PARKHURST PRISON

Although not officially classed as convicts, a group of convict boys called the Parkhurst Boys were sent to Western Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Victoria and even to Norfolk Island.
They had been rehabilitated at Parkhurst Prison and were transported under a similar arrangement to the exiles who began to arrive a few years later. The aim was to apprentice them to local settlers.

In the ten years between 1842 and 1852 just under 1499 boys aged from twelve to eighteen were transported to Australia and New Zealand from Britain's Parkhurst Prison. Parkhurst was designed especially for boys and was built on the Isle of Wight. On December 26, 1838, Robert Woollcombe, the prison governor, arrived at Parkhurst with a team of taskmasters and the first 102 boys.

The prison was enlarged and extended during its time as a juvenile prison and until that time on March 30, 1864, the boys did much of the work as part of their training in carpentry, stonework and ironwork. In all, 4088 boys passed through the Parkhurst system.


the PARKHURST BOYS from Devonshire
Many Australians can trace their ancestry back to early immigrants, and for some a convict-connection is a badge of pride. Some families in Australia and also in New Zealand are descended from "Parkhurst Boys", a fairly short-lived scheme for the rehabilitation of young offenders, and just a few of these descend from boys sentenced in Devonshire

Quakers arranged for young offenders at Parkhurst Prison to be sent to the Isle of Wight to be taught trades.
Another offer was made that if they agreed to go to New Zealand to live and work they would be pardoned.
Most of the boys had been jailed for misdemeanours such as stealing fruit, or poaching

The Parkhurst Boys were treated with open hostility by some Aucklander's
Taken in by Auckland's harbour master, Captain David ROUGH, the Parkhurst Boy descendants became some of the most distinguished of Auckland citizens

PARKHURST APPRENTCIES

List of ships that brought Parkhurst apprentices to Australia and New Zealand
Ship - Arrival - Parkhurst apprentices - Colony

Simon Taylor - August 1842 - 18 - Western Australia
St George - November 1842 - 92 - New Zealand
Shepherd - October 1843 - 28 - Western Australia
Mandarin - October 1843 - 51 Tasmania
Mandarin - November 1843 - 31 - New Zealand
Halifax - December 1844 - 18 - Western Australia
Strathedin - December 1845 - 74 - Tasmania
Cumberland - January 1846 - 16 - Western Australia
Maitland - October 1846 - 70 - Victoria
Thomas Arbuthnot - May 1847 - 89 - Victoria [4]
Joseph Somes - September 1847 - 84 - Victoria
Marion -J anuary 1848 - 125 - Victoria
Orient - March 1848 - 51 - Western Australia
Eden - February 1849 - 62 - Victoria
Ameer - February 1849 - 50 - Western Australia
Hashemy - abt July 1849 - 29 - Tasmania
Randolph - August 1849 - 85 - Victoria
Mary - October 1849 - 53 - Western Australia
Adelaide -November 1849 - 30 - Tasmania
Blenheim - July 1850 - 85 - Tasmania
Maria Somes - August 1850 - 30 - Tasmania
Nile - October 1850 - 30 - Tasmania
Rodney - November 1850 - 40 - Tasmania
Mermaid - May 1851 - 43 - Western Australia
Lady Kennaway - May 1851 - Tasmania and Norfolk Island
Pyrenees - June 1851 - 29- Western Australia
Minden - October 1851 - 30 - Western Australia
Aboukir - December 1851 - Tasmania
Fairlie - March 1852 - Tasmania
Equestrian - August 1852 - Tasmania
Oriental Queen - October 1852 - Tasmania
Dudbrook - February 1853 - 1 - Western Australia
Lincelles - January 1862 - 1 - Western Australia


The Parkhurst apprentices were juvenile prisoners from Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, sentenced to "transportation beyond the seas" and transported to Australia and New Zealand between 1842 and 1852. Either before leaving England[1] or on arrival at their destination[2], they were pardoned on the conditions that they be "apprenticed" to local employers, and that they not return to England during the term of their sentence. In the ten years between 1842 and 1852 nearly 1500 boys aged from twelve to eighteen were transported to Australia and New Zealand from Parkhurst Prison

the St GEORGE departed London in 1842 and arrived at Auckland on 25 Oct 1842. The St George also carried passengers who paid their own way. She disembarked 13 cabin and 21 steerage passengers for Auckland in October, 1842

