By Rosemary Davidson

To find out who William Henry Ellis was and what he looked like, imagine we are back in time in Exeter, Devon. It is Thursday, 8 September 1825. Sit by the window in the warmth from the last of summer's sun and open a copy of Trewmans Exeter Flying Post. There, below an item about the merits of Devonshire Cider, we read:

A greater sensation was excited in this City, yesterday, than we recollect for many years, by the discovery of an embezzlement of cash and notes to an unheard of extent, by Wm. Henry Ellis, a confidential shop-man and clerk in the employ of the very respectable house of Newman & Co. grocers.-He underwent last evening a long private examination before the Magistrates, and was remanded, with orders to be brought up again at 10 o'clock this morning, when the examination was renewed, which did not terminate till 3 o'clock this afternoon, when he was fully committed for trial.-The plunder by this man seems to have been systematic, and carried on for years, during which he has accumulated, in boxes, cash and notes to the amount of nearly Six Thousand Pounds, which was seized at his lodgings, amongst which there was above £1,000 in silver, about £700 in gold, together with several rouleaus of Bank Notes of £1,000 in each, the whole of which has been lodged for safe custody in the Exeter Bank.-The prisoner conducted himself with great effrontery during the examination, and while being taken to prison coolly made some remarks on the weather; he is short in stature, and has rather a feminine appearance.

William had been under suspicion of embezzlement for some time, and was arrested when marked coins were found in his pocket. A warrant was obtained and six boxes with the following contents were discovered at his lodgings:

1. £4791 7 s 6d.

2. Gold £66 4s. and notes £92.

3. Silver £200.

4. Silver £600.

5. Silver £100.

6. Silver together with Mortgage Bonds £1000. Saving Bank note £28 15 s 5 d etc. etc.

Making in the whole £6978 6 s 11d.

A warrant was also issued to search his mother's house where 'a quantity of groceries' was found, including six pounds of cheese and twelve pounds of soap. Mary Ellis said she had received the articles from her son-she never supplied him with money and did not think any of his relatives furnished him with more than trifling sums.

William's trial in England received enormous publicity and was even recorded in the LondonTimes. We can gather a few more clues as to his character and demeanour from these reports. One of his solicitors, Mr Adolphus, from London, called character witnesses. Some of these were:

Mr. John Clench - had known the prisoner 17 or 18 years, never heard any thing against him till the present charge, his general character was very good.

Mr. James Cann -prisoner attended my school as an assistant a year or year and a half, this was 16 or 17 years ago, but I have always thought him a man of the greatest integrity.

Mr. Wm. Morely -has known the prisoner upwards of 14 or 15 years, and always considered him a man of the strictest integrity.

Mary Palmer -is an assistant in Mrs. Newman's shop, has known the prisoner 13 or 14 years-he was considered an honest young man.

The prisoner … was neatly dressed in black.

The case was heard over two sessions, with William originally receiving a sentence of fourteen years transportation. The following extracts from Exeter and London newspapers during 1826 give a very brief summary:

EXETER, THURSDAY, JULY 27.

THE KING AGAINST WM. HENRY ELLIS.

This was one of several indictments which had been preferred against the prisoner, at the sessions for the city of Exeter, but which had been removed by certiorari into the King's Bench; and the Court had ordered that the jury should be taken, not from the city of Exeter, but from the county of Devon at large … In this case it had been represented, on behalf of the prisoner, that there was considerable prejudice against him in the city of Exeter, occasioned chiefly by ex parte publications. The prisoner had been convicted at a former Devon sessions upon an indictment, charging him with having defrauded the prosecutor, and had been sentenced to 14 years' transportation; but that judgement had been reversed by writ of error, the indictment not making certain formal averments which were necessary to warrant such a sentence.

The prisoner had for several years been in the employ of Mr. Newman deceased, formerly a grocer in extensive business in the city of Exeter; and since Mr. Newman's death, he had been in the employ of Mrs. Newman, who carried on the business for the benefit of herself and a family of 9 young children. Mr. Newman had formed so good an opinion of him, that he spoke of him in the highest terms in his will; and left him a gold watch-chain as a remembrance; observing, that any more substantial proof of his regard was unnecessary, in consequence of the prisoner being in good circumstances. Indeed, it is understood that he is a man of considerable property.

The learned Judge having summed up the evidence, the Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.

The conviction renders the prisoner liable to transportation for 14 years; but the sentence, be it what it may, will be pronounced next term, in the Court of the King's Bench.

No alteration was perceivable in the prisoner's appearance from that presented on his former trial-during the whole of the present proceedings he seemed unembarrassed and paid great attention.

… On a review of the evidence, there is no doubt you were properly convicted … The sentence of the Court is, that you be transported for the term of seven years to such a place as his Majesty, by the advice of Privy Council, may be pleased to direct, and that in the meantime you be committed to his Majesty's gaol of Newgate.

