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Canadian Convicts on the HMS Buffalo 1839-1840
From 1839 to 1840 a number of convicts were transported from the British colony of Canada (known then as Upper Canada) for taking part in the rebellions against the British crown. 82 were American patriots, who had crossed the border, and 58 were French prisoners from Lower Canada. 5 civil prisoners were also transported.
The Buffalo departed from Quebec on 28th September 1839, sailed via Rio de Janeiro, and arrived off Hobart, Tasmania, on 11th February 1840. The Americans were disembarked, but the French convicts from Lower Canada were sent on to Sydney, New South Wales. On 26th February the Buffalo arrived in Sydney with the 58 French-Canadian political prisoners, who were interned near present-day Concord, resulting in the naming of Canada Bay, French Bay and Exile Bay. They were apparently treated much better than the Americans; they were liberated sooner, and assisted in getting home.
Following is an extract from The Concise Guide to the State Archives (NSW):
Assignment records of the Principal Superintendent of Convicts:
Butts of tickets of private employment, 1841-42, CGS 12199
(4/4287-88; microfilm copy SR Reel 592, photocopy [City] COD214). 2 vols.:
Only one of the volumes (4/4287) has been used, and then only partly. It records the following information: number, date, name, ship, year, native place, calling, place and date of trial, sentence, year of birth, height, complexion, hair, eyes, general remarks (usually consisting of a detailing of various scars and moles possessed by the prisoner), who is to employ him, for what purpose, how much the employer is going to lodge in the savings bank, Sydney, per month to the credit of the prisoner, how much he is to give prisoner in wages besides providing him with board and lodging. (Each ticket expired after six months, but notes on the butts indicate that they could be renewed if required).
Almost invariably the name of the prisoner assigned denotes that he has French ancestry. All the prisoners arrived aboard the ship "Buffalo" in 1840 after having been convicted at Montreal, Canada, in late 1838 or 1839.
The amount paid in wages is always 3/6 per week and the amount lodged in the bank per month either 15/- or 20/-.
When the Americans from the Buffalo arrived in Hobart, they found others who had been transported via the hulks in England, making a total of 92 "Patriot exiles" in VDL. Of these, fourteen died as a direct result of transportation and the rigours of penal servitude. By the end of 1844 half of those in VDL had been granted pardons. Nearly all were pardoned by 1848, but five remained in penal servitude until at least 1850. None of those pardoned chose to stay in Tasmania.
Extracts of the narratives of three of the convicts (Heustis, Marsh and Snow) are online at the International Centre for Convict Studies web site.
The following code has been used in the list:-
L - French Canadians, convicted at Montreal (age and occupation).
U - American patriots, convicted at Fort Henry, Toronto (age and place of birth).
Name Code Age Place of Birth/Occupation
AITCHESON James Milne U 28 Scotland
ALLEN David U 37 Massachusetts
ALLERY Michael L 38 Joiner
BAKER Thomas U 47 Minden New York
BARNUM Henry Verrelon U 25 Charlotteville
BECHARD Theodore L 49 Farmer & Vet
BERGEVIN Charles L 53 Farmer
BERRY John U 40 Columbia Co NY
BIGONNESSE Francois L 49 Farmer
BLODGET Orlin U 23 Jefferson Co NY
BOUC Guillaume Charles L 48 Clerk/Yeoman
BOURBONNAIS Desire L 20 Blacksmith
BOURDON Louis L 23 Farmer
BOUSQUET Jean Baptiste L 44 Farmer & Miller
BRADLEY John U 30 Co Antrim IRL
BROWN George T U 22 Jefferson Co NY
BUGBEE Chauncey U 22 Jefferson Co NY
BUISSON Constant L 30 Blacksmith
CALHOUN Hugh U 25 Ireland
CHEVREFILS Gabriel I L 43 Farmer
COLLINS Robert G. U 21 New York State
COOLEY Horace U
COUPAL Antoine L 50 Farmer
CRONKHITE John U 30 Oswego Co NY
CURTIS Lysander U 33 Vermont
