UNLAWFUL RETURN FROM TRANSPORTATION -1869

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Unlawful Return from Transportation

Joseph Gray, age 46 years, pleaded guilty to an indictment which charged him with being feloniously at large within the UK before the expiration of a period of transportation to which he had been sentenced.
The prisoner was tried in 1857 for feloniously receiving stolen goods and convicted and sentenced to fourteen years transportation, and he was removed to Western Australia pursuant to that sentence.
In 1862 it appeared that he received a free pardon from the Colonial Authorities upon certain conditions, one of which was that he should be of good behaviour, and another - and the principle one, that he should not return to Great Britain
At the time of his conviction he was a jeweller in Clerkenwell, and his wife carried on the business after he was sent away, and when she heard of his having obtained a pardon she remitted the necessary funds to pay his passage to England, where he arrived in 1866.His conduct, however, did not appear to be at all satisfactory, and he frequently came into collision with the police, and was committed to prison on several occasions for assaulting and other acts of violence.
It was known that he had been convicted, but as the police were aware that he had received a pardon, although they where ignorant of the conditions annexed to it, no proceedings were taken in reference to the present charge until his wife, in consequence of the violent conduct of the prisoner towards her, and his attempts to make away with the little property she had accumulated,gave information to the police of the conditions under which the pardon had been granted to the prisoner,and he was taken into custody and the present charge prefferred against him.
The Recorder said that the prisoner had broken all the conditions under which the pardon had been granted to him, and his conduct since he had been at liberty had been such as not to justify his being treated with leniency.
He then sentenced him to 7 years penal servititude.

Source: Belfast Gazette, June 3. 1869.Australia.

Researchers note:

The book titled "Convicts in Western Australia 1850 - 1887" [authors Rica Erickson and Gillian O'Mara] note that
Joseph Gray,convict no 4283. born c 1823 was married with 4 children. dealer by occupation.literate protestant, was convicted at CCC 1855 for stolen goods, and received a 14 year sentence. Arrived per Clara 3/7/1857, received ticket of leave, 2.2.1859. conditonal pardon 1861.