Convicts transported to Australia from Old Weston
In 1838 two convicts transported to Australia for sheep stealing were William Quincey and Hayes Savage. Both men came from Old Weston families.
- William Bird Quincey was the son of William and Jane (nee Bird) who married in Old Weston Church in 1797. William was born in 1802.
- Hayes was the son of Thomas and Ann Savage. He was born in 1806.
William married Elizabeth Dudley, of Little Gidding, in 1835. They had two children Ann and William Bird. Ann may have been the result of a previous marriage, or may have been born out of wedlock, which was not uncommon.
Hayes married Hannah Goss of Little Gidding in 1825. They had four children John Goss, Edward, Thomas and William.
A story of convicts transported to Australia
John Parnell, a carrier from Winwick, had 28 sheep in a field owned by James Smith, in Old Weston. The sheep were in the care of shepherd John Richardson. On a visit to check his sheep Parnell noticed that one was missing. It was, he stated, one of his best and so he suspected it had been stolen.He took the matter to the local Constable, James King. Meanwhile Richardson found a fleece hidden in Miner Meer Coppice (the spelling of this is very difficult to read and varies between the different witness accounts). Mr Parnell declared that it was from his sheep and deduced that it had been in "good health!"
How Quincey and Hayes became suspects at this point is very hazy. It was noted that both men had been working in the area, although why they were chosen is not clear, unless they had something of a reputation.
A visit to Savage's house revealed a pot of mutton on the hob and a sack in the pantry. Upstairs they found a tallow cake of sheep in the bedclothes. Hayes stated ëI am pure and know nothing about it. I bought the meat from a lad.í
A visit to William Quincey revealed a meal of mutton on the table. Quincey lived with his step father William Mills. Mills told Constable King that Quincey had bought home mutton on two consecutive nights. Quincey swore that he had been given the meat.
Both men were arrested and taken to Huntingdon Gaol. In Gaol Hayes confessed. He said that it had been Quincey's idea and that at first he had refused. Later after a pipe of tobacco together he agreed to the theft. He said that he was very sorry but that great poverty had made him do it.
One of the convicts transported to Australia, William, sailed on the Earl Grey to New South Wales on 27th July 1838. I can find no record of Hayes journey.
The families remained in Old Weston. In the 1841 census both Hannah Savage and Elizabeth Quincey are reported as paupers. Hannah later remarries one Samuel Parker, at which time the record states that she is a widow. Savage's parents also appear on this census. Thomas aged 75 is still working as an Agricultural labourer.
When the men reached Australia they would have found that the consequences for sheep stealing were quite different, as long as they killed and ate it on the spot! Find out more on my friend Marylyn's page about the Waltzing Matilda song.
