Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania)
The Society’s Vice Chairman, Sheila Harris, is a member of the Guild of One-name Studies. When researching her Constantine connections, she came across this intriguing branch who have no apparent connection to her Constantines. Nevertheless, they had interesting tales for Sheila to relate to us.
The first subject under the spotlight was John (Frederick) Constantine, Sheila thought by using a middle name in later life he was attempting to ‘disguise’ himself? John was born in 1819 to Mary Constantine, a Spinster. His father was said to be Thomas ‘Smith’, although Sheila was not convinced. In 1844 John was convicted of Highway Robbery. Sheila was quick to clarify he was not a traditional horse-back riding Highwayman usually associated with this crime. John’s crime, detailed in a newspaper article, was more what today we would call a mugging. John appealed but the sentence, 15 years transportation to Van Diemen’s Land, was upheld. Sheila showed the Assignment form, made out on landing, which included a description. Probably to make it easier to spot him should he escape. Another interesting fact was that the ship’s surgeon had taught John to read and write during the voyage and Sheila wondered how common this was? A list of his misdemeanours, showed that he wasn’t entirely well behaved whilst ‘serving time’, but in due course he was pardoned. Then, as appeared to be the norm for pardoned criminals, he was encouraged to marry, despite already having a wife, Mary (née Viney), when he left England! Sheila described how women and men agreeing to marry would line up facing each other. The women chose her husband by dropping a handkerchief at his feet, no second thoughts, they were married immediately. After marriage John Frederick appears to become a reformed character, a stalwart of the church, and father to 10 children.
Next up were Mary and John Miller, who never married. Sheila reasoned that maybe that was because she didn't know if her husband, John Frederick, was still alive. But John Miller called her wife and she was his sole legatee. John Miller owned a Fairground attraction and died wealthy. Mary Miller or Viney had a son Joseph Viney Constantine aka John Miller. He was upset that, after John Miller’s death, his mother married her lodger, Joseph Ferguson. So, he arranged with his nephew John Robert Miller to murder Joseph. John Robert was easily led, being mentally unstable after being kicked in the head by a horse. Both were sentenced to be hanged in Newcastle Prison. An article in the 1994 edition of ‘True Crime’ magazine gave Sheila extra details of the case. Sadly, the nephew’s last words from the gallows were, “Why are all these people looking at me?”
Sheila acknowledge two descendants of this family, from Australia and Durham (neither present), for the help they had given her whilst she was researching this family and added that the Millers are still running Fairground attractions in Britain today.
There followed a well organised discussion with members’ giving of their knowledge about various subjects including remarriage of those who left spouses behind, what happened to the convicts in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) and some useful sources to use for research:
TROVE (TNA of Australia's Newspaper Collection) https://trove.nla.gov.au/
Female Convicts Research Centre https://www.femaleconvicts.org.au/
Wednesday 17th June 2020, 8.00 am for the benefit of Australian and New Zealand members.
Although, this meeting played a recording of the John Constantine talk, reported above, it was run as a normal Zoom meeting with Sheila in attendance to give participants an opportunity for questions and discussion/chat at the end.
Please note, it will not be possible to repeat all meetings in this manner, as this facility will depend on speakers being willing to be recorded as well as the quality of the recording.