By Irma Walter, 2020.
On 1 January 1850 Edward Igglesden and Thomas Moore were found guilty of lamb stealing in Maidstone, Kent, and were sentenced to 15 years’ transportation.[1] They killed a lamb owned by Eleanor Prosser of Sandhurst and were caught running away with the carcass in a bag.[2]
Eggleston arrived in Western Australia onboard the Ramillies on 7 August 1854. He was described as a labourer, single, 5’½”, light brown hair, grey eyes, oval face, fresh complexion, middling stout, with no marks.[3] Edward was issued his Ticket of Leave on 31 August 1854.
From 21 July 1857 he was employed by Marshall Waller Clifton of Australind as a shepherd, on the recommendation of George Eliot.[4] He took charge of flocks of sheep, along with Staines[5] and later George Dunne,[6] moving them around to various parts of the estate and bringing them in for counting, dipping, shearing and killing for meat. Eggleston came in regularly to the main homestead to replenish their supplies. Clifton decided to replace him as Hut Keeper and finally settled with him on 1 July 1860 to the value of £3. 2. 3, after Eggleston claimed £20 off his debt as his share in wine making from October 1858.[7]
Edward received his Conditional Pardon on 14 July 1860.[8] Shortly afterwards he was received back at Fremantle Prison, on 21 July 1860.[9] His Conditional Pardon was cancelled on 24 July 1860, following his re-conviction.[10] [Charge unknown.] He was released from prison on a Ticket of Leave on 3 August 1860.[11] On 8 August that year he was given permission to return to Bunbury.[12]
As an expiree in 1876 Eggleston was robbed of his possessions while employed as a shepherd:
From the hut of Edward Eccleston, exp., shepherd, at Queilup Plains, near Bunbury, on the 20th inst.,—one dark brown railway rug with yellow, white, red, and green stripes across it, bound at ends with dark binding, threadbare in centre; one drab colored Crimea shirt with white stripes half-inch wide; one red and white cotton handkerchief; one box waterproof gun caps; etc, etc.[13]
No marriage has been found for Edward Eggleston. He died in the Old Men’s Depot at Mt Eliza, Perth, on 24 June 1898, aged 60.[14]
[1] England and Wales Criminal Registers, Kent 1850.
[2] South Eastern Gazette, 8 January 1850.
[3] Convict Ships to WA, at members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/conwad13.htm
[4] George Eliot was the Resident Magistrate in Bunbury and Clifton’s son-in-law.
[5] Simon Staines, Convict Reg. No. 2750
[6] George Dunne, Convict Reg. No. 4173
[7] P Barnes, JM Cameron, HA Willis, The Australind Journals of Marshall Waller Clifton 1840-1861, Hesperian Press, Carlyle, WA, 2010.
[8] Fremantle Prison website, at https://fremantleprison.com.au/history-heritage/history/convict-database/
[9] Convict Department Registers, Receipts and Discharges (RD1 – RD2)
[10] Convict Department Registers (128/38-39)
[11] Convict Department Registers, Receipts and Discharges (RD3 – RD4)
[12] Convict Department Stamp Books, 1857 – 64 (S1-S3)
[13] Police Gazette 9 August 1876.
[14] Convict Department Miscellaneous, 1882 – 1897 (V24)