English Corney is my convict ancestor.  He was convicted of cattle stealing and transported from England to Tasmania, leaving his wife and five children behind.  Only a short time before English had built up a successful business in Surrey as a wheelwright and a blacksmith, along with a substantial house, providing for his growing family.   All that comfort soon disappeared and a long hard period of loneliness, hard work and poverty ensued.  The Corneys were resilient and stoic however and would go onto recover a semblance of what they’d had in Surrey, albeit in a far off land.

Born around 1804,1 English married Elizabeth Penfold in 1828.2 During the 1830s English built up a substantial home and Wheelwright business in the village of Hurstpierpoint, Sussex. Five children were born between 1830 and 1839;   Thomas, Albert, David, Anne and Emma.3 Life seemed to be going well, however at some point their fortune took a turn and English and Elizabeth had to put their home up for sale.  On May 3rd, 1838 the Brighton Gazette advertises an auction for a ‘Neat substantial, newly-erected eight- roomed Freehold Dwelling House’.  The listing goes onto describe ‘detached washhouses supplied by an English Pump with fine spring water’ as well as a walled garden with new fruit trees.  There is a ‘Wheelwright’s and Smith’s shops with loft over, and a Yard adjoining’.  The Auction was to be held on Friday, May 11th, 1938 at 2pm.  ‘To view apply to Mr English Corney, on the premises.’4    The property was encumbered and English could not afford to keep it. 

Sadly their situation deteriorated rapidly from this time and on the 18th of September,1840 English was charged with ‘Stealing two cows and two heifers’ at the Surrey Quarter Sessions.  He was sentenced to transportation to Van Diemen’s Land for a term of 15 years.5   He was thirty seven years old and had a young family who relied entirely on him.  English and Elizabeth must have believed that they would never see each other again and their lives were destined to be impoverished, lonely and miserable when his sentence was imposed and he was immediately imprisoned aboard the prison hulk ‘the Leviathan’ 6, where he would remain for nearly seven months until he was transported from Portsmouth on April 6th, 1841 aboard the ship Asia.7 There were 260 convicts on board, only two of whom perished during the long journey. 8 The allocation of power to the ship Surgeons for all things disciplinary and medical contributed significantly to these low fatalities.  The Asia arrived in Tasmania on the 21st of August of 1841.9   The Indent Record shows English as being of good conduct and states he was employed as a painter on the journey.10   He is described as 5 feet and 4 ½ inches tall with a ruddy complexion, brown hair and whiskers, and grey eyes.  He could read and write. 11

In the Appropriation List of Jan 1841 to December 1842 English is listed as being stationed at Bridgewater, with probation of 2 years.12  Again in the Convict Muster of 1846, he is listed as working in a gang for Mr Grant of Kensington, Bridgewater. 13 In the Convict Conduct Record of August 1847, English Corney is listed as a Wheelwright and Painter of good conduct and he was granted his Ticket of Leave. 14   English immediately made application to bring his family to Van Diemen’s Land.16 He settled at O’brien’s Bridge (now Glenorchy in Northern Hobart) and he set up a Wheelright business opposite the Kensington Inn on the High Road.17 On April 5th, 1851 English Corney was granted a conditional pardon. 18

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and her five children must have struggled desperately to survive.  It is hard to imagine how she would have managed this, but she was very likely a resourceful and strong woman.   In October 1842 she petitioned the government for clemency to overturn English’s conviction. There are fifty signatures from men who knew English and attested to his good character.  She says ‘Your petitioner and five children having nothing to support them, except what she can earn  by her own labor  and what she can get from the Parish.’  She probably relied on the support of family members and took on whatever work she could manage while caring for her five children.  Her eldest sons too would have helped, labouring wherever possible to keep the family from starving.  Elizabeth must also have sought help from the Parish from time to time.  In January 1849 she is shown on a list of appeals to have received ‘maintenance’ from the Brighton Parish and consequently moved back to Hustpierpoint Parish.19 It must have come as a great relief after nine arduous years without her husband to have finally been allocated space on the William Jardine in May 1849.  The family arrived in Hobart on August 27th, 1849.   In the arrivals list, next to Elizabeth’s name under remarks it says ‘age 41 to join convict’. 20   More than likely the journey was funded under the Family Reunification Program, for Elizabeth would not have had the funds to pay for her and her five children to travel.

