Thomas Hill - a Mutinous Dorset Convict

Twenty-four years old leather breeches maker, Tom Hill has the unusual distinction of being condemned to be transported to both America and Australia for his crimes.

On 13^th March 1783, Tom had been sentenced in a Dorchester courtroom to be transported to America for stealing a silver watch valued at one pound. At the time, this sum was the equivalent of three weeks wages for a Dorset agricultural labourer. The decision was a particularly bizarre one as America was no longer a British colony after the British defeat in the American War of Independence. However, the British were surreptitiously trying to restart the American convict trade as its prisons were overfull. Prior to this war, which had halted the scheme, around 50,000 convicts had been sent to the American colonies despite its unpopularity with locals.

British authorities hired a London merchant who did a deal with a Maryland merchant to receive convicts and sell them as indentured servants. Consistent with the furtiveness of the scheme, the London merchant hired the sailing vessel, the Duke of Tuscany but changed its name to the Mercury.

On the 8^th April 1784, Tom was one of 179 convicts who set sail for Virginia in the Americas on the renamed vessel, the Mercury. However, just off the Scilly Isles there was a mutiny in which Tom played a part. The mutiny was probably caused by a rumour that the vessel’s true destiny was not across the Atlantic but West Africa. The convicts knew that the British Government was desperate to find somewhere to unload its backlog of prisoners. A couple of years earlier, two unsuccessful attempts had been made to establish a West African convict colony but most had either died due to disease or just managed to escape. One of those on board the Mercury was escapee Tom Limpus who had eventually been recaptured. He had been found guilty originally of stealing a cambrook handkerchief valued at just ten old pence (4p.)  He had been sentenced ‘to be transported as soon as conveniently might be to some of His Majesty’s colonies and plantations in Africa, for the term of seven years.’ The mutiny on the Mercury was reckoned to be a plot involving the first mate and the convicts. After sawing off their chains the convicts managed to seize a couple of pistols and blunderbusses. After about an hour’s resistance, the captain and crew had to surrender and were put into irons.

Tom Hill was eventually recaptured and placed in the Plymouth convict hulk, Dunkirk. His conduct in the hulk was described ‘as troublesome at times.’ From there he was transferred into a convict transport vessel, inappropriately named the Friendship which set sail for Australia in June 1784. For the British authorities had decided to establish a new convict settlement in Australia. To become known as the First Fleet, several vessels had been assembled for the expedition, the others included HMS Sirius & HMS Supply together with transport vessels the Alexander, Chatlotte, Lady Penryn, Prince of Wales and the Scarborough. A difficult route involved first sailing from Portsmouth to Tenerife and then across the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro where livestock was taken onboard. They then sailed across to Cape Town and then across the Southern Ocean to Australia. Despite the hazards involved, including 48 deaths, the entire eleven ship fleet managed to arrive safely at their destination. Among 35 First Fleet child convicts, the youngest, John Hudson was just nine years old.

The First Fleet arrived in Australia in January 1788. Just three weeks after its arrival, Tom Hill made an appearance at the colony’s first criminal court. He was sentenced to eight days in irons on bread and water for stealing a biscuit from another convict. This would be spent on a small rocky island. On his return to the mainland, it is said folk took one look at his emaciated frame and christened the tiny island, Pinchgut.

No doubt recognising his breech making skills, Tom Hill was in time to become the overseer of tents on the western side of Sydney. Fellow First Fleet convict Tom Limpus went one better than Tom Hill as he had been condemned to be transported to three different continents - America, Africa and Australasia.

Dorset courts sent some ten others convicts to Australia on the First Fleet and they, of course, all have their own individual stories.

(Sources: Bristol History, People Australia & www.firstlanding.com.au)

Image: First Fleet sets sail for Australia.