1826
Marriage to Thomas
Thomas Benton is an interesting bugger, a little bit devious, and plenty mysterious! ....... Deliberately?? There are certainly devious elements to his story. He probably was a bit dodgy, but it’s hard to say!
Thomas definitely starts life as Benton. A steel toy maker and horse hair manufacturer by occupation, and pickpocket by choice. Tried in the Old Bailey Middlesex, convicted of theft, and sentenced to Transportation for Life on the 22nd December 1822, aged 19, he gets packed into a prison hulk for 4 ½ months before boarding the Ocean (3), and is finally shipped to Port Jackson.
Was he really 19?
Thomas Benton / Benson
Born London 1795 / 1801-2-3-9
Ship - Ocean 3
Height - 5 foot 3
complexion - Brown
Hair - Black
Eyes - Light Blue
1822
30th Oct Indicted for theft – London
4th Dec Trial in the Old Bailey(29) – Guilty – Transportation for life
Middlesex Gaol age 20
Transferred to a prison hulk
1823
22nd April Departs for New South Wales - Ocean (3)
27th Aug Arrives Port Jackson4th Sept. Ocean remains in the Harbor
The day the Ocean arrived in Port Jackson there is the usual muster on board and we get our first glimpse of Thomas and a “hint” of his personality. The ship’s log of the muster lists name, occupation, where tried / sentence, etc. and the final two columns: Remarks and How disposed of. Thomas is described as Tolerable and CB (Confined to Barracks).
Thomas stood out in a crowd. Not because of his height (5’3”), but for his “brown complexion, black hair, and light blue eyes”. (Nowhere else have I seen any reference to a “brown skin” convict). Also, Thomas was literate, a significant fact that would have had some bearing on the nature of any assignment.
On arrival convicts were usually assigned (as servants) to “upstanding” members of the community and members of the military, or put to work “labouring” in “Govt. Employ” So far, no record of assignment for Thomas has come to light.
The really bad buggers, absconding prisoners, and repeat offenders, were assigned to “Government employ” and found themselves on road/iron gangs doing the hard yakka of cutting stone for buildings and bridges etc. Assignment to an upright citizen, or the colonial administration (if you could write) was a softer option. The 1825 Muster in October has Thomas in “Govt. employ, Parramatta”. The next few months must have been interesting because he meets, and takes a fancy to Hannah Hutchins (presumably at the Factory).
2nd February Thomas applies for permission to marry Hannah(30 31 32).
On the 15th March 1826 with the consent of Governor Darling, Thomas and Hannah were married in St Johns Church Parramatta(33) by Thomas Hassall, the Rev. Samuels Marsden’s Chaplain. Thomas is literate and can write, and although a “lifer”, has potential within the colony other than as a labourer. (The marriage was witnessed by John Baxter and Christabella Ferguson. So far nothing is known of either)
The 19 / 21 year old Hannah Benton moves to Lower Minto with her husband.
24th April(34) Thomas AGAIN applies to marry Hannah
Application to marry Hannah Hutchins. (age 31)
(Register of Convicts Application to Marry 1826-51 List of Prisoners Allowed to Marry commencing 20th Dec 1825)
Entry No. 66
Thomas Benton - - - ToL Rev John Joseph Therry (catholic priest St Mary’s Hyde Park)
Hannah Hutchins 21 Bro Life Bond
What this second application is all about is a total mystery. There’s no record of Thomas having a ToL (did he make his own?). He is described a bit later as a forger! Was he Catholic? Hannah would not have been happy being described as “age 31”, at the 1837 Muster she tries to pass herself off as “age 24”!
Thomas Benton is not an easy bugger to figure, he seems to swing between the unsavoury Thomas the pickpocket and the slightly more affable Thomas the steel toy maker. Sadly, in the long run, the unsavoury Thomas ultimately wins out.
Early in August, Hannah is pregnant.