George Conkin (bef. 1746 - abt. 1786)

Born before 1746 in England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1786 after about age 40 in Augusta, Virginia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Janne Gorman [send private message]

Biography

George Conkin was brought to Colonial Virginia aboard the prison ship, Justitia, in September, 1764. ^[1]

CONVICT TRANSPORTATION "The ship Justitia made at least seven voyages to Virginia, after 1764, under the command of Colin Somerville. After the business of transportation broke down [as a result of the American Revolutionary War] the Justitia was turned into a "hulk" and used for keeping felons employed in dredging the channel of the Thames River." ^[2]

The Justitia was originally a French War Ship that was called "Success" and it was built in 1753 at Genoa. It was captured during the French and Indian War in 1757 and was later registered to John Stewart in London, England in September of 1764 and was renamed the Justitia. It weighed 305 tons and carried a crew of 14 to 16 men. The Justitia carried no cannon or guns. The crew changed from voyage to voyage, with only two crew members identified from the final voyage. Jacob Snowball, the ships carpenter, and Alexander Tait, the first mate. They were witnesses to Captain Colin Somervell will shortly before his death at sea.

This ship made biannual voyages from London, England to Virginia between the years of 1764 and 1775 and "usually" docked at Leeds Town, King George County, VA (King George is now Westmoreland County). It only made a total of 12 voyages carrying the English convicts. The human cargo was then sold at public auction, with advertisements of the auction published in the Virginia Gazette Newspaper, Williamsburg, VA. It was not unusual for prospective buyers to travel for a hundred miles or more to bid on a convict that had a special trade or craft that could be useful to the purchaser. In some instances bids from several potential buyers were placed long in advance prior to the ship arriving at port.

Researcher's Notes

A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea.

It has not been discovered what George's "crime" was. It should be remembered that individuals who were not able to pay their own bills in England at that time were incarcerated in jail or "poor houses." Hopefully, George was at least 16 years of age at the time of his transportation, therefore, his age is estimated as to having been before 1746.

Possible wife of George Conkin, Sr. is Anna Skelton, married in Virginia. In 1786, the court records in Augusta county, Virginia noted an orphan son of George Conkin was placed under the guardianship of John Campbell.

Three possible sons of George Conkin, who came to the Southwest Territory, which later became part of the state of Tennesse were George Conkin, found on the 1796 tax record for Sullivan county, Tennessee, John Conkin, born 1776, who served in Captain Waddle's Company, during the War of 1812; and Moses Conkin, who served in Captain Jacob Hartsell's Company, during the War of 1812. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ The Complete Book of Emigrants in Bondage 1614-1774, by Peter Wilson Coldham, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, 1988
2. ↑ Colonists in Bondage: White Servitude and Convict Labor in America, 1607-1776 by Abbott Emerson Smith, UNC Press Books, Jan 1, 2014, page 127
3. ↑ http://tngenweb.org/sullivantn/pension/conkin1812.htm