Finally united, the family settled into O’Briens Bridge (now Glenorchy) on the banks of the Derwent River.  English had begun to recreate the house and business they had built in Surrey.  A cottage, garden and a wheelwright’s and blacksmith’s shop were developed on the same site.21  In December 1950, baby John arrived and in March 1854 another son Henry was born.22  By that time their first son Thomas was 21 years old and before long would begin his own family.   Elizabeth had been having children over a span of twenty one years.  Amazingly for the period, all seven children survived through infancy and into adulthood.
 
From January, 1854 English began trying to sell his property at O’Brien’s Bridge. The first advertisement in the Hobart Mercury describes the premises as, ‘A Freehold allotment, a cottage, a wheelwright’s and blacksmith’s shop’.   It goes onto say ‘Here is an opportunity for a man to put a spoke in the wheel of fortune, which in a few diurnal revolutions, will make him a rich fellow; and he who will ‘strike while the iron’s hot’ may with glowing ambition elicit the true spark of independence and shape his own success’. 23    Another advertisement in 1859, states that the ‘useful callings which have been carried on by Mr Corney for a long period will recommend the premises to purchases’.24   In 1861, English became insolvent and his property was put up for sale once again.25 However, in 1867 a notice in the Mercury states that English has handed his business onto his son Henry, (only thirteen years old at the time).  Henry is quoted, ‘Having taken over the above business for many years carried on by my father, I assure all Customers that everything will be done with punctuality and under Reasonable Charges.’ 26
 
In December, 1873 Elizabeth died after suffering a fit and falling into a fire27 and in August 1881 English died of dropsy.28 His will leaves everything including his debts to his son Henry.  It’s interesting that his other five sons and two daughters aren’t mentioned, however this could be because English had more liabilities than assets as it does state that ‘Henry must pay all the debts of the deceased.’29 Also by this time both David and John had departed for NSW. 30 In December 1881 Henry surrenders most of the property at O’Brien’s Bridge, (presumably to pay English’s debts).  He continued to stay in the district working as a carpenter, marrying Charlotte March and going onto have four children; three daughters and one son.31 Henry died in 1927 age seventy years old.32 The resilient and tenacious Corney name continues on today and is very prominent both in Tasmania and also in NSW.33
 
