A Tasmanian pioneer family …
Courtesy of © Denis Shelverton 2006-2007. ARR.
Thomas Nevin’s father, John Nevin, worked as a warden on board the convict transport the Fairlie for the passage of his English-born wife Mary and their four Irish-born children, all under 12 years of age:
Thomas James Nevin: (1842-1923) died at age 80
Mary Ann Nevin: (1844-1878) died at age 34
Rebecca Jane Nevin (1847-1865) died at age 18
William John Nevin (1852-1891) died at age 39
On their arrival, Thomas Nevin joined the small population of free settlers numbering 44,340 in the December 1852 Census. The convict population numbered 19,105 or 30% of the total census for that year. But by 1857, only five years later, with the cessation of transportation to Van Diemen’s Land in 1853, the convict population dwindled to just 3,008 or 3.7% of the island’s population. The numbers recorded for the Aboriginal population – estimates of 7000 in 1818 to 15 in 1857 (presented here “without bias”) – speak clearly of genocide.
Such exposure from an early age to convicts made Thomas Nevin the most suitable candidate of all Hobart professional photographers to undertake the large job of photographing transported convicts and local offenders at the Port Arthur prison, 1873-74 and at the Hobart Gaol, 1874-1884. His younger brother Jack (William John) Nevin was salaried by the Police Office, H.M. Prison, Hobart, for the task of assisting Thomas during 1877 with the final transfer of prisoners upon the closure of the Port Arthur site, an occupation he maintained through the 1880s at the Gaol.
The Parkhurst Boys 1852:
this information is copied verbatim from the website Convict Central: www.convictcentral.com
“Fairlie – arrived in TAS in 1852
The ‘Fairlie’ is said to have left the Isle of Wight on March 2, 1852 and to have travelled to Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) with 30 Parkhurst boys on board.
She sailed from Plymouth on March 11, 1852 with a total of 292 male prisoners and arrived in Hobart on July 3, 1852. All 32 Parkhurst boys were said to have disembarked in Tasmania.
Paul Buddee’s book, ‘Fate of the Artful Dodger’ and his research notes which were deposited in the Battye Library in Perth some time later, listed the boys.
The 30 ‘exiled’ boys who were transported on the ‘Fairlie’ are transcribed below.
Surname Christian Name(s) Term Age Trial Place Day Mth Year Offence Comments
Barlow Henry 10y 17 Clerkenwell 05 12 1848 stealing … …. …. …. ….
Barton Thomas 10y 15 Manchester 12 04 1849 stealing two 6 pences 5 previous convictions listed
Bettison Edw. 7y 16 Clerkenwell 21 12 1847 stealing brass Listed as a tailor with 3 previous convictions
Brown William 7y 14 Central Criminal Court 18 09 1848 larceny … …. …. …. ….
Carter John 10y 16 Chelmsford 03 04 1849 larceny Listed as having previously been given 7yrs transportation
Cavill Samuel 7y 16 Taunton 08 01 1849 stealing a drake Previous convictions listed
Collins Hugh 7y 14 Glasgow 25 04 1849 house breaking Listed as having a reckless disposition; Trial date could have been 30/3/1849
Curley Martin 7y 13 Stafford 28 06 1847 house breaking Listed as a vagrant who was once whipped
Douglas Robert 7y 16 Glasgow 23 04 1849 house breaking aka [Edward]
Elson Jacob 10y 16 Stafford 16 10 1848 stealing a jacket 2 previous convictions listed
Flower James 10y 16 Middlesex 13 07 1847 stealing aka [HOMER]; 6 previous convictions listed
Gill John 14y 14 Exeter 06 09 1848 stealing a mare Listed as a tailor who may have been transported previously
Green Joseph 7y 15 Gloucester 07 05 1849 stealing scuffle shears Listed as a canal boatman; Trial date could have been 3/7/1849
Gurney James 10y 16 Middlesex 21 11 1848 stealing Trial date could have been 7/2/1848 or 7/9/1848
Harvey James 7y 14 Taunton 17 10 1848 stealing apples 2 previous convictions listed
Surname Christian Name(s) Term Age Trial Place Day Mth Year Offence Comments
Jackson John 7y 14 Middlesex 07 09 1847 stealing two pies 3 previous convictions listed
Jones John 15y 14 Hereford 31 07 1849 arson … …. …. …. ….
Jones John 7y 15 Lancaster 15 10 1849 stealing trousers 2 previous convictions listed
Melburne Henry 7y .. Cambridge 01 01 1849 stealing from master aka [MELBOURNE]
Moore Archibald 7y 16 Glasgow 14 09 1849 theft Listed as a turner
Muir Peter 7y 17 Glasgow 17 05 1849 theft 5 previous convictions listed; Trial place could have been Edinburgh
Nutt George 7y 13 Central Criminal Court 15 05 1848 larceny Listed as a shoemaker
Parker James 7y 16 Devon 05 09 1849 stealing horse hair aka [GRANT]; Listed as a farmer’s boy; Trial place could be Exeter
Pilgrim John 7y 17 Central Criminal Court 22 08 1849 larceny Previous convictions listed; Trial date could be 22/10/1849
Riley Charles 7y 16 Middlesex 19 12 1848 stealing 12 pairs stockings etc Listed as a blacksmith with 2 previous convictions
Sheepwash Saul 7y 14 Middlesex 06 06 1848 larceny … …. …. …. ….
Simpson James … 16 Aberdeen 20 09 1849 theft Listed as a hawker with 2 previous convictions
Smith James 7y 16 Manchester 10 10 1849 felony Listed as a whitesmith who had been in prison 6 times
Usher David 7y 17 Durham 21 02 1849 stealing apparel 2 previous convictions listed
York Zachariah 7y 15 Stafford 02 07 1849 horse stealing Listed as a boat boy
Source: : http://www.convictcentral.com/
Thomas Nevin’s vignettes
Thomas Nevin later photographed some of these transportees on the Fairlie 1852. George White aka Nutt’s photograph was labelled No.1 either by the police authorities at the time of capture or later by copyists such as John Watt Beattie in the 1900s. Nutt’s image seems to be the first in a series of cartes by Nevin. This convict, Michael Murphy, was an interesting case: he was photographed on release in June 1876 by Nevin at the Municipal Police Office, Town Hall.
Photograph taken at Port Arthur by Thomas Nevin, 1874.
Archives Office of Tasmania Reference: PH30/1/3217
According to the Campbell Street Gaol’s gate book,
MURPHY; Michael, Convict No. 56662
Murphy arrived in VDL on the vessel Fairlie (7 March 1852) from Plymouth. On 28 December 1871 he was found guilty in the LSC of Feloniously Receiving and sentenced to 6 Years at Port Arthur. He was transferred to CSG arriving there on 28 June 1876 aged 46 years and with no warrant number. He was released to freedom on the following day (29 June 1876) presumably with remission (not shown). Murphy is recorded as being a bricklayer/plasterer, Catholic with three or more convictions and being able to read only.
Source: Graves of Tasmania
The Archives Office of Tasmania
See this reference online: Archives Office of Tasmania – digitised record Item: CON33-1-107 –
for the original convicts record book of the Fairlie 1852, with this information about George Nutt:
- and with this information about Michael Murphy:
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