By Irma Walter 2020
Henry Huggett was sentenced at Rochester in Kent on 27 December 1851 for larceny. He was transported for 10 years, due to having a previous conviction for larceny at Maidstone, Kent, on 14 October 1851, which had resulted in a sentence of six weeks.[1]
(From West Kent Guardian, 3 January 1852.)
On 18 July 1855 Huggett arrived at Fremantle on board the Adelaide, described as a bargeman, single, 5’3” tall, with brown hair, grey eyes, oval face, sallow complexion and middling stout. His distinguishing marks were a fish, two anchors, initials ‘MFSJ’, a harpoon and tobacco pipe on his left arm, and ‘HH’ on his right arm.
He was out on ticket-of-leave in November 1855 when arrested for drunkenness in Perth and was fined 5/-.[2] His convict record is sparse, probably indicating general good behaviour:
9 June 1858 – aged 25, transferred from Swan District to Toodyay, by R.M.B. Brown. Reported by H.Y. (?). Return in service of Isaac Doust, 30/- per month.[3]
24 January 1859 – Medical record at Fremantle – in hospital with bad back. Discharged on 29 February 1859. Described as aged 25, ticket-of-leave, bargeman. Previous prison record – Rochester, 3 days, Maidstone, 4 months. Millbank, 10 months, Woolwich 28 months.[4]
10 February 1859 – Reported for failing to send a return for 31 December 1858.[5]
6 October 1859 – Conditional Pardon, receipt of Certificate.[6]
9 June 1860 – Received Conditional Pardon.[7]
The journals of Marshall Waller Clifton of Australind tell us a little more of Huggett’s work record:
19 December 1859 – Agreed to hire Henry Huggett from 21st this month as Home Handyman at £1 per month.
3 January 1860 – Sent Huggett down to play the Fiddle (at the wedding of Miss Hill and Mr Ramsay).
4 January 1860 – Huggett didn’t come home until 4.
23 June 1860 – Huggett went to Bunbury to get his Pardon.
27 September 1860 – Agreed Huggett to remain until 25 December at £1.5 per month.
15 January 1861 – H. Huggett gave me warning. (of leaving?)
1 February 1861 – Huggett agreed to remain his time until 15 February & not go until day of my return from Perth.[8]
No more details of Henry Huggett’s life in Western Australia over the next ten years have been found. It appears that he worked hard and kept out of trouble, with the aim of going home to England. On 30 January 1871, he sailed for London on the Hastings, in steerage.[9]
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[1] England & Wales Criminal Registers, Kent, 1851.
[2] Perth Gazette, 16 November 1855.
[3] Convict Department, Ticket-of-Leave Register, (R6)]
[4] Convict Establishment, Registers by Patient (M17)
[5] Convict Department, Ticket-of-Leave Register, (R6)
[6] Convict Establishment, Stamp Books (S1 – S3)
[7] Convict Department Registers, General Register (R21B)]
[8] P Barnes, JM Cameron, HA Willis, The Australind Journals of Marshall Waller Clifton 1840-1861, Hesperian Press, Carlyle, WA, 2010.
[9] Convict Department Registers, General Register (R21B)