TRANSPORTATION from TRUNCH
Transportation of criminals from Britain to America began at around the turn of the 16/17th Century. About 52,000 prisoners were sent to America before the war of 1776, when the switch was made to sending them to Australia from 1787 until the 1850s. In all 160,000 people were sent to Australia. I have not come across any Trunch residents sent to America but several were transported to Australia.
The most notorious case was that of Ann COLMAN and her brother-in-law Stephen COLMAN. They were convicted of stealing pork, mutton, 6 loaves of bread and a yard of linen from Charlotte Etheridge of Knapton. The goods were concealed in a false ceiling in a bedroom of the house where they lived together in Trunch while Ann's husband was at sea. Both were convicted of larceny in January 1809 and sentenced to 7 years transportation.
After spending time in Norwich Castle, Stephen COLMAN was taken to the prison hulk Retribution berthed at Woolwich in May 1809. Prisoners waited here for a ship to be available to take them to Australia and sometimes it was a long wait in terrible conditions. In 1811 Stephen made a plea for clemency on the grounds that he had been corrupted by Ann. His plea was supported by " 24 opulent farmers and people of respectability" which included William Primrose, Sam Wortley, Robert Howes, Robert Long from Trunch and others from Trunch, Gimingham, Southrepps and North Walsham and William Goulder a Southrepps farmer offered to employ him. As far as I can tell he was pardoned and freed in 1815 and in 1816 he married a widow, Elizabeth Pratt, in Southrepps.
However it was a different story for Ann COLMAN as she was transported. Ann was born Ann LEVER (possibly in Norwich in 1779) and she married Edward Thoresby in 1799 in Worstead but he died in 1802 and then she married Stephen's brother Philip COLMAN in 1802 in Worstead. Their daughter Rebecca was born in 1803. Philip was a sailor and by 1808 when a daughter Mary Ann was born Ann was living in Trunch and although Philip is named as her father, the vicar wrote "Ann the wife of Philip" which was unusual and there is a possibility that the father was actually Stephen.
After her conviction Ann was swiftly dispatched to Australia on the ship Indispensable which sailed in February 1809. On board were 61 women convicts and after touching on Rio de Janerio they arrived in Pork Jackson, New South Wales on August 19th 1809. One woman had died on the voyage. Although one of the prisoners had her husband and son with her (who would have had to pay for the passage) Ann had left her 2 daughters behind in England. It is likely that she worked in domestic service in Australia
The convict musters in Australia mention Ann Coleman until 1816 and then I think that she returned to England in 1817 on board the ship Kangaroo. Her 2 daughters both got married in Norwich, which supports the theory that Ann was born in Norwich and maybe had relatives there who looked after her daughters. I haven't been able to trace Ann back in England but on the 1841 census there is a 60 year old Susannah Coleman living next to her daughter Mary Ann. Her husband Philip meanwhile was recorded as being an able seaman on Royal Navy ships from at least 1809 untill 1814 and was possibly taken prisoner during the Napoleonic war. He may have died April 1840 in Honing.
Another case was George IVES who was born in Trunch in 1791 and married Sarah RIVETT in 1814. They had two boys; Adam born in 1816 and George born in 1819. Then in 1820 George was sentenced to 7 years transportation for stealing 8 ducks belonging to Rev. Glover of Southrepps. He was sent to Tasmania on the ship Guildford. He worked in agriculture and his conduct reports contain several breaches of the peace and some charges of stealing animals most of which were dismissed for lack of proof.
Unusually his wife Sarah and children arrived in Tasmania on the ship Chatham in 1830; they would have had to pay for the voyage. In 1831 George was assistant to the Pound Keeper at Anthill Ponds and he died there in 1835. Sarah however lived to the age of 99. Unfortunately her two sons were convicted of cattle stealing and George obviously found his 7 year sentence difficult with several punishments, including lashings, for being unruly, drunk and rude. Adam fared a little better and his life sentence was pardoned after 11 years. He eventually went on to marry in Tasmania and have 5 children.
Unusually his wife Sarah and children arrived in Tasmania on the ship Chatham in 1830; they would have had to pay for the voyage. In 1831 George was assistant to the Pound Keeper at Anthill Ponds and he died there in 1835. Sarah however lived to the age of 99. Unfortunately her two sons were convicted of cattle stealing and George obviously found his 7 year sentence difficult with several punishments, including lashings, for being unruly, drunk and rude. Adam fared a little better and his life sentence was pardoned after 11 years. He eventually went on to marry in Tasmania and have 5 children.
One convict from Trunch with quite a detailed record was John RICHES who was transported for 10 years for stealing sheep in 1844. He travelled on the ship Maria Soames to Hobart in Tasmania and was sentenced to 18 months gang probation. This was introduced instead of going straight to an employer. During his time there he absconded and was recaptured several times and eventually given a conditional pardon in 1852.
Finally, other people with links to Trunch who were sentenced to be transported were - John BARBER who stole a pair of spectacles and a silver snuff box in 1841, Elizabeth BESFOR who stole a watch, purse and cash from William SELF of Trunch in 1843 but who, I think, was granted a free pardon. Harriet DOUGHTY and Robert HALL who set fire to stacks of barley and hay in 1846 were transported for 15 and 20 years, James FRENCH who stole a watch and brass box from Sarah BOUGHEY of Trunch in 1843, Robert NEALE who stole a pig in 1831, Robert RIBBANS and John ROGERS who stole 10 sovereigns and other items from the governor of the Workhouse in 1829. The last two were firstly sentenced to death, which was commuted to life transportation (99 years).
Please contact me if you have any more information or would like to see my more detailed notes.