Unlawful Return From Transportation
1843

George Robinson,alias Saxon, aged 42 , who was formerly transported
for life to New South Wales,by the latter name, pleaded guilty
to the charge of having been found at large with in her Majesty's
dominions without lawful cause.

The prisoner, craved permission to make a few observations, and on his
lorship signifying his assent, he entered up a long statement of his 
adventures and sufferings from the period when he was sentenced.

He set out by stating that he was aware that his lordship could pass but
one sentence, that he had no discretion ,and that he [the prisoner] must
be transportd for life. He asked what individual present did not love
his native land, and also spoke of the ardent longing he had during the 
whole period of his transportation to return to the country of his birth.

He was convicted at the Lancaster Assizes, in the year 1820, of having
committed a highway robbery, at Pendleton,near Manchester. Sentence of
death was passed upon him, but it was afterwards commuted to transportation
for life, and of that sentence he acknowledged the justice.

On his arrival at the colony he was little more than eighteen years of age,
yet he could say that he had never been guilty of the least dishonesty 
during the whole of his stay. He had been frequently punished, but it was
because of his uncontrolable desire he had to return to his native country.
Acording to his account he distinguished himself by his good behaviour,and
was granted some indulgence: but having made an unsuccessful attempt to
escape by swimming to a vessel, called the Peruvian, he was sentenced
to receive one hundred lashes, and to pass the remainder of his time in
another part of the colony where the discipline was more severe.

He was sent to Hunter's River, where the hardships he was compelled to
endure were so great, he should fail if he attempted to depict them.
After being there some time, with irons on his legs,  he was removed
to another settlement,where ,not being allowed writing materials, or the
means of communicating with any persons, save his companions, he felt
himself as it were shut out for ever from society, and utterly wretched.

At length,unable to endure his misery, he determined to brave everything
in order to put an end to it, and to make use of the physical means
within his power to effect his escape, by travelling through the woods.
In order to offer a sufficient force to prevent attacks from the natives,
he associated himself with six others, and in Dec 1832, they set
out and got beyond the settlement. They were however, attacked by 
a party of natives who robbed of the few provisions which they had
contrived to secret upon their persons, stripped them of all their 
apparel, and left them wounded and entirely naked.

They had now no choice but to go on naked as they were or to return
to the settlement, where each would have recieved one hundred lashes,
have been imprisoned twelve days in irons, and set to work in the most 
laborious gang. They decided to proceed; but making a wrong turn,
they wandered about for a length of time almost perishing with hunger
till they fotunately met with a tribe of well-disposed natives, who
guided them to the shore. Here, however, their condition was in no
degree mended, for they stilll saw no direct means of escape, and were
forced to travel from one desolate scene to another subsisting on such
garbage as they could pick up.

At length they fell into the hands of a company of natives who were
in the pay of government, and were employed to apprehend straggling
convicts.
These delivered them to the custody of the military. They were entirely
naked and were covered with scabs from top to toe,having endured extreme
hardships.
In this condition they were heavily ironed and placed in gaol for 
fourteen days. They were then put on board a government cutter, where
some of them received a few articles of clothing from the seamen.
After being buffeted about for three days, they were landed at Sydney
where they were again ironed and put in prison.
At the end of fourteen days they were taken before a magistrate,
ordered to receive one hundred lashes each, and be sent to a penal
settlement.
Soon after their return to prison, the doctor seeing their deplorable
condition, humanely interfered intheir behalf, and representing that
the flogging, if carried into effect,would most likely prove fatal
to them, that part of their punishment was remitted.
At length they were shipped for Van Diemans Land, where they were 
clothed at the expense of the government. Here they lay thirteen weeks
in gaol,when they were shipped for the penal settlement.
Arrived there he found his condition so unsupportable that he was
determined again to attempt his escape. With this view he forcibly
took possession of a whale boat, in which he left the settlement,
and after encountering many dangers, and enduring much misery, 
he arrived at Hobart Town, where he was again taken.  He was tried for
stealing the whale boat, found gulty, and sent back to the same
penal settlement to which he had formerly been sent from Hunter's River.
Here he again attempted to escape and was,in consequence, placed upon a
part of the settlement called Big Island.

