INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE TASMANIAN ARCHIVES
Police No. 526 Janet CARMICHAEL alias THOMSON alias ADAMSON**
Height 5 ft
Age 27 years
Complexion - Pale, swarthy
Head - Medium
Hair - Brown
Visage - Broad
Eyebrows - Light brown, thin
Eyes - Light blue
Nose - Medium
Mouth - Large lip thick
Chin - Medium
Trade - House and Table Maid and Plain Cook
Where tried - Edinburgh Court of Justiciary
When tried - 17 January 1842
Sentence - 7 years
Native Place - Canterbury
Married or Single - Married
Religion - Church of England
Ability - Can read and write
Where last residing - with brother Peter and sister Mary in Edinburgh
Ship Character - good
Offenses - Transported for stealing a watch property of Mr J McLeod. Imprisoned once before for 3 months for stealing a book and 60 days for theft.
** There is a marriage for a Janet Carmichael to a George THOMSON on 28 Jun 1835 Kin Ross Scotland
and to a John ADAMSON on 8 May 1836 in Troqueer, Scotland (these to be checked out further)
JC26/1842/602
"At Edinburgh the Thirtieth day of November, Eighteen Hundred and Forty-one year, in the presence of A. George Tait, Esquire, Sheriff Substitute of Edinburgh Shire, Janet Carmichael Thomson, at present in custody, who being examined, declares I am twenty-six years of age, born in England, and am widow of John Adamson, a Mason, and I have no fixed place of residence, and have been twice convicted of theft.
On Thursday, the twenty-fifth I went to the house of my brother-in-law, John McLeod, an Artist in Nicolson Street, and saw my sister and without her knowledge I carried away from a nail in the kitchen a silver watch at which were a chain, seal and one or two watch keys, and I went to the shop of William Murray, Broker, Congate and pledged the watch and appendages with Mrs Murray for ten shillings, eight shillings of which I spent in the shop for clothes, and I told her that I had taken it from my brother-in-law's house and would not wish it to be lost, and told her that I would purchase it back, and asked her to keep it for a week, but she said she did not know whether she would do so or not."
Interrogated, declared
"I now recollect I did not then leave the appendages with her, but went back with them to her next morning and left them with her for three pence, and asked her to keep them for me with the watch.
On the Saturday evening I returned to my brother-in-law's house as I was uneasy at what I had done and wanted to tell her what I had done with the watch, and I had promised on the Thursday to my sister to return on the Saturday.
My sister asked me if I had taken the watch and I denied having done so because her husband was present, but I took her into a private room and told her what I had done and took her to Murray's shop, and we saw Mrs Murray, who at first said she did not know anything of the watch and appendages but, afterwards, said that she had sold them to a man who she did not know.
I was taken to the police office; all this I declare to be truth. Signed Janet Adamson".