After arriving in Western Australia convicts were able to get medical treatment for their various disorders at the convict hospital in Fremantle Prison. Dr David Field Rennie was Surgeon to the convict prison between 1853 and 1859 and would have treated convict Frederick McDiarmid, soon after his arrival on 1 June 1858 onboard the Lord Raglan. Frederick was suffering from toothache and was admitted as a patient on 3 September 1858. It was recorded that his tooth was treated with creosote and wool.[1] The procedure would have involved scraping out the decayed matter with a sharp-edged tool, before plugging the tooth with washed wool impregnated with creosote – a painful process, no doubt.[2] Pure wood creosote was used to treat a number of disorders in the 19th century, including stomach upsets, tuberculosis and ulcers.[3]
On 26 Sept 1856 Frederick, a tailor, had been convicted of housebreaking at the Perth High Court in Scotland. Due to a previous conviction on 27 April 1852 he was sentenced to 15 years’ transportation. [His earlier conviction, also of housebreaking, took place at the age of 14, in the company of his older brother Peter, aged 16, a draper’s assistant. The Trial Papers relating to their 1852 case describes the two boys as sons of Peter McDiarmid, tailor, residing in Seagate, Dundee. The boys both pleaded guilty to the charge and were sentenced to seven years’ transportation.[4]]
Perhaps due to their age, it appears that they served time in a British prison rather than being transported and were then released on Ticket of Leave. However on 26 September 1856 Frederick McDiarmid, (18), was again arrested and convicted in the Perth [Perthshire] High Court of a similar charge.
Frederick was received at Wakefield Prison on 18 September 1857. His character since conviction had been Good, and at Public Works, Very Good. From Wakefield Prison he was taken to Chatham Prison, prior to being received onboard the Lord Raglan. During the voyage Surgeon Superintendent John Bowler recorded that Fred. McDermott (sic) had previously attended Sunday and Day School, could read and write and had made progress with arithmetic during the voyage.[5]
Aged 21 on arrival, he was described as having light brown hair, grey eyes, an oval face, pale complexion, was middling stout, with no distinguishing marks.[6] His convict record in WA lists a number of petty offences, while his employment record shows a degree of stability –
Convict Record
1858 – Discharged to York Road as Provisional Prisoner.[7]
3 September 1858 – Blacksmith, treated for toothache with creosote and wool.[8]
27 September 1858 – At York Road, No. 3.[9]
27 September 1858 – Employed on Guildford Road No. 3.[10]
14 August 1860 – On Ticket of Leave at Guildford.[11]
24 August 1860 – Allowed three Provisional Prisoner absconders to work at his saw pits – six months.[12]
29 August 1860 – Harbouring prisoner at Swan – 6 months.[13] Received at Fremantle Prison from Guildford.[14]
23 February 1861 – Re-convicted Prisoner, discharged on Ticket of Leave.[15]
26 March 1861 – Clerk. Ticket of Leave. Previous conviction in 1852. Quiet, orderly and obedient.[16]
7 June 1862 – Wakefield, J.P., Perth – Habitually absent from lodgings. Leading an immoral life – three months. Discharged 7 November 1862. On account of re-convictions case for C.P. will not be considered – may re-apply.[17]
3 July 1862 – Pell, Perth – Having a fire in the Powder Magazine – refusing to put it out – reprimanded and dismissed.[18]
4 May 1863 – George Eliot, R.M. [Bunbury], – Larceny, 12 months.[19]
11 May 1863 – George Eliot, R.M. [Bunbury], – Obscene language, seven days’ Bread & Water. Discharged from both cases on 2 August 1864.[20]
8 July 1863 – Received from Guildford – 4 months.[21]
26 September 1863 – Discharged to Yangidine.[22]
15 August 1864 – From York to Fremantle.[23]
5 February 1866 – R.M. Champion Bay – Reporting himself a free man – 12 months’ Hard Labor.[24]
1 December 1866 – Unexpired portion of sentence remitted.[25]
10 December 1866 – Ticket of Leave to Champion Bay.[26]
14 March 1867 – From Champion Bay to Fremantle.[27]
30 March 1867 – R.M. Champion Bay – Absconding – 12 months’ Hard Labor. Cannot be recommended for ……. (indecipherable).[28]
25 September 1867 – R. M. Champion Bay – Robbery from Convict Depot Hospital – 12 months’ Hard Labor at Fremantle Prison.[29]
24 October 1867 – Received from Champion Bay.[30]
7 January 1868 – Received from Bar Party.[31]
10 January 1868 – R. M. Fremantle – Idleness on Public Works – two days’ Bread & Water. “An Absconder”, see transfer from Champion Bay on 7 March 1867.[32]
14 March 1868 – Seven days on Bread & Water.[33]
4 December 1868 – G.W. Leake –J.P. – Having a quantity of note paper in possession and writing to friends without permission – three days’ Bread & Water.[34]