It was immpossible to give any idea of the hardships and misery which
were suffered at this place. Many, rather than endure it,committed
murder. There was one convict who bore the name of the man eater to 
the day of his death, in consequence of a circumstance that occurred.
This man escaped with another, but being famished in a wilderness,
he caught his comrade asleep,sunk his hatchet into his head and killed 
him. He subsisted on his flesh, for many days, but at length he was
caught.He was tried for  murder, but the jury found that it was a case of 
necessity and acquitted him. Afterwards he again absconded with another
young man, who he also murdered, for this he was tried and executed.

The prisoner proceeded to say that, after a time, he was returned to
Hobart Town, where he was assigned to Mr Alexander Thomson.
He was still determined to make his escape, and at length he found
an opportunity for swimming to the Erigo, a barque bound for London,
on board of which vessel he secreted himself.

He remained suffering severe agonies from hunger,during twenty one days, 
before he was discovered.
The captain being assured he was a convict,gave him up to the 
authorities at St Helena, where he was for some time employed as a felon
in breaking stones.
At length he was returned to the Cape of Good Hope, and having been
imprisoned there awhile he was taken to Robin Island, where the governer,
fearing he might escape, treated him with great rigour, ordered his head
to be shaved, ironed him heavily, and kept him at incessant labour.

He was again returned to the colony where, after the lapse of some time,
he was granted a ticket of leave.
Having still an uncontrollable yearning to return to his native country, 
he found an opportunity of getting on board an American whaler, where
he remained fourteen days concealed.
At the end of that time, he voluntarily showed himself to the captain,
for he knew that the vessel was bound for the South Seas, and that
she would probably be absent four months.
The captain said he was sure he was a convict, which he [the prisoner]
as resolutely denied.
The captain, however, said he was determined to give him up to the first 
vessel he fell in with.

They did not fall in with any vessel,but at last the ship called at
New Zealand,where, being informed that the captain was determined to 
give him up, he slipped overboard and swam ashore.
He made his way up the country and joined the natives, by whom he was 
treated with the utmost kindness and hospitality.

Some time afterwards he entered regularly on board an American whaler 
which he accompanied to Boston, whence he made his way to Quebec.
From Quebec he sailed to Greenock,and shortly after his arrival there,
he came to Liverpool,whence he went to Manchester, where he had been
living ever since, working hard and honestly for his living.

He knew,as he had before said, that his lordship had no power to alter
the sentence which he must pass,but he hoped his lordship would
take his case into consideration, and represent it in a higher
quarter, and if some mitigation of punishment might take place, so 
that he might spend some portion of his remaining days in his native
country, his conduct should be such as to merit approbation.

His Lordship said the prisoner was right in saying that he had no
discretion: the punishment was fixed by law. The only discretion
he [the learned judge] had was in respect to the previous term of
imprisonment in this country. The statement of the prisoner ,however,
would not be without its effect on others. There was an idea 
prevelent in this country that transportation was a light punishment,
these who heard the statement would be convinced of the truth that
transportation was a very severe punishment.
The prisoner was sentenced to be imprisoned six months in Kirkdale Gaol,
and be kept to hard labour, and afterwards be transported for life.

Notes by Jenny Fawcett:
Possibly the convict
George Saxon.	arrived New South Wales 18th May 1821, 
per  Speke 1  [2nd trip]
ref 349 646 395  4/4007

There was a convict by the name of Job Neale in Tasmania
who had arrived per Speke.
Neale		Job		35	CP		Speke

no reference to a vessel called the Erigo in SADT 1834-42

another convict named
George Saxon arrived in 1835 to New South Wales per Lady Nugent in 1835.

LA 14091843