Genealogy Chat

My Gt Gt Uncle, William Viall, was transported to New South Wales on 'Lady Faversham' on 3 April 1830. He was born in April 1813. How can I find out if he survived the journey and what became of him? Any ideas gratefully received.

Have you looked in the Australia section on Cyndi's list? Janice

No. I've looked through all the pages on Tips and can't find Cydi's list anywhere, am I missing something? Thanks Janice

Name: William Viall Vessel: Lady Feversham Convicted Date: 6 Aug 1829 Voyage Date: 3 Apr 1830 Colony: New South Wales Piece: HO 11/7 Place of Conviction: Suffolk County of Conviction: Suffolk Im not sure where to go from here. Obviously, put his name on Cousins Connect, Curious Fox, and this site. He most likely married over there, so you could try in the direction of marriage records. His unusual surname will help.

http://www(.)cyndislist(.)com/ships(.)htm

I've had a look on some of the Australian BMD sites, and I can't see him. This is the NSW site, but there's no sign of him there: http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/Index/IndexingOrder.cgi/search?event=births

Romany, You really are a 'Star' - many thanks. Mary, Many thanks also. If you want to know why William was transported google 'The Viall Assault' to read all the gruesome details. Don't worry, it doesn't run in the family - not now anyway!!! Cheers Colin

LOL! My husband had a John Page who was deported, a nasty piece of work apparently!

That's scary! William's brother George (my gt gt Grandfather) married a Page! Oh, and by the way, George was a convict in Brixton prison in 1871, what a family!!

Colin Ancestry have just added Australian transportation lists to their website. You can check for your relative there. If he died on the voyage it will say so. Sadly, thats what happened to my ancestor - he was only 24, still don't know what he did wrong. Chris

The 'Convicts to Australia' website shows that the Lady Feversham arrived with 2 less convicts than were embarked - perhaps he died on the voyage ? I can't see any evidence of him arriving, or living in NSW. I cannot remember if I have seen the convict equivalent of arriving passenger lists, but if two convicts died on the voyage it should be noted somewhere !! The bureaucracy was very efficient about things like that. If it is around, it will be on a microfilm, not in the on-line indexes. Give me a couple of days and I will check it out. Another avenue might be this - the English Board of Trade required ships captains for report births and deaths at sea on their return to England - it is separate to the main GRO files. I don't know if operated as early as 1830 but if I remember, it might be available as a microfilm through the LDS. Diane

Chris & Diane Many thanks indeed for the additional information. Mary has come back to me to say he arrived in 1830, was employed by a David Johnson and resided at Georges River (wherever that might be). So, I guess I now need to check out those sites you kind people flagged up to see if I can establish what became of him. Any further thoughts from your side of the world Diane would be greatfully appreciated. Cheers Colin (in Engand)

Captain George Johnston (1764-1823) Lieutenant of the First Fleet, built his first home, a farmhouse in this area on a grant of 70 hectares dated 1798. It was situated on Prospect Creek near the present Henry Lawson Drive and Beatty Parade. He named it George's Hall. His third son, David, became a grazier on this property, which was a farming area in its early days, and the suburb takes its name from the Johnston farm. David Johnston was appointed by Governor Macquarie as superintendent of herds and stock. In 1809 the farmhouse of George's Hall was used as an administration centre, and when convicts gathered at the centre to have a census taken, a military guard was posted there.

I think this is your answer. In 1834 he was executed for murder. Looks like he had a taste for blood, then. See: http://www.hotkey.net.au/~jwilliams4/sbdms2.htm New South Wales 1834 Old News Index Births,Deaths,Marriages & Inquests ... an index to Births,Deaths,Marriages & Inquests, mentioned in Sydney newspapers for the year 1834. Unless stated otherwise, the event took place in New South Wales. Further Information can be obtained from Jenny For details e-mail jfawcett 'at' austarnet(.)com.au

Regina v. Vial Supreme Court of New South Wales Forbes C.J., 22 August 1834 Source: Sydney Herald, 24 August 1834 Before His Honor the Chief Justice, and Jury of Civil Inhabitants. William Vial stood indicted for the wilful murder of John Scott, at Airds, on the 31st May last, by striking him on the head with a stick, thereby inflicting sundry wounds and contusions, of which he then and there died. (It seems they were both part of a prisoners chain gang. The two murders bear striking similarities. Vial and the victim absconded into the bush. They were apparently good friends. Scott seems to have been killed in his sleep by a camp fire. Vial was completely indifferent about his own fate and seems to have made little attempt to save himself. He did not ask for representation in court. In fact this seems to have been an important test case establishing the right to silence for a defendant. Colin, hope you don't mind me saying, but it seems that your great x3 uncle was a serial killer, a psychopath with suicidal tendencies!). The Sydney Gazette, 23 August 1834 reported that the prisoner ``both during the trial, and whilst receiving the awful sentence, exhibited the completest apathy.' The Australian, 26 August 1834 said that in sentencing him, Forbes C.J. ordered that his body be given for dissection, and stated that he had no doubt as to the prisoner's guilt, although in his charge to the jury he had left that to their consideration. Full details here: http://www.law.mq.edu.au/scnsw/Cases1834/html/r_v_vials__1834.htm

Wow Paul, Special Agent, Great detective work !!! I could not find a burial for him, probably not buried in a churchyard, if his body was given for dissection (by whom I wonder ?) The name variations recorded for the convicts sometimes makes me wonder how we can ever find the right person. In this day and age, it would probably be found that William Viall had some kind of mental illness, it certainly sounds like he was not in a normal state of mind. Diane

I wonder if he was responsible for other assaults or murders. It might be interesting to see if there are other unsolved cases in the area on record. Also, I wonder if there was a sexual aspect to the two cases. Both victims were friends who were in a sleeping situation with him. Maybe in the climate of the time he was so ashamed of his own tendencies that it twisted his mind.

See above. Many thanks guys and especially Paul, see separate message. Yep, I think he might have been a sandwich, table cloth and ants nest short of a picnic!!

Once again Paul thanks for the advice. I have come across Albert Viall and, so far, cannot link him to my line, so, hopefully we were not all crooks!! It's bad enough having a serial killer in the family line!!

Colin, as I anticipated I have found plenty of coverage of William's 1829 case in the Times, with some highly revealing information about his state of mind. A couple of letters to his aunts whilst awaiting trial would give a modern psychiatrist a field day. In fact maybe somebody on GR has the appropriate professional training to form an opinion? It's really fascinating. If you PM your e-mail address to me I will pass them on. Oh, and did you know his father was a carpenter?