William Rhodes 

1820 - 1891 Convict No. 1498

Written by Cherie Strickland and Lorraine Clarke – Swan Genealogy

William Rhodes was born in Ferrybridge in the parish of Ferry Fryston, Yorkshire about 1820. He was baptised at St Andrews Church on 25 December 18201. His parents were Joseph Rhodes, a carpenter and Frances Wright. He was the fourth born of seven children, who were all born in Ferrybridge.

William's profession was a sawyer when he married Mary Hill on 29 Mar 1841 in Rothwell, in the parish of Holy Trinity, Yorkshire2. According to the 1851 Census for Leeds3, William aged 30, was living with his wife Mary aged 28 and 2 children George aged 9 and William aged 6.

William's first conviction at the York Assizes was in 18484 for breaking into the dwelling of Thomas Waite and stealing 12 stones weight of lead. He was imprisoned in Leeds for 1 year with hard labour.

For his second offence in 18515 William was "charged for that he, on the 1st day of April last, at the Borough of Leeds, in the West Riding, did feloniously break and enter the shop of Henry Blakeborough, and steal therefrom three gold watches, ten silver watches, thirty gold rings, three gold watch- guards, four gold chains, four gold keepers, two silver watch-guards, one silver coral, one gold locket, one jewel-case, two ring-cases, one silver chain, one silver- plated chain and divers other goods, his property."

He was sentenced to 10 years and transported to Western Australia on the ship Dudbrook, which arrived in Fremantle in February in 1853. The convict register described him as a Sawyer who was married with 2 children. He was 5ft. 21/2 ins. tall with brown hair and hazel eyes, an oval face with a swarthy complexion and stout in build. He was scarred on his eyebrows and had a mole on his right eyebrow.

William was granted a ticket of leave on 1st March 1854 and a conditional pardon on 27th June 1860. It appears that he did not petition for his wife and children to be brought out to Australia, so it's likely that Mary Hill and the children, ended up in the workhouse because they no longer had any means of support. Mary may also have remarried (having called herself widowed), which was common with the abandoned wives of convicts.

William married for a second time in Perth 1860 to Mary Real8. They appear to have settled in Gingin, Western Australia. According to the Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians9, William Rhodes was known as a "Sawyer in the 1870's who employed 10 T/L men on occasions 1855-1876, including a carpenter 1870". During this time, William and Mary produced ten children; William James 1861, Frances 1863, Joseph 1865, Sarah Ann 1867, Mary Jane 1869, Louise 1871, Flora Elizabeth 1874, Clara Matilda 1876, George 1879, Ethel Maude 1885. Their last child Ethel Maude was born in Sawyers
Valley, which suggests the family may have moved there between 1879 and 1885.

William died aged 61 years in the Colonial Hospital, Perth on 18 Sep 1891. The cause of death was noted as Retention and Cystitis. He was buried in the Church of England section at East Perth Cemeteries on 20 Sep 1891, grave number 682.

[To be continued ]
End Notes
1. West Yorkshire Archive Service; Wakefield, Yorkshire, England; Yorkshire Parish Records; New Reference Number: WDP95/1/2/1
Record Url: https://search.ancestry.com.au/cgibin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=WYorkCoEBaptism&h=5424239

2. West Yorkshire Archive Service; Leeds, Yorkshire, England; Yorkshire Parish Records; Reference Number: RDP91/3/7
Record Url: https://search.ancestry.com.au/cgibin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=WYorkCoEMarriage&h=7149629

3. 1851 England Census; Class: HO107; Piece: 2319; Folio: 592; Page: 29; GSU roll: 87542-87544
Record Url: https://search.ancestry.com.au/cgibin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=uki1851&h=12420883

4. Explore York Libraries and Archives; Calendar of Prisoners, York Quarter Sessions; Y/ORD/1/1/- 1842-1851
Record Url: https://search.findmypast.com.au/record?id=S2/GBOR/CITYOFYORK/16- 0714-GB-YOR-CALENDAR-OF-PRISONERS-CALENDA-Y-ORD-1-1-1842- 1851-1851/00079&parentid=GBPRS/COYORK/CALPRIS/020779

5. Explore York Libraries and Archives; Calendar of Prisoners, York Quarter Sessions; Y/ORD/1/1/- 1842-1851
Record Url: https://search.findmypast.com.au/record?id=S2%2FGBOR%2FCITYOFYORK%2F16-0714-GB-YOR-CALENDAR-OF-PRISONERS-CALENDA-Y-ORD-1-1- 1842-1851- 1851%2F00116&parentid=GBPRS%2FCOYORK%2FCALPRIS%2F023846

6. England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892; Class: HO 27; Piece: 98; Page: 376 Record Url:
https://search.ancestry.com.au/cgibin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=CriminalRegisters& h=1468902

7. Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930
Record Url: https://search.ancestry.com.au/cgibin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=WAusConvicts&h= 36888

8. Record Url: https://www.bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/default.aspx

9. Record Url: http://www.friendsofbattyelibrary.org.au/files/R.pdf