William Kingston

The first of the Kingston family to come to Van Dieman\\'s Land was William who, in 1825, had been tried in the Surrey Assizes for helping to steal goods valued at 29 pounds, ten shillings and nine pence. He was sentenced "to be hung by the neck till he be dead". He was granted a reprieve and was ordered to be sent to the new colony in Van Dieman\\'s Land, which had been established twenty two years prior to this. THere was a great need for experienced farm labourers and William, being a good ploughman, was sent out as a convict.

He came out on the ship called "The Woodman", which left London on 6 Dec 1825 with 150 male convicts on board. "The Woodman" was a 419 tonne ship which was built at Gainsborough in 1808 and was employed to transport convicts to the colonies. On this voyage they came via Cape Town and four of the convicts died during the voyage. The master of the ship was Dan Leary and the surgeon was John Rodmell.

William Kingston was among the men sent to Richmond. On 30 May 1828 he is recorded as being punished for neglect of duty and insolence. At that time he was 25 years of age.

On 21 May 1832 he was married, in Hobart Town, to Ann Clutterbuck. He was later sent to Maria Island. By 1838 he had two sons and was working for a Mr. Glover, who owned property at Orford. On 30 Aug 1838 he received a conditional pardon (no. 1832). He worked at Rhebon for a while and then, in the 1840\\'s, he purchased land at Bream Creek and established a farm. William and Ann had four children - William George (1835), Stephen (1837), Lucy Ann (1841) and Charles (1844).

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William and George Kingston along with William and Thomas Chuter were convicted at the Surrey Assizes on the 14th March 1825 of burglary in the dwelling of Elizabeth Billinghurst and stealing goods to the value of nineteen pounds, fourteen shillings and six pence. Also on the 15th December 1824 did also enter the dwelling of Elizabeth Billinghurst and stole nine yards of silk to the value of fifty four pounds, five yards of bombasin to the value of seven pounds, one coat of the value of eighteen shillings, one frill to the value of one shilling, fifty yards of brown holland to the value of fifty shillings, twenty waistcoats to the value of four pounds, twenty yards of irish linen to the value of two pounds, fifty yards of printed cotton to the value of eighteen pence being the goods of and chattels of Elizabeth Billinghurst and one pistol to the value of ten shillings also the goods and chattels of Elizabeth Billinghurst.

A second charge was against William Kingston and Thomas Chuter that they did enter the house of Charles Buckingham and did steal fifteen pairs of shoes to the value of thirty shillings, one shoe to the value of four shillings, fifty pounds weight of leather to the value of eight pounds, one punch to the value of three pence and two thousand nails to the value of two shillings, being the property of said Charles Buckingham.

The verdict being "let them be severally hanged by the neck until they are dead" This was however commuted to transportation for life.