Who was William Henry Ellis? We now know he was the son of Mary, née Kelland, and Henry Ellis of Sandford, a village in Devon, north-west from Exeter. Henry, aged about twenty-five, a wheelwright and shopkeeper, and Mary, aged about twenty-two, married at Sandford in April 1771. No birth record for William has been found, but, from later evidence, we can assume he was born about 1797. By this time, his mother would have been about forty-eight years old, which raises several questions. Was he a 'change of life' baby, or perhaps adopted? Henry died in 1812, when William was only about fifteen, and Mary died in 1829, two years after William's arrival in Van Diemen's Land.

The convict ship Governor Ready arrived in 1827. The convict description records state that William Henry Ellis was thirty-one years old and 5'4" in height with brown hair and grey eyes. (Newspaper accounts of his trial two years earlier gave his age as thirty-three.) He had a long scar and two brown moles inside his left arm, and a scar in the centre of his forehead. He was single, a Protestant, working as a clerk and his mother was living at Sandford on her property. The conduct report gave his behaviour in gaol as 'good', on the hulks 'good' and on the ship 'very good'. He brought with him £2 and five boxes which contained books. William was assigned as a clerk in the Police Office.

Photo: R. Davidson 1986

The village of Sandford, Devon.

Four years after his arrival in Hobart, William Henry applied for a ticket-of-leave. His conduct record contains no entries, but the following statements accompanied his petition:

I beg leave to certify that the Petitioner has served under me in the Muster Master's office from the time he first landed in the Colony & in no one instance have I had cause to doubt his integrity - I have never known him to be in the slightest degree intoxicated, but have even found him assiduous in his duties and a young man to whom I am sure His Excellency will have no cause to regret extending the boon the Petitioner prays for - April 4th 1831 - Josiah Spode

This is one of the most useful Clerks in the Muster Master's Department for steadiness and sobriety and I believe correctness - he will have served four years in the Office next August.

I firmly believe that this Man may be trusted in every respect - I would guarantee his fidelity and faithfulness - still I have no other reason for my opinion than his appearance - as he could behave no better than some of the greatest rogues did - he writes a very neat plain hand and has a good knowledge of Arithmetic & a smattering of Mathematics - I think he would be an excellent Confidential Clerk - he deserves every encouragement.

Josiah Spode, Principal Superintendent, added:

I cannot too highly praise this young man's conduct as will be seen by my Certificate on his Petition and I only regret the liberality of the Home Govert. is not sufficiently extensive to allow young men like this, when they are entitled to indulgence, a salary that would induce them to remain in office.

Lieutenant Governor Arthur approved the petition and wrote:

as this applicant's character is so good I should be induced to approve of his being employed in the Muster Masters office if He can propose any arrangt. for retaining his services.

Spode continued:

In referring to your letter of the 28th Ulto. wherein it is stated that His Excellency has approved of "W. H. Ellis" per "Governor Ready" receiving a Ticket of Leave, and has also approved of "Ellis's" remaining as a Writer in the Muster Master's Office, provided the Muster Master can propose any arrangement for retaining his services; I beg to inform you that I have seen "Ellis" on the subject, who states, he is willing to remain in the Muster Master's Office for Twelve Months provided His Excellency will, at the expiration of that time, extend to him the indulgence of a - Free - Pardon as he will have then but Twelve Months of his Original Sentence to serve -

William gained his free pardon in July 1832. A month later, on 21 August 1832, at the age of about thirty-five, he married Harriet Vincent, aged eighteen, in St David's Church, Hobart. Harriet was the daughter of free settlers, John and Susannah Vincent, who arrived in 1823. Unfortunately, no photographs have come to light, but Henry Savery, in The Hermit in Van Diemen's Land, wrote in 1829 of Bothwell and the owner of the Castle Inn-John Vincent-and his wife.

Arriving in the neighbourhood of this spot, a few straggling cottages, and here and there a better sort of house, intimated my journey was nearly finished; and, riding on, until I approached a substantial edifice of recent construction, where entertainment for man and horse was said to be provided, I drew up at the door … Upon entering the inn, a thin, middle-aged man made his obeisance to me, and commencing conversation, I presently discovered him to be the landlord; but, although I have had some little experience in pourtraying [sic] characters, I own myself beat upon this occasion; for, though he was civil and obliging, and readily replied to my questions, he was just one of that class, a man may meet twenty times in a week, and fail to recollect him the next day.

Whilst I was standing at the door-way, chatting with him and his spouse, a bustling stirring dame ...

Not at all as I imagined them after reading the considerable amount of correspondence between John and the government. But how did William meet Harriet? The only connection I have found so far is the fact that a notice in 1832 says Ellis had an allotment in Patrick Street near Campbell Street, and a later record in 1856 states that John Vincent was the original owner of either this same allotment or one next to it.

