Memories
Highway Robbery near Sheffield
Isaac Beaumont,born about 1818 and his brother Joshua, a mason, who lived at Whiston were accused of robbing Robert Hadley of his watch. Because the robbery took place on a road it was classed as highway robbery and the only sentence for that offence was death.
Isaac was arrested but as far as I know Joshua was never apprehended. Isaac was found guilty and the death sentance was passed. It was later reduced to transportation to Australia.
He was married and had a child. He was the son of Jonathon and Ann Beaumont. He was transported to Sydney on the "Waterloo" arriving in Australia 8th February 1838. He was given his Conditional Pardon on 10th June 1850.
In 1844, he was given permission to marry again. In Australia, given a death sentence he could never return to the U.K. hence the granting of another marriage. He married Mary Whytelaw, a scots lassie who came free to the colony on the "New York Packet" arriving in Sydney 23 October 1841.
They had probably 8 children only 6 living, my great granmother the youngest. Mary died in July 1856 in childbirth her son also dying. After Mary's death Isaac certainly got into bad company again and had further brushes with the law. He died at the home of his eldest daughter on 5th February 1896, 48 years after arriving in Australia.
Isaac had 48 grandchildren and to-day they come from all walks of life including, horicultorists, office workers, to university graduates, you name it he probably has an offspring doing it.
Joshua was finally caught and taken to York Castle on 7th July 1838. He was charged with feloniously stealing a watch and seals from the person of Robert Hadley, of Sheffield, in the month of December, 1836:
Mr D. Dundas and Mr Wortley appeared for the prosecution; Sir G. Lewin for the defence. The prosecutor stated, that on the night of the robbery he had been drinking in company with the prisoner, his brother and several other persons, at a public-house called the Sun, and that shortly after leaving it, at about 9 o'clock in the evening, the prisoner and his brother came up with him, and after having knocked him down and beat him severely, took from him his watch and money. The night was quite dark, but by the light of two glass furnaces he was enabled to see their features so distinctly as to be able to swear positively to their identity, and having known them several years he was the less likely to be mistaken. The brother was shortly after apprehended and convicted, but the prisoner succeeded, although officers were constantly in pursuit of him, in escaping detection until within a few months since. On one occasion the wood in which he was concealed was surrounded, but he still evaded his pursuers. At last information having been given, an officer was stationed at night near the cottage in which he resided, who having waited until the door was opened suddenly rushed in. The candles were however immediately extinguished, and the prisoner calling two fierce dogs which immediately seized him, ran up stairs and endeavoured to lower himself from the window. The officer being provided with pistols got rid of his assailants and succeeded in apprehending the prisoner before he had time to effect his purpose. His Lordhip, in summing up, remarked upon the extremely fallacious nature of evidence of identity in general, but left it to the jury to decide whether in this case sufficient had been proved, and whether the prisoner, by his repeated attempts to escape, had not given additional weight to the statement of the prosecutor.
Verdict - Guilty. Death sentence
Joshua was sent to the Hulk "Justitia" on 14 September 1838 and to Tasmania per "Gilmore" sailing on 5th October 1838 arriving in Tasmania on 22nd January 1839.
In 1852 Joshua sailed to Melbourne, by then he had a Conditional Pardon and in 1853 he again sailed to Melbourne as a free man.
He married Mary Ann Quinlan, 13 August, 1847
Thanks to Patricia Willcox for sending this story.
