question refers to persons beside the 'head of the house', the answer therefore is:) None; (But then, referring to the questions about 'persons', an addition reads): 'No one resides in this house by myself and I am Free! (The word 'Free' is underlined. This means that he is a former convict who had completed his sentence and was then 'freed'.)

Some time after the arrival of the Emma Eugenie, in 1842, bringing Ann Gault (Galt) to Tasmania as a convict (she was 21 and had been transported for shoplifting) Ann and Jonathan met, and after one unsuccessful application to marry, dated June 1843, they were finally given permission to do so in September 1843. The wedding took place in the 'parish church' on 8th Janury 1844, District of Hobart, St George's (Battery Point). Under 'rank' in the wedding registry, Jonathan gave his as 'farmer' and Ann hers as 'spinster'.

In 1845, the birth registry lists a 'male' born on 18th July to Jonathan and Ann Tunbridge, registered in Spring Bay; 'given name not recorded'. Then, on 1st September of 1846, another 'male' is registered in Spring Bay, again, given name not recorded; sadly the infant son dies the same day. There are no further births listed for Jonathan and Ann Tunbridge; however, later records indicate that the infant son born in 1845 must be Jonathan Tunbridge (the son). One later record of 1875 found in TROVE states that Jonathan is the older of two sons of Jonathan and Ann Tunbridge. In 1848, William, second son of Jonathan and Ann Tunbridge is born, but on 15th February 1875 William dies of consumption, leaving a wife, three children, (a girl and two boys).

Some stime between the census in 1842, and the wedding of his son, William Tunbridge, in 1870, Jonathan Tunbridge, the erstwhile convict, had acquired by purchase or grant property in Bream Creek, that being the 'dwelling-house' where the wedding took place. He was 55 years old in 1870 - I have no further records of what became of him after that - my research was directed at our property, which was acquired by grant or purchase from the crown in two lots by the son Jonathan Tunbridge in 1859 and 1870 respectively.

Ann Gault (Galt) is most likely the fomer convict whose death record (having died in Sorell) reads with a birth date of 1823 and a death date of 1884, and 'farmer's wife'. Since the birth records do not quite match, yet there would hardly be two Ann Gault, convicts, in the same region, I'm fairly certain the Ann Gault listed as having died in Sorell is the widow of the former convict Jonathan Tunbridge.


Submitted by Researcher (10857) on 10 April 2019

Disclaimer: The information has not been verified by Claim a Convict. As this information is contributed, it is the responsibility of those who use the data to verify its accuracy.

Research notes

There are currently no research notes attached to this convict.

Sources

  • The National Archives (TNA) : HO 11/7, p.18

Hawkesbury on the Net home page   |   Credits

Lesley Uebel & Hawkesbury on the Net © 1998 - 2024