Received from Greg McGrath, descendent of William Welch – 15th Sep 2014
WILLIAM RICHARD WELCH 1797 - 1876 and ELIZABETH HAZELTON 1803 - 1868
EARLY HISTORY
The Elsenham Gang, lead by Joseph Clarke operated around the area of Elsenham UK. The gang was aided and abetted by Clarke's wife Elizabeth. One of their last escapades was an attempted robbery and murder at “Tye House” on 30 September 1816, owned and occupied by James Dennis and his family. Those who participated in the affair were William Clarke (Snr), his sons Henry, Joshua and William as well as Aaron Miller, Thomas Monck and a person known as Welsh. All except Monck and Welsh were charged and convicted on charges relating to the offence at the Chelmsford Lent Assizes of 1817. William Clarke was found guilty of firing at James Dennis with intent to kill, and was hanged. The rest were transported to “The Colonies”. Henry Clarke, was sentenced to 14 years and was killed in Launceston, Tasmania in December 1832; Joshua Clarke, 14 years, died in Colao, Victoria in November 1875; William Clarke, life, died at Kelso NSW in February 1851; William Giffin, life, died Sydney July 1852 and Aaron Miller, life, died Sydney May 1846. Those who received life sentences were reprieved by the judge who originally sentenced them to death.
All are transported on the “Larkins” on 3 July 1817 and arrive Sydney on 22 November 1817.
The circumstances surrounding the crime and Welch's involvement were published in the Essex Chronicle of 14 March 1817 which reports;
“William Clark, Henry Clarke, Aaron Miller and William Giffin were indicted for a burglary in the dwelling-house of Mr James Dennis of Elsenham and firing a pistol through the window with intent to kill him.
The particulars of this case were nearly all detailed in the paper alluded to of the 7th February; we shall not therefore enter so minutely into that transaction, excepting as to the evidence of Monk, the accomplice, which fully removed the veil, and exposed the history of this most nefarious hoard of thieves.
Mr & Mrs Dennis and the servant maid, Hannah Perry, related the circumstances; the firing of the pistol through the window, the throwing of stones, and the burglary, which was committed by breaking a pane of glass out of the parlour window and putting in the hand to remove the bolt of the shutter, which they proved, to have fastened over night.
John Pearce, gamekeeper, lives near Mr Dennis's; he was out the night in question, looking after poachers, having heard the report of a pistol he went towards Mr Dennis's house, and when within six or seven rods, he heard some person throwing stones which fell upon the tiles. Three or four men passed the witness just after, and two or three stood at a distance. Witness asked them what they were doing there; it was then between eleven and twelve o'clock - he heard one man tell another to load the double-barrelled gun; but the persons told witness, if he would go about his business they would not hurt him. They had bludgeons - witness pointed his gun, but did not fire. The men appeared to have caps or hats without rims; smock-frocks; or dark coloured coats. Witness could not swear to the persons but believes that the prisoners at the bar are the same men; William and Henry Clark in particular as he had known their persons for three or four years; but had no knowledge of the others.
Thomas Monck, the accomplice, made the following disclosure; on the 30th of September he was going to Henham, to look for a job of reaping; about l0 o'clock that day he met William Clark and Henry Clark. [being asked if he knew the prisoners at the bar, he said, that is Will with the smock]. These two Clarkes asked witness where he was going; he told them, to Henham. Henry said, so am I; they then proceeded to the Star at Henham, where they had some mutton-chops; they left the Star about two o'clock, when William Clark and witness returned towards home. Henry left them. William and the witness called at the Wood Farm, and asked for a job; Mrs Scot gave them a little beer. When about half a mile on the road, and about a mile from Mr Dennis's, William Clark asked witness to go home with him to Elsenham, where they arrived about seven o'clock. They found Elizabeth Clark the mother, and Henry Clarke there; they all drank some beer. Some time after, a person rapped at the window, and William Clark tuned out; he quickly came in again with three others, viz. Aaron Miller, William Giffin, and a person of the name of Welsh, William Clark told witness that these persons came from Stortford. Witness had seen them before, and knew all their persons except Welsh, who was a stranger. Welsh pulled out a bunch of keys - there were three sorts; all examined the keys, and said they thought they would do very well. They all drank beer as well as gin, and gin and water. Eliz Clarke the mother, brought a warming pan, into which she swept some soot from the chimney; Henry Clark mixed up with water; and then Henry and William blacked the faces of the party. Nothing was said to witness when his face was blacked, except, "I must lather you too." They all then put on black coats, which were found in the house, and cropped hats (without rims); four had these sort of hats, and witness had such a hat, but the other had the lining of a hat only. Witness did not know what was going forward, nor did he ask what they were going to do. Two sticks were taken from the house, and one of the party had a pistol, but he did not know which. The party left off Clark's house about eleven o'clock; they went to Gadds End; one of them picked up a coulter there and afterwards they proceeded to Tye Green. They all then went to James Dennis's house, and then halted. Nobody had then joined them.