This is a list of the 'Parkhurst Boys' on the St George
ASTLE William 12 tailor
AXFORD John 18 tailor
AXFORD William 16 shoemaker
BAKER George 16 shoemaker
BALDWIN William 14 tailor
BEASLEY William 14 tailor
BELLAMY David 15 tailor
BIGGS Arthur 16
BLACKWELL William G 14 tailor
BOTTOMLEY George 15
BRIGGS James 17 tailor
BROWN George 16 shoemaker
BRYANT James 15 shoemaker
BURFORD William 18 tailor
BURGESS James 12 tailor
BURKE Michael 12 tailor
BURNARD Isaac 15 tailor
BURNARD Thomas 17 shoemaker
CARTER Edward 14 tailor
COLEY James 15 tailor
COLEY Joseph 17
CHAPMAN Charles 15
COOK Samuel 18
COPPING John 16 tailor
COTEY Joseph 17
CRAWFORD William 15
CRITCHLEY Thomas 17 tailor
DAVIS James 14
DAWES Frederick 16
DILLION Thomas 14
DOBBY Michael 15 tailor
DOWIE Henery Buller 19
EDGE George 19 shoemaker
ELDER Alexander 18
FAWIAN Thomas 16
FLOYD John 18
FOX Robert Waylett 15
GARN William 18
HARDY Thomas 17
HARVEY Thomas 18
HITCHCOCK Benjamin 17
HOLLIS William 16 tailor
HOLLOWAY Charles 17 shoemaker
HOPKINS Gabriel 13 shoemaker
HORNE Frederick 15 tailor
JONES John 17
KING George 18
KING Thomas 15 shoemaker
LEE John 14 tailor
LIDDLE Adam 17
LLOYD John 15 tailor
MAHONEY John 14
MACKAY William 14 tailor
MALCOLM John 19
MARSH David 15
MARSH James 16 shoemaker
MATTHEWS William 17 tailor
MELLOM Walter 18
MILLER John 15 shoemaker
MINHINNICK John 15 shoemaker
MOODY John 14 tailor
MURGUARD Charles 16
MYLER Richard 14 tailor
McGUINESS James 17 shoemaker
McOUARRlE Andrew 17
NICHOLSON John 18
NICHOLSON William 18
OGAN John 14 tailor
PARSONS James 16
PHILLIPS Joseph 14
PINEY James 14
POOL James 15
POTTER James 17
PROCTOR Thomas 15 tailor
RAMPLING James 15 tailor
RICHMOND Peter 14 tailor
ROOK Thomas 19
RYAN John 18
SAUNDERS John 14 shoemaker
SAYLES James 18
SEAMELL Henry 20
SHEARS John 17 shoemaker
SHERIFF Charles 17 tailor
SHERIFF Charles 17 shoemaker
SMITH William 18
STOKES James 18
STRONG Henry Stephen 18
THORN William 18
TUFT John 17 shoemaker
TOPPENY William 13
TOPPING William 13 tailor
TUCK William 11 tailor
TUGGET John 17
WARNUTT William 16 tailor
WHITEHEAD John 18
WILLEY John 15 tailor
WINES Henry 15 tailor
WOODGATE William 16


the MANDARIN departed Gravesend, London on 18 June 1843 and arrived in Auckland 14 Nov 1843
... The Mandarin also carried passengers who paid their own way, arriving 1843. Most of the
fare-paying passengers went to Wellington.


This is a list of the 'Parkhurst Boys' on the Mandarin with their trial place & date and the offence they were charged with

ADAMS Thomas 17 carpenter
- Central Criminal Court 11 May 1840, larceny
- Free on arrival; retrained as a carpenter

ALLEN George 16 tailor and cooper
- Middlesex 22 Feb 1841, simple larceny
- received 7 years at age 13
- Apprenticed on arrival; retrained as a tailor & cooper

BASSAN Henry 16 bricklayer and tailor
- Central Criminal Court 23 Nov 1840, larceny
- received 7 years at age 13
- Apprenticed on arrival; retrained as a bricklayer & tailor

BEALES William 18 carpenter
- Falmouth 20 Oct 1837 stealing sovereigns
- received 7 years at age 12
- Free on arrival; retrained as a carpenter;

BINNIE Alexander 19 tailor - (aka BENNIE)
- Ayr 28 April 1838 house breaking
- received 7 years at age 12
- Free on arrival; retrained as a tailor

COTTERELL John 17 tailor (aka COTTERELL - COTTRELY)
- Birmingham sessions 26 Oct 1839 stealing chattels
- received 7 years at age 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a tailor

DAY Thomas 18 tailor
- Oxford 19 Oct 1840 larceny
- received 10 years at age 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a tailor

DENMAN William 15 tailor
- 10 Feb 1841 unknown where
- received 7 years at age 10
- Apprenticed on arrival; retrained as a tailor