3 April 1869 – Ticket of Leave.[35]
7 April 1869 – Perth to Swan District.[36]
16 November 1869 – Ticket of Leave to P.M. Perth.[37]
28 April 1870 – Perth to Moore River.[38]
4 August 1871 – Perth to Albany.[39]
Employment Record
3 December 1862 – Laborer on pass at Bunbury.
8 August 1864 – Tailor, piece work – Thomas Davis, York.
31 December 1864 – Laborer, 25/- per month, P. Morrisey, Victoria District.
30 June 1865 – Labourer, Victoria District.
31 December 1865 – Laborer, 25/- per month, Victoria District.
31 December 1866 – Tailor at £6 per month, H. Br……. (indecipherable), Geraldton.
17 January 1867 – Laborer on shares, J. Robinson, Champion Bay.
5 February 1867 – Laborer, contract, ditto.
22 Jan. (?) 1867 – Laborer, 45/- per month, W. Osborne, Champion Bay.
18 February 1869 – Carpenter, 30/- per month, H.J. Cutting, Perth.
30 June 1869 – Laborer, 50/- per month, H.J. Cutting, Swan District.
31 December 1869 – Ditto.
30 June 1870 – Laborer, 60/- per month, H.J. Cutting, Perth.
30 December 1870 – Ditto, 50/- per month.
2 February 1871 – Ditto, 6/- per day.
19 June 1871 – Carpenter, 4/6d per day, J. Prishouse, Perth. [Joseph Prishouse, Brishouse or Preshouse, Convict No. 6049.]
30 June 1871 – Ditto.
31 December 1871 – Carpenter, 10/- per day, T. Smith, Perth.
11 February 1872 – Expiree, 5/- per day, J. Prishouse, Perth.
19 February 1872 – Conditional Pardon to P.M., Perth.[40]
Family
On 20 May 1872 Frederick McDiarmid, Protestant, married Catherine Conway at the Perth Roman Catholic Church. Catherine had arrived in Western Australia on the Robert Morrison with her mother Alice on 7 March 1866. Two children were baptised in Fremantle –
John Michael, b. 1872.
Alice, b. 1874.[41] Married William Moylan in 1910. She died in 1941.[42]
Frederick McDiarmid was employed as overseer with the Jarrahdale Timber Company over a long period.[43] It is not known where or when he passed away. His widow Catherine died in 1921 –
McDIARMID.—The Friends of the late Mrs. CATHERINE McDIARMID
(relict of the late Frederick McDiarmid) and of 42 Dudley-street, West Perth, are respectfully invited to follow her remains to the place of interment, the Roman Catholic portion of the Karrakatta Cemetery. The Funeral is appointed to leave the residence of her son, Mr. John McDiarmid, 42 Dudley-street, West Perth, at 3.50 o’clock TOMORROW (Thursday) AFTERNOON.[44]
………………………………………………………………………………….
[1] Convict Fremantle Establishment, Casual Sick Registers (CS6-CS8)
[2] On Toothache, Selected Articles, pp.118 – 119, pdfs.semanticscholar
[3] Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creosote
[4] National Records of Scotland, Trial Papers, High Court, Perth, Ref. No. JC26/1852/45, nrscotland.gov.uk
[5] John Bowler, Surgeon Superintendent’s Report, Lord Raglan, https://www.ancestry.com.au
[6] Convict Dept. Estimates and Convict lists (128/1-32)
[7] Convict Department Registers, Character Book (R8)
[8] Convict Establishment, Casual Sick Registers, (CS6 – CS8)
[9] Convict Department, Receipts and Discharges, (RD1 –RD2)
[10] Convict Department Registers, Character Book (R8)
[11] Ibid.
[12] Convict Department Registers, General Register (R1)
[13] Convict Department Registers, (128/38-39)
[14] Convict Establishment, Receipts & Discharges (RD3 – RD4)
[15] Ibid.
[16] Convict Department Registers, Character Book (R8)
[17] Convict Department Registers, General Register (R1)
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Ibid.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Ibid.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Ibid.
[29] Convict Department Registers, General Register (R1)
[30] Ibid.
[31] Convict Establishment, Receipts & Discharges (RD5 – RD7)
[32] Convict Department Registers, General Register (R1)
[33] Ibid.
[34] Ibid.
[35] Convict Department Stamp Books (S4 – S6)
[36] Convict Department Registers, General Register (R1)
[37] Convict Department Registers, General Register (R1)
[38] Ibid.
[39] Ibid.
[40] Convict Department Registers, General Register (R1)
[41] Rica Erickson, Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians, p.1956, http://www.friendsofbattyelibrary.org.au
[42] Births, Deaths & Marriages, https://bdm.justice.wa.gov.au
[43] West Australian, 2 October 1921.
[44] Daily News, 25 May 1921.