NOTES
 
1 ‘DOB English Corney’, Convict Records, Accessed  30 May 2017
2 ‘England Select Marriages, 1538-1973’,[database online}, Ancestry, Accessed 30 May 2017
3 ‘Sales by Auction’, Brighton Gazette, 3 May 1838, p1, The British Newspapers Archive, Accessed  30 May 2017
4 The British Newspapers Archive, ‘Sales by Auction’, Brighton Gazette, 3 May 1838, p1, Accessed  30 May 2017
5 Ancestry, Criminal Register for English Corney, ‘England and Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892’, England Surrey 1940, Home Office: Criminal Registers, Middlesex and Home Office: Criminal Registers, England and Wales;  Accessed 30 May 2017
6 Ancestry, Prison Hulk for English  Corney, ‘UK, Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849’, Home Office: Convict Prison Hulks: Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849, Accessed 30 May 2017
7 Tasmanian Archives Online, Register Asia 1841, ‘Comprehensive Register of Convicts (Core Series) 1842-1845’, CON22-1-5, Accessed 20 May 2017
,Tasmanian Colonial Convict, Passenger and Land Records, Ancestry, Accessed 18 May, 2017
8 Asia 1841, Ships, Convict Records, Accessed 18 May 2017
9 Ancestry, Register Asia 1841, ‘Comprehensive Register of Convicts (Core Series) 1842-1845’, CON22-1-5, Tasmanian Colonial Convict, Passenger and Land Records, Accessed 18 May, 2017
10  Tasmanian Archives Online, Indent English Corney, CON14/1/16, Accessed 18 May 2017
11  Tasmanian Archives Online, Description of English Corney, Description List 21st August 1821 to 18th November 1821, CON18/1/28U, Accessed June 3 2017
12 Tasmanian Archives Online, Appropriation List 1 Jan 1841 to 31 Dec 1842, CON27/1/9, Accessed 18 May 2017
13 Ancestry, Muster Record for English Corney, ‘Tasmania Convict Muster 1846, NSW and Tasmania’, Australian Convict Musters, 1806-1849,     Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Sales and Tasmania, Accessed 12 May 2017
14 Tasmanian Archives Online, Convict Conduct Record for English Corney, Convict Conduct Record, CON33/1/9, Accessed 18 May 2017
15 Trove, Ticket of Leave for English Corney,‘Convict Department Advertisement’, Launceston Examiner,  28 Aug 1847, p8,  Accessed 30 May 2017,
16 Tasmanian Archives Online, English Corney application to bring out family, Remarks, G033/1/63 p349-350, Accessed 18 May 2017
17  Trove, Property Auction advertisement for English Corney, Classified Advertising, The Courier, 19 Jan 1854, p2, Accessed 30 May 2017
18 Trove, Conditional Pardon Granted for English Corney, ‘Conditional Pardons Granted’, The Cornwall Chronical Launceston, 5 April 1851, p216, Accessed 18 May 2017
19 The British Newspapers Archive, Parish Appeal for Elizabeth Corney, ‘Appeals – before the Earl of Chichester’ Brighton Gazette, January 4 1849, p6, , Accessed  30 May 2017
20 Tasmanian Archives Online, Arrival for Elizabeth Corney and five children, Arrival 27 August 1849, CS024/1/112/3659 P37
21 Trove, Property Auction for English Corney, ‘Monday 20th January’, Auctions, Classified Advertising, The Hobart Town Daily Mercury, 29 March 1859, p4, Accessed 30 May 2017
22 Convict Records, Birth of John and Henry Corney, 73154 https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/corney/english/73154
23  Trove, Property Auction for English Corney, Auctions, Classified Advertising, The Courier, 19 Jan 1854, p2, , Accessed 30 May 2017
24 Trove, Property Auction for English Corney, Auctions, Classified Advertising, The Hobart Town Daily Mercury, 29 March 1859, p4, Trove, Accessed 30 May 201725
25 Trove, Insolvency of English Corney, Notice of Insolvency, The Mercury, 17th January 1861, p7, Accessed 6 June 2017
26 Trove, Notice of Henry Corney taking over business from English Corney, ‘Notice to Residents of Glenorchy’, The Mercury,  5th June 1877, p1, Accessed 6 June 2017
27  Trove, Death of Elizabeth Corney, ‘Family Notices, The Mercury, 5th December 1873, p1, Accessed 5 June 2017
28  Tasmanian Archives Online, Death of English Corney, Register of Deaths, RGD35/1/9 no 3274, Accessed 5 June 2017
29 Tasmanian Archives Online, Will of English Corney, AD960/1/12
30 Ancestry, Corney Family Tree, Worsley, Accessed 6 June 2017
31 Ancestry, Corney Family Tree, Worsley
32 Ancestry, Corney Family Tree
33 Ancestry, Corney Family Tree
 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ancestry, http://ancestry.com.au
British Newspapers Archive, http://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
Convict Family Reunification Scheme, Jenny Parrot, from, 'For the moral good?: the government scheme to unite convicts with their families 1818–1843', M Humanities thesis, UT, 1994.
Convict Records of Australia, https://convictrecords.com.au
Trove, National Library of Australia, http://trove.nla.gov.au
Sickness and Death on Male and Female Convict Voyages to Australia, Hamish Maxwell-Stewart, University of Tasmania, Rebecca Kippen, University of Melbourne
Tasmanian Archives and Heritage, https://www.linc.tas.gov.au
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As the ragged queue edges forward Elizabeth’s mind wanders back to the village of Husterpoint.  Such hopes and dreams she and English had indulged in while building their little empire in this ‘highly respected and improving neighbourhood.’ They had worked hard but been full of good cheer, looking forward to their future in the beautiful house and garden they had created together.  English’s skills as a wheelwright and smithy kept the money flowing in and the children began arriving quickly, the house resonating with their chatter.    Elizabeth and English were filled to the brim with contentment. 
How foolish they had been!  During those years when the two of them had been so smug, people around them were drifting away, forced off the land by poor harvests and rising costs.  By the time she and English had looked up from their cosy little dream life, it was too late - his work had come to a grinding halt.  There was no money to pay for the encumberance.  Their lovely home was sold for a pittance.
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Elizabeth wipes her tears with her dirty sleeve.  She is so exhausted she feels faint.  A line of a poem comes to her, ‘That bells should joyful ring to tell.’  She shakes her head.   She can’t think like that, not with five children to support and English so far away in Australia.  Nine years now, he’s been gone and life is one long, miserable struggle for survival.  An angry voice brings her back to the present. ‘Madam! ’  The line ahead has disappeared and Elizabeth stands at the desk.  The Clergyman registers her name and parish and hands over a few coins.    A nice bit of mutton for the pot tonight, she thinks hurrying away. 
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