DARBY Luther U 48 Massachusetts
DEAN John U
DEFAILLETTE Louis L 48 Farmer
DELINO Leonard U 25 Jefferson Co NY
DRESSER Aaron jnr U 22 Jefferson Co NY
DUCHARMER Leon L 23 Merchants Clerk
DUMOUCHELLE Joseph L 47 Farmer
DUMOUCHELLE Louis L 42 Farmer/Innkeepe
DUTCHER Moses A. U 23 Montgomery CoNY
FELLOWES Elon U 23 New York State
FERO James De Witt U 25 Upper Canada
FRAER Michael U 23 New York State
GAGNON David L 29 Joiner Carpente
GARRISON Emanuel J. U 26 Vermont
GATES William U 23 New York State
GILLMAN John U 38 Oneida Co NY
GOODRICH Gideon U 43 Massachusetts
GOYETTE Jacques L 29 Carpenter
GRIGGS Jerry E. (bro) U 22 Connecticut
GRIGGS Nelson S (Bro) U 28 Onondaga Co NY
GUERIN Louis L 37 Merchant/Baker
GUERTIN Francois L 44 Carpenter
GUIMOND Joseph L 48 Carpenter
GUTRIDGE John Seymour U 30 Cayuga Co NY
HEBERT Jacques David L 49 Farmer
HEBERT Joseph Jacques L 42 Farmer/labourer
HEUSTIS Daniel D. U 27 Chesire Co NH
HICKS Garret U 27 Jefferson Co NY
HIGHLAND William U
HITING Nathan U 48 Connecticut
HOWTH David U 24 Montgomery CoNY
HUOT Charles L 53 Notary Public
INGLIS James U 30 Paisley SCT
LABERGE Jean L 35 Farmer
LANCTOT Hypolite L 23 Notary Public
LANGLOIS Etienne L 26 Farmer.Joiner
LANGUEDOC Etienne L 22 Farmer
LAVOIE Pierre L 49 Farmer
LeBLANC David Drossin L 36 Farmer
LeBLANC Herbert Drossi L 32 Farmer
LEEPER Andrew U 42 Harrison Co KY
LEFORTE Joseph U 29 Lower Canada
LEPAILLEURE Francios M L 33 House Painter
LISCUM Daniel U 22 New York
LONCTIN Jacques L 59 Farmer
LONCTIN Moyse L 21 Farmer
LOOP Hiram U 26 Oswego Co NY
M'MANIGALL John U
MARCEAU Joseph L 34 Farmer/Weaver
MARSH Robert U 26 New York State
MARTIN Foster U 32 Onondaga Co NY
MARTIN Jehiel H. U 31 Grafton Co NH
MATHERS Calvin (twin) U 24 Onondaga Co NY
MATHERS Chauncey (Twin) U 24 Onondaga Co NY
MERRIT Edwin U
MOORE Andrew U 26 Saratoga Co NY
MORIN Achille L 25 Clerk/Gentleman
MORIN Hector Pierre L 54 Mariner/gent.
MORIN Michael (MURRAY) U 31 Lower Canada
MORRISETTE John U 22 Lower Canada
MOTT Benjamin L 43 Farmer
NEWCOMBE Samuel L 65 Surgeon
NOTTAGE William U 38 Halifax Nova S
OWEN Alson U 24 Oswego Co NY
PADDOCK Jacob U 18 Jefferson Co NY
PAPINEAU Andre L 40 Blacksmith
PARE Joseph L 48 Farmer
PIERCE James U 22 Oneida Co NY
PINSONNAULT Louis L 40 Farmer
PINSONNAULT Rene L 48 Farmer
PINSONNEAU Pascal L 27 Farmer
POLLY Ira U 23 New York State
PREVOST Francois Xavier L 30 Merchant
PRIEST Asa U 40 Massachusetts
PRIEUR Francois Xavier L 24 Merchant
REYNOLDS Solomon U 33 Washington NY
REYNOLDS William U 33 New York State
RICHARDSON Asa H. U 23 Oswego Co NY
ROBERT Theopile L 25 Farmer
ROCHON Edouard Pascal L 39 Carriage Maker
ROCHON Jeremie L 36 Wheelwright
ROCHON Toussaint L 30 Carriage Maker
ROY Basile L 42 Farmer
ROY Charles L 52 Farmer
ROY Joseph L 24 Labourer
SHARP Hiram U 24 Onondaga Co NY
SHELDON Chauncey U 52 Vermont
SHEW Henry U 23 Jefferson Co NY
SIMMONS John Henry U 23 New York State
SMITH Orin W. U 26 Vermont
SNOW Samuel U 38 Massachusetts
SPRAGUE John U 28 New York State
STEVENS Elizar U 27 United States
STEWART Joseph U 25 Miffin Co PA
STEWART Riley Monson U 31 Massachusetts
STOCKTON Thomas U 26 Jefferson Co NY
SWANBERG John G. U 27 Philadelphia PA
SWEET Alvin Burroughs U 22 New York State
THIBERT Jean Louis L 52 Farm Labourer
THIBERT Jean Marie L 38 Farm Labourer
THOMAS John L 26 Madrid
THOMPSON Joseph U 22 Jefferson Co NY
TOUCHETTE Francois X. L 32 Blacksmith
TRUDELLE Jean Baptiste L 34 Farmer/Joiner
TURCOT Louis L 36 Farmer
TYRELL John Burwell U 24 Malahide CANADA
WASHBURN Samuel U Warren Co NY
WHITE Patrick U 22 Limerick IRL
WHITNEY Reilly U 27 Vermont
WILLIAMS James Peter U 24 New York State
WILLIAMS John Chester U 38 Vermont
WILSON Edward A. U 23 Pompey Onondago
WOODBURY Beemis U 24 Massachusetts
WOODMAN Elijah Crocker U 42 U.S. Citizen
WRIGHT Stephem Smith U 25 Lewis Co NY
Source: Text file buffalo.lst, which was extracted from the book
"HMS Buffalo" by Robert Sexton, published 1984.
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All the Convict Ships