CRIME AND CONVICTION
The Essex Chronicle article makes it clear that Welsh is not known to the Clarkes. His purpose for being there, other than for this robbery, or perhaps to join the gang, is therefore unknown. During the Chelmsford Lent Assizes of 1817 Gang members were imprisoned at Moulsham Gaol from where the odd prisoner escaped. Wether Welsh was there and perhaps escaped with two of the Clarkes and others we do not know. He was eventually caught and brought to trial at the next Assizes. The Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, Fir 8 Aug 1817, reports that;
William Welch, one of the desperate Elsenham gang (several of whom were convicted at the last assizes), was indicted for maliciously shooting at James Dennis, at Elsenham, on the 30th of September last. The prosecutor, Mr Dennis, a farmer, resident of Elsenham, stated t That on the night of the 30th of September last, about 12 o'clock, after his family had retired to bed, he was alarmed at a noise as if forcing one of his lower windows, upon which he got up and saw several men in the yard. He bellowed out, “Who is there?” Upon which one of them exclaimed, “D...n you, you old buffer, we will let you know.” He said, “I will fire at you,” and called up his maid. Soon after his maid bought a light, and he went down below, when a gun or pistol was fired at the window shutter, and two shots came through the crevice of the shutter, and struck him under the eye and near the nose: he could not identify any of the parties, but he saw that there were several men. The two witnesses who detailed the whole transaction were, Elizabeth Clark and Thomas Mert: the former of whom was the mother of one of the men who was hanged after the last assizes. They stated that, on the night of September 30th last, persons of the name of Miller, Gifan, William Clarke and James Clarke, together with the witness Mert, met at old Clarke's house, on the night of September 30th, and having there blacked their faces, they went out to commit depredations, and in pursuance of that plan they went to the prosecutor's. There one of them attempted to force open a parlour window with a plough-hare, which disturbed the family. Mert then corroborated the statement of the prosecutor that he appeared at the window, when Welsh snapped the pistol, which misfired twice, but on the third attempt went off. Upon the firing of the pistol a man of the name of James Pearce came up, who questioned them, but they told him to hold his tongue or he should fare worse, but if he went away quietly they would not hurt him. Pearce corroborated this part of the statement, and he thought it prudent to retire. When they returned to Clarke's house, Mrs. Clarke advised them to bury the pistol and dark lantern, which they laid in an adjoining orchard; they did so, and the constable proved that he found the pistol buried in the place that Mrs. Clarke had described. These facts being proven, which was the same evidence given against others of the gang last assizes, the Jury found the prisoner Guilty.
This William Welch is the man who brought our 'Welch' name to Australia. Tried at Chelmsford, Essex, on the 28 of July 1817. Records state that he was sentenced to Transportation for Life. At the time he was aged 25 and his native place was Hertfordshire. He was a Gardener by trade and is described in the transportation registers as being, 5ft 8¾ins tall, of dark ruddy complexion with black hair and dark eyes. William was convicted for breaking into the house and James Dennis and while armed shooting at the owner. He also appeared on the High Road in Elsenham with his face blackened and armed. For these crimes he was condemned to be hanged. The sentence was commuted to life by the judge and then to 14 years penal servitude in 1818 on arrival by the Governor of New South Wales. William was born a Protestant in 1797.
