Joseph Watt (abt.1789-) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Joseph Watt aka Jones, Watkins

Born about 1789 in Northamptonshire, England

[uncertain]

Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]

[sibling(s) unknown]

Husband of Lydia Winter Boyton — married 1858 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia

[children unknown]

Died [date unknown] in New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions

Profile last modified 12 May 2024 | Created 27 Feb 2019

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Biography

Joseph Watt was a convict after the Third Fleet transported to New South Wales

On Tuesday 27 July 1858, on the road between Goulburn and Gunning, Joseph robbed the Yass Mail coach.

The following Tuesday, on 3 August, around seventy-year-old Joseph married fifteen-year-old Lydia Boyton in 1858 at Goulburn in the name 'Joseph Watkins'.^[1] [Lydia is a first cousin three times removed to Peter Jones, the creator of this profile.] Watt is presumed to be his proper last name but as this is the only birth, death, or marriage record thus-far located it may not be correct.

In early 1859, in the name Joseph Watt, he was convicted of the robbery and sentenced to ten years hard labour:^[2]

Joseph Watt was convicted of robbing James Elworthy, on the 27th July, 1858, at Breadalbane Plains, near Goulburn, of 2 rings and ten shillings, and sentenced to ten years' hard labor on the roads. Prosecutor was a passenger by the Yass mail on the 27th July. About dusk two men emerged from the bush, and called on the driver and passengers to "stand." They ordered prosecutor to descend, and emptied his Pockets. Prosecutor identified the prisoner as one of the men. In a room in a house where prisoner had been lodging the chief constable of Goulburn found articles which corresponded with the description he had received.

What we can piece together of his life beforehand is therefore based on information revealed about him in his prison records.

On 3 December 1860 he is recorded in a list of prisoners transferred from Parramatta Gaol to Berrima Gaol. However he is further recorded as being interred at Port Macquarie on 1 January 1862.

His Port Macquarie Prison History, dated 13 July 1868, records him having then served 926 days at Port Macquarie and also notes that he had:

No employment for this prisoner at this Gaol, he having come as an invalid

This is perhaps not surprising given that he was around seventy years old when convicted and eighty years at that time.

The same document also records a number of his previous convictions, including

Sydney County Court, 13 Oct 1847, Burglary, discharged by proclamation
Police Office Sydney, 14 Jan 1848, Disorderly, 2 months internment
Sydney County Court, 24 Aug 1849, Burglary, 2 years road
Sydney County Court, 29 Aug 1849, Highway robbery, 2 charges, 15 years roads, time sentenced concurrent

What happened to Joseph after his time at Port Macquarie Gaol is currently unknown. There are no registered deaths in the names Joseph Watt or Joseph Watkins before 1900 in NSW which could relate to him. There are several registered in the nameJoseph Jones, but none which can be definitively attached. He had clearly been seeking release from prison at Port Macquarie as is evidenced in the applications made in January 1867 and July 1868. Copies of both of these documents are attached.

Joseph's crimes, remand, and trial on the last two mentioned above were reported in the press in 1849:

Penrith Mail Coach Robbery.— About five o'clock yesterday morning the mail coach from Penrith to Sydney was stopped by two armed bushrangers between Bungarabee and Walgrove. The usual "stop, or I'll blow your brains out" being announced, the the coachman was compelled to pull up, when one of the men stationed himself at the horses' heads, with a double-barrelled gun, while the other demanded the cash of the passengers, which they, reluctantly, were obliged to give up. From Mr. Thomas Douglas, publican, of Pitt-street, they took a gold watch, two one-pound notes, some silver, and two knives ; from Mr. C. F. Pickering, of Bell's Life , £11 in notes, and a cheque for £5 ; from Holmes a jockey, 7s. 9d. ; from Mr. John West, of Muswellbrook, 1s. 6d. ; and from another jockey, known by the name of Billy the Weasle, 6s. was taken. After which the coachman and Patrick Sinclair who was passenger, were searched, but nothing was found on them, Sinclair having thrown whatever he had in some straw which was on the coach. A bundle was also taken, which, we understand, contained some linen. The man who committed the robbery was about 5 feet 8 inches m height, rather slender, the other was a short stout man, both with their faces blackened. Upon arriving at Parramatta, intimation of the affair was given to Chief Constable Ryan ; but up to a late hour last evening nothing had been heard of the robbers. The mail bags were not touched by the robbers. It was stated by some of the passengers that the thieves were on the look out for Mr. Nash, of Sydney, who was expected to be returning from South Creek races.^[3]

PENRITH MAIL ROBBERY.-Thomas Jones, or Watt, charged with robbing the Penrith mail last week, was on Tuesday given into the custody of the police by Mr. Douglas, one of the parties robbed. Several of the articles stolen from him were found in Jones's possession, as well as a gold watch, the property ot a Mr. Hinder. Some of the police were sent in quest of another of the persons (to whom they had some clue,) connected with the robbery, and Jones was not brought up till to-day, when he was remanded.^[4]

THE ROBBERY OF THE PENRITH MAIL.

Joseph Watts and Stephen Booth, junior, pleaded GUILTY to an information, charging them with the robbery of one Thomas Douglass (Thomas Green Douglass (1829 - 1914)?), on the Penrith road, on the morning of the 29th June.

The prisoners, it will be recollected, were the parties who stopped the Penrith Mail, and Windsor coach, on the same night, and eased the passengers of their superfluous valuables.

The prisoners were remanded for sentence till Wednesday next.^[5]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25.

(Before Mr. Justice Dickinson.)

MAIL ROBBERY AND BURGLARY.

Joseph Watts and Stephen Booth pleaded guilty, first, to robbing the Penrith mail, and secondly, to burglariously robbing the house of Mr. J. A. Kellie, at Bungarrabee.

Edward Chambers was then indicted for aiding and assisting Watts in the robbery of Mr. Kellie's house, at Bungarrabee. The principal evidence against the prisoner was that of Stephen and Henrietta Booth, the father and mother of the young man who had pleaded guilty, who deposed to Watts and Chambers jointly bringing to their house some of the property produced, and which was identified by Mr. Kellie. The jury returned a verdict of guilty.

Watts and Chambers were each sentenced to eight years on the roads, and Booth (a lad of 17 years old) was remanded for sentence.^[6]

In regard to his previous life it seems possible that Joseph may have been the same man who received a Conditional Pardon around the Queen's Birthday on 9 June 1849.^[7] The timing certainly seems to fit his further crime later the same month. If so, then that document also records that he was a convict who arrived aboard the Aurora in 1833, and who had been tried at Northampton Assizes on 4 March 1833, found guilty, and convicted to transportation for life.^[8]

However, it is also noted that the robbery of which this man was reported convicted in August 1849 took place on 22 May 1849.^[9]. A substantial value of items were stolen, for which a £20 reward was offered by Alexander Kellie (Find A Grave: Memorial #162879921), including:

A Cash-box, containing 5 gold rings, sundry articles of Jewellery, Bills, Deeds, and Vouchers; Silver Teaspoons and Sugar-tongs, marked A.E.K., and a Watch; Plated Liqueur and Decanter Stands, and Salver; Double-barrelled Gun, maker's name Lacy and Co., and Pocket Pistol; Small Medicine Chest-bottles labelled A Foss; Wearing Apparel and Linen

Perhaps Joseph had planned this robbery in advance of his conditional pardon as means of establishing some level of financial security?

The site, 'Bungarrabee' (Bungarribee Estate, Doonside), seems to have then been leased by the East India Company and used as a horse stud.