He had previous convictions being twice in prison before the age of sixteen and was sentenced for seven years transportation. (Two earlier convictions - In the England and Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791- 1892, Assizes and Sessions of Leicester 30 March 1846 for William Castings: 14 yo. Larceny, 1 week and whipped; Another conviction unknown date - stealing a watch - 1 week and flogged)
It seems that William was a persistent thief and it is wondered if he was trained by his mother along with the gang of boys she had working for her.
It seems that William was a persistent thief and it is wondered if he was trained by his mother along with the gang of boys she had working for her.
After his conviction William spent three and a half years with the ‘Parkhurst Boys’ on the Isle of Wight, before being sent to Van Diemen's Land on the convict ship Aboukir.
Thirty Parkhurst boys were boarded from the Isle of Wight on 15 December 1851 and then sailed from Plymouth 28 Dec 1851 arriving on 20 March 1852 after 83 days of travel. The ship Master was John Cowell and the Ship Surgeon - Ben. Bynoe. Of the 280 on board one male died during the trip and 279 landed at VDL.
Thirty Parkhurst boys were boarded from the Isle of Wight on 15 December 1851 and then sailed from Plymouth 28 Dec 1851 arriving on 20 March 1852 after 83 days of travel. The ship Master was John Cowell and the Ship Surgeon - Ben. Bynoe. Of the 280 on board one male died during the trip and 279 landed at VDL.
Ref: Convicts in Australia Parkhurst Boys 1842- 1862
http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/park26.html
More links to information about the Parkhurst Prison, on the Isle of Wight.
Copy of image of Parkhurst Prison 1847.
Published: Moss, Kellie, 'Juvenile Immigrants: An Experiment in Convict Labour?'
in Carceral Archipelago, University of Leicester, 2015.
http://staffblogs.le.ac.uk/carchipelago/2015/10/07/juvenile-immigrants-an-experiment-in-convict-labour/
Looking at the date that William arrived in Van Diemen's Land 20 March 1852 - a strange coincidence appears - it is the same day that his mother Jane Castings (still a convict) was having her second Australian baby in Hobart.
Questions arising:
Questions arising:
- Did Jane know that her oldest son William had been transported and was now also in Tasmania?
- Did they ever meet up?
Unfortunately no answer has been found to these queries.
_________________________________________________________________________________
INDENT RECORD, CON 14/1/31
lists William's Native Place as Leicester and his family: Father - Henry, Mother - Jane, Brother - Hiram, Sisters - Sarah & Emma
_________________________________________________________________________________
Detail from the Convict Conduct Record for William Castings 'Ship 'Aboukir' 1852. TAHO.
William's Police Number is 25274.
Transcription of Conduct Record (some is illegible):
CONDUCT:
27 Sept 1852: T L out /Hobart, Prisoner being out after hours. 3 months hard labour. AEW.
approved ...22 October 1852
09 August 1853 Convicted Hobart Absent without leave. seven days solitary ... ABJ
26 August 1853 Convicted Hobart - Absence without leave at night - six weeks hard labour
September 1853 Approved. Dismissed The police 02 September 1853
04 March 1854: reported by .C.F.... Misconduct in receiving into his bed Pat Mcguire under strong suspicion for an indecent purpose - 3 months hard labour.
T of Leave application 10 Mar 1854
Absconded 26 December 1854 Gay'd 09 January 1855
Cert. 30 July 1855 (released to) himself.
EMPLOYMENT:
27/03/1852 - Prisoner Barracks
29/03/1852 - B O'Neil, Wilson Elizabeth St
07/05/1852 - Hospital
20/05/1852 - Prisoner Barracks
21/05/1852 - S Loring Liverpool St
01/06/1852 - Prisoner Barracks. - To G Gruncell Murray St
09/06/1852 - Prisoner Barracks - to Mather & Son Liverpool St
11/06/1852 - Prisoner Barracks - to I Meikle Liverpool St
19/06/1852 - Prisoner Barracks
22/06/1852 - John Mackay Sandy Bay
14/09/1852 - Prisoner Barracks - to W Short Campbell St
27/09/1852 - Prisoner Barracks
06/10/1852 - Dunn
08/12/1852 - Hood & Lawerrenny
31/03/1853 - Prisoner Barracks
01/04/1853 - Hospital
08/06/1853 - Prisoner Barracks
21/05/1853 - (illegible)
11/06/1853 - L Pilsbury (Mary or Margaret St)
23/06/1853 - Prison Barracks
28/06/1853 - Construction Hobart
10/08/1853 - Prison Barracks
16/08/1853 - Estate Construction
26/08/1853 - Prison Barracks
10/09/1853 - Ross
04/01/1854 - Public Works
04/03/1854 - Ross
27/03/1854 - Prison Barracks
05/04/1854 - Cascade F.P.
28/07/1854 - Prison Barracks
31/07/1854 - Public Works St Peters Pass (NB Differs to below)
_________________________________________________________________________________
On the list of Employment by Private Employers, William is marked as working for:
29.03/1852 - O'Neil Wilson
21/05/1852 - S Loring Liverpool St - signed John Hornsby
01/06/1852 - G Greoncell Murray St - signed Thomas Broome for Mr Greoncell
09/06/1852 - I Meikle
11/06/1852 - I Meikle
22/06/1852 - John Mackay
31/07 1854 - Capt. Hamilton New Town (NB Differs to above)
_________________________________________________________________________________
There is a notice in the paper - The Courier (Hobart, Tas 1840-1859, Friday 16 January 1857) of a letter for William Casting, care of Mrs Englebert Campbell Town.
Could the letter have been from family in England ?
On researching it is found that the Englebert family ran hotels in Campbelltown.
Maybe William was living at the hotel in 1857.
As yet no further information has been found for William after his release in Tasmania.
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