TRANSPORTATION
Whilst awaiting transportation William was imprisoned on the hulk 'Retribution'. He was eventually transported in a group of 200 convicts on the ship Tottenham of 557 tons which had left Spithead on 27 March 1818. It had originally set sail on the 8 June 1817 but due to several misadventures did not finally depart on its voyage until 17 April 1818.The ship had decks 102 ft 6 inches long with a beam of 31 feet under the command of Capt Dugald McDougall assisted by Robert Armsbury as ships surgeon. The voyage was very eventful compared with many. The upper pintle of the rudder was broken soon after Sailing. The ship called into Plymouth for repairs. Scurvy was rife with 36 cases causing 10 deaths among the convicts. Mutiny was reported among the convicts on 1 June and on several occasions after calling at Rio de Janeiro on 24 June. There was a report of an attempt to gain control of the ship on 16 July and on 26 July a sentry fired his gun after giving repeated warnings which two musket balls lodging in a stanchion. No one was injured. The events of the trip suggest harsh treatment of the convicts by the ship's crew. On 14 October 1818 some 190 convicts were landed in Sydney.
It is unlikely that too many ships, having set sail for NSW, would have had as many problems as on this voyage. One of the ship's crew, W.B. Cramp, wrote in an account of this voyage;
" At length I was engaged by Messrs Robinson to join his Majesty's Ship Tottenham, bound to New South Wales with 200 convicts. On June the 8th 1817 I joined her. After receiving all the ship's and government stores on board, we proceeded to Woolwich, and received on board 50 of our number, and in the afternoon of the same day we made sail, and on a sudden struck on a reef at low water; we were lying high and dry; every means was used to get her off, but without success, till we sent our convicts up to the hulks, and discharged our stores into the different crafts sent for that purpose, and by that means lightened her so, that at the flood she drifted ; she was so materially damaged, it was deemed necessary she should return back to Deptford to Dock."
From Charles Bateson's Convict Ships - "The Tottenham was built at Stockholm in 1802 by Thomas Haw for the London shipowner, Robert Wigram. Exclusive of her equipment, she cost fourteen pounds per ton, her builder receiving a payment of £7,238. She measured 102ft 6ins on the keel and 31ft in breadth. Her tonnage when built was 517 tons, but when she arrived at Port Jackson in 1818 she was officially recorded as being of 557 tons, and paid harbour due on this tonnage. She was then a three-decker of the second class, and ship-rigged."
According to Joseph Godber's letter to his wife Rebecca, the Tottenham sailed from Sheerness on Sunday 11 January 1818 and went as far as Deal before returning to Sheerness on 24 January in consequence of a misfortune befalling the ship. Eventually the Tottenham departed Spithead on 27 March 1818, however three days later it was found that the upper pintle of her rudder was broken off and she put into Plymouth for repairs. She sailed from there for New South Wales on 17 April 1818. By June scurvy had broken out and on the 18th June 1818 surgeon Armstrong wrote: "In consequence of scurvy having appeared to an undesirable extent amongst the prisoners and calculating upon the length of the voyage and the probability of the disease gaining ground stated to the Master the necessity of touching at Rio de Janeiro or some other port for the purpose of obtaining a supply of fresh provisions for the prisoners and Guard."
By the time she put into Rio on 24 June there had been 36 cases of scurvy, of which 16 were still under treatment. The Tottenham remained at Rio until July 16, but when she arrived at Sydney on 14 October 1818, of the two hundred prisoners who had embarked a total of ten men had lost their lives. This was Robert Armstrong's first voyage as Surgeon Superintendent and he proved to be a humane and level-headed man. He was later employed as surgeon on the convict ships Dick in 1821 and the Countess of Harcourt in 1822. He handled the difficult conditions on the long voyage in a common-sense and capable way. There were rumours of mutiny which Armstrong recorded in his journal but they came to nothing and there was no corporal punishment meted out. The only serious event occurred on July 26 when a sentry fired a shot into one of the stanchions after prisoners attempted to put out his light. No shots were aimed at the convicts and later, Governor Macquarie, after an investigation and perusal of the Medical Journal, gave his full approval of the conduct of Robert Armstrong