Alfred DOWNEY

Abt 1826 - Yes, date unknown

• Name	Alfred DOWNEY
  Birth	Abt 1826	Foxearth, Essex
  Gender	Male
  _UID	BDE4AC70645E4496B72DB2E5E9702C338C03
  Death	Yes, date unknown
  Notes	Appeared with father in 1841 census. No other trace. Colin Stewart has found a number of records suggesting that Alfred Downey was transported to Tasmania in 1845. Alfred was in trouble before that: on 15 February 1842, at the Essex County Adjourned Sessions, he was found guilty of house breaking and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment. He was 16 years old. (Source Ancestry.com England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892). At the Essex County Sessions of 1 July 1845, Alfred, aged 19 and with two previous convictions, was again found guilty of house breaking. This time he was sentenced to transportation for 15 years. (Source Ancestry.com England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892). In confirmation of the above Alfred appears in Ancestry's "Tasmania, Australia, Convict Court and Selected Records, 1800-1899", having arrived on the sailing ship Pestonjee Bomanjee. According to the website https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/pestonjee-bomanjee/1845, Alfred was one of 299 convicts transported on the Pestonjee Bomanjee, which left England on 6 September 1845. According to Ancestry's "Australia, Convict Records Index, 1787- 1867" they arrived at Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania) on 30 December 1845. Alfred's name appears in the 1846 Tasmania convicts muster with the comment "Probation gang", meaning he could work for wages. (Source Ancestry.com New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849). Alfred then appeared in the 1849 Tasmania convicts muster. He had been hired by F(?) Bough of Circular Head. Alfred was given a conditional pardon on 13 November 1855 (Source Ancestry's "Tasmania, Australia, Convict Court and Selected Records, 1800-1899, Registers of conditional pardons issued, 1853-1856").
  Person ID	I2945	Great Horkesley, Essex
  Last Modified	29 Apr 2022

  
  

  Father	Samuel DOWNEY,   b. Abt 1806, Foxearth, Essex d. Mar 1856, Sudbury RD (Age 50 years)
  Mother	Sarah HARPER,   b. 30 Apr 1801, Essex d. Bef 24 Jun 1836, Essex (Age 35 years)
  Marriage	3 Nov 1825	St George & St Gregory, Pentlow, Essex.   [1]
  Family ID	F976	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [S469] Essex, England, Church of England Marriages, 1754-1937 at ancestry.com, , via Colin Stewart. (Reliability: 3).