William established the Green Ponds, now Kempton, store in 1833, and their first child was born in June of that year. They went on to have eleven children over the next sixteen years, all of whom survived to adulthood. During these years, William was alternatively recorded as an innkeeper or storekeeper. It must have been a busy and lively household.

Photo R. Davidson

The store at Green ponds. Now partly destroyed by fire

On Saturday, 12 May 1838, the Cornwall Chronicle reported the movements of the bushrangers who had visited Mr Kemp's hut at the Lovely Banks and proceeded to the inn owned by John Jubilee Vincent, Harriet's brother. [1] They tied up eight men, robbed the house of money, and various articles.

There was present among the inmates in the inn, a bustling little shopkeeper, from the neighbourhood, who loudly and vehemently resisted being bound; him they searched, and found upwards of £40 in his possession; this they took away, telling the owner, that they should not have thought of searching him, had he not been so bouncible!

James Regan, James Atterell, George Davis, and Anthony Banks were indicted for committing a robbery at Mr Vincent's inn, the Royal Oak , and with putting Mrs Vincent in bodily fear. At their trial, John Jubilee Vincent's testimony states that he:

recollects four armed men coming on the 10th May; witness was sitting in the parlour, with Mrs. Vincent, and a little boy, when he heard a noise outside, and then a knock at the front door; the door was opened, and a man sung out, "Stand, or I'll blow your brains out!" or words to that effect.

The Vincents were not known to have children of their own. Could the 'bouncible', 'bustling little shopkeeper' have been William, with his young son Henry William, visiting his brother-in-law at the top end of town?

The building of what is now Dysart House probably commenced about 1841. This seems to have been variously known as Ellis' Tap, Ellis' Hotel, Green Ponds Hotel and the Commercial Inn.

From at least 1835, convicts were assigned to William Henry Ellis, and it has been interesting to read the Green Ponds Lower Court records to find his name appearing regularly-not always on the right side of the law. The convicts were mostly charged with misconduct-disobeying orders, being drunk or absent without leave. On 8 April 1848, William Witty was charged with 'being in Mr Ellis' public house on a Sunday and tipling [sic]. Mrs Ellis was present at the time'.

Matthew Kennedy, employed as the cook, was charged with neglect of duty and threatening language when he threatened to burn the meat for Sunday lunch. He said it would either be burnt to a cinder or raw, as he had not been told in time to get it ready. When he brought it to the table, 'the meat and fowls were found to be quite raw'. In June, David Owen, the ostler, and Thomas Woodward were in trouble for being out after hours and leaving a lighted candle in danger of causing a fire.

The Inspector of Weights and Measures charged William on 11 November 1846 for having three deficient weights. In 1847, he was charged with not having the outer door closed and fined £2 plus costs of 7s 6d. On 22 May 1850, William Henry Ellis, free, a licensed publican, aged fifty, was charged with keeping a drinking house and committing a Breach of the Act of Council. In his statement, he said he had been in the district for eighteen years and had been running an orderly house for seven. New houses had opened up which had dancing and fiddling. This caused his takings to be down, so he also introduced dancing and fiddling. The District Constable had asked him to stop and he replied that he would if the others did. He gave orders to his man at the tap not to allow music 'unless he heard it strike up over the way'. It seems his tap man did hear it strike up. As a result, Ellis was fined £10 plus costs.

On 11 December 1852, Henry Williams and Thomas Jarvis were charged with insolence to Mrs Ellis. They arrived from Hobart on the coach during October, had their supper and Mrs Ellis paid the coach fare. When she refused to give them a drink, they said she was 'no lady' and later crossed the road to the shop. There they questioned Mr Ellis' daughter-"Where is your father, is he in?". She replied, "I do not know", to which they retorted, "Oh we know the little bugger, he is a thin pale faced fellow like yourselves." On their return to the house, Williams and Jarvis continued their abuse to William Gill, clerk to Ellis.

William Ellis died aged sixty-seven on 13 March 1860 at Green Ponds. His youngest child was only eleven. Harriet survived William by thirty-one years and was seventy-seven years of age when she died on 7 April 1891.

My thanks to Betty Marshall and Bruce Ellis for sharing the results of their research.

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This story was originally published in 2004 by the Writers Group of the Hobart Branch of the TFHS Inc. in the publication PROS and Cons of Transportation A collection of convict stories.

Not only does this publication celebrate the cessation of transportation of convicts to Van Diemens Land, it also celebrates the work of the Family History Writers Group. This group was formed in 2003 to assist members who wanted to write their family histories. The monthly meetings stimulated great interest and enthusiasm.

The original introduction may be found here.