EGGERTON Isaac 17 cooper and shoemaker (aka [EGGERTON)
- Central Criminal Court 6 June 1840 larceny
- received 7 years at age 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a cooper & shoemaker

FARRELL John 16 cooper and shoemaker
- Central Criminal Court 17 Aug 1840 larceny
- received 10 years at age 12
- Free on arrival; retrained as a cooper & shoemaker

GOULBUFIN/GOULBURN Thomas 18 carpenter (aka GOLBURNE)
- Central Criminal Court 11 May 1840 larceny
- receive 7 years
- Free on arrival; retrained as a carpenter

GRIFFITHS James 17 carpenter and shoemaker
- Portsmouth 2 April 1840 house breaking
- received 10 years at ag 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a carpenter & shoemaker
- connections not respectable

HERMITAGE-HERITAGE John 16 carpenter
- Worcester 19 Oct 1840 felony
- received 7 years at age 12
- Free on arrival; retrained as a carpenter

HILL Robert 17 sayer and shoemaker
- Exeter 4 Jan 1841 larceny
- convicted at age 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a sawyer & shoemaker
- lead astray by evil advisers

HUNTLY Walter 16 bricklayer
- Reading 24 Feb 1841 larceny
- received 7 years at age 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a bricklayer

INCHIE James 19 cooper (aka HINCHLEY & HINCHIE)
- Central Criminal Court 17 Aug 1840 larceny
- received 10 years at age 12
- Free on arrival; retrained as a cooper

LAMB Michael 16 bricklayer and shoemaker (AKA DALEY)
- Central Criminal Court 17 Aug 1840 larceny
- received 7 years at age 12
- Apprenticed on arrival; retrained as a brickmaker & shoemaker

LAY George 20 carpenter (aka JAY & LAW)
- Central Criminal Court 4 Feb 1839 larceny
- received 7 years at age 14
- Disembarked in NZ; Free on arrival; retrained as a carpenter

LYNCH John 17 carpenter
- Central Criminal Court 19 Oct 1840 larceny
- received 7 years at age 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a carpenter

NEIL Charles 16 shoemaker
- Knutsford 25 March 1840 larceny
- received 7 years at age 12
- Free on arrival; retrained as a shoemaker
- previous convictions

ORGAN Richard 16 plumber and glazier
- Gloucester Assize 15 Aug 1840 house breaking
- received 10 years at age 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a plumber & glazier

PARKER Vlhlliam 12 tailor
- Westminster 10 Feb 1841 simple larceny
- received 7 years at age 10
- Apprenticed on arrival; retrained as a tailor

PATON William 19 bricklayer (aka PAYTON)
- Central Criminal Court 18 June 1838 larceny
- receved 10 years at age 14
- Free on arrival; retrained as a bricklayer & ivory turner

ROSE Edwin 17 farmer (aka William)
- Gloucester sessions 4 March 1840 stealing bread
- received 7 years at age 14
- Free on arrival; retrained as a farmer

SHAW John 17 shoemaker
- Central Criminal Court 2 March 1839 larceny
- received 7 years at age 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a sawyer & carpenter

SMITH Joseph 18 plasterer and bricklayer
- Middlesex 6 April 1840 simple larceny
- recevie 7 years at age 16
- Free on arrival; retrained as a plasterer & bricklayer

SMITH William 16 farmer
- Central Criminal Court 1 Feb 1841 larceny
- received 7 years at age 12
- Apprenticed on arrival; retrained as a farmer

WALLER Alfred 15 carpenter
- Central Criminal Court 21 Nov 1840 larceny
- received 7 years at a
- Parkhurst Register error states sent to VDL
- Apprenticed on arrival; retrained as a carpenter

WEST William 16 bricklayer and tailor
- Reading 24 Feb 1841 robbery
- received 10 years at age 13
- Apprenticed on arrival; retrained as a bricklayer & tailor

WILLIAMS Joseph 17 cooper (aka [John RICHARDSON)
- Central Criminal Court 17 Aug 1840 larceny
- received 10 years at age 13
- Free on arrival; retrained as a cooper

WILSON George 16 shoemaker
- Central Criminal Court 17 Aug 1840 larceny
- convicted at age 13
- Apprenticed on arrival; retrained as a shoemaker


When the Parkhurst Boys landed in Auckland, they were taken in hand by the Harbour-master and migration officer, David Rough. He did not think much of their prison-taught trades, for he immediately tendered them as farm labourers in the Government Gazette.
Some stayed in Auckland, with no alternative but to accept whatever employers and wages were offering. From the beginning, they were regarded by their contemporaries as black sheep, or worse


NOTES
see also The PARKHURST BOYS at Fred Shears site
see also SHEARS at Timaru (who had the Brickyards from 1874)