Joshua Peck (1755 - 1825)

Born 1755 in Devon, England [uncertain]

Husband of Mary (Frost) Peck — married 1791 in Norfolk Island, Australia

Descendants

Died 24 Feb 1825 at about age 70 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Pamela Monaghan [send private message] and Dean Cooper [send private message]

Biography

Joshua Peck was a convict on the First Fleet.

Joshua was born about 1755.^[1] It is unknown where he was born.^[2]

On 20 March 1786, at the Devon Lent Assizes, Joshua Peck was charged with stealing one cloth coat, value 30 shillings and other goods value of 17/6 from John Scadding; three linen shirts, value 16 shillings and other goods value of 12 shillings from Robert Turpin; two cloth coats, value 20 shillings and other goods value of 32 shillings from Samuel Thompson. He was also charged with breaking and entering the dwelling of Sarah Mitchell and stealing three silver castors value 58 shillings and other goods to the value of 20 shillings.^[3]

Joshua was found guilty on all theft charges, but not guilty of breaking and entering (this saved him from the death penalty). He was sentenced to transportation for seven years.

He was sent to the prison hulk Dunkirk, in Plymouth harbour, where he was described as age 30 and "tolerably decent and orderly". He embarked on the Charlotte on 17 March 1787, part of the First Fleet which sailed from Spithead on 13 May 1787 and arrived at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson on 26 January 1788.^[4]

Soon after arriving in New South Wales, Joshua was employed at the hospital. In July 1788 he and two others, John Small and Thomas Chadwick, were charged with stealing wine from the hospital tent. The following comes from John Cobley's book "Sydney Cove 1788" for Thursday 3rd July:^[5]

During the day Thomas Chadwick reported that the wine for the sick was getting low. Mr White ordered the bottles to be filled again. Nine were filled and put into a chest, which was locked.

Mr White was wakened about midnight by the noise of vomiting outside his tent. Joshua Peck was outside, very much in liquor and unable to stand. White called the sentry at the hospital and the corporal of the guard. They got a light and searched Peck’s tent, where they found a tea kettle containing red wine. White then woke Balmain and went to examine the wine cask in a tent nearby. They found a kettle under a spile hole in the cask. They woke Arndell and went to the laboratory tent, where they found Small in a state of beastly drunkenness and unable to speak. They examined the hospital servants but all were asleep in bed, except Chadwick, whom they found staggering with intoxication. Chadwick and Peck were sent up to the guard, but Small was too drunk to be moved.

Judge Advocate David Collins later wrote that they were acquitted of the charges, for want of "sufficient evidence".^[3]

In October 1788 Joshua Peck was sent to Norfolk Island, aboard the Golden Grove.

Marriage: Joshua married Mary Frost in November 1791 when Reverend Richard Johnson visited Norfolk Island.^[4] There are no surviving registrations for these marriages. The only record is a note by Commandant Philip Gidley King that Reverend Richard Johnson married over 100 couples during the visit. Joshua Peck later confirmed that they were married by "Rev Mr Johnson about 8 years since" when he was a witness in his wife's rape trial of 1799.^[6]

In December 1791 he was recorded as a member of the Night Watch at Grenville Vale.^[7]

In August 1792, he shared a sow with William Blackhall, Ann Yeoman and his wife Mary Frost.

Joshua left Norfolk Island in April 1793 on the Chesterfield and presumably his wife Mary accompanied him. Joshua was granted 30 acres in 1794 at Prospect (now Toongabbie). It was increased by 50 acres in May 1797.^[4]

On 31 May 1799 soldier John Owens was accused of raping Mary Frost, Joshua's wife. John Owens had been convicted of rape previously and had received 500 lashes. Unfortunately, in the case of the sexual assault of Mary, the court was unable to convict him due to the want of "corroborative testimony".^[6]

In 1802 Joshua Peck had 100 acres, 20 of them cleared of which four were sown in wheat and eight ready for maize. He held five bushels of maize and all the family were off stores.^[4]

On 26 March 1803 he advertised his “Peck’s Farm” for sale in the Sydney Gazette.^[8]

Soon after, Joshua and Mary returned to Norfolk Island. In August 1807 they were living on a 25 acres farm with 15 acres in grain, ten fallow, 10 hogs and 300 bushels of grain in hand.^[4]

With the closure of the Norfolk settlement, Joshua, his wife and six children arrived at Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) on the Porpoise on 17 January 1808. He was granted 45 acres at New Norfolk.^[3]

By 1819, the family moved to northern Van Diemen’s Land. By this time Joshua was renting a farm of 21 acres Camden Plains (now White Hills) area. He was listed as having a wife and five children.^[3]

The Hobart town Gazette of 9 June 1821 reported:^[9]

“Joshua Peck, the elder, William Peck, Joshua Peck the younger, and Thomas Peck, were placed on trial charged with having feloniously killed sheep, the property of our Lord the King. Also, with having feloniously killed an heifer, the property of one Thomas Daley.”

Daley stated in his evidence that he was an overseer of the Government flock including a stock-yard at Camden Plains, about nine miles from Launceston and that the prisoners lived about ¾ of a mile from the yard.^[3]

They were all found guilty and sentenced to be transported to Newcastle for 14 years. William subsequently escaped, but was recaptured and sent to Macquarie Harbour.

During his time at Newcastle, Joshua Senior petitioned Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane on two occasions – once for permission for him and his sons to complete their sentence in Van Diemen’s Land and the other to return to Van Diemen’s Land to grow tobacco, claiming he had a number of years’ experience in America. Both requests were rejected.^[3]

Joshua died on 24 February 1825 and was buried at the Newcastle Church of England cemetery on 25 February. The remains from this cemetery were subsequently transferred to the Sandgate Cemetery.^[3]

Mary remained in Van Diemen’s Land, living with her daughter Elizabeth (Lette) at White Hills until her death on 14 November 1847, aged 96.

Joshua was born in 1760. He passed away in 1825.

Sources

1. ↑ Source will be added by Dean Charles Cooper by 21 Jul 2021.
2. ↑ A discussion about his place of birth is in December 21, 2020 The Joshua Peck Connection https://jillettfamilyancestors.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-joshua-peck-connection.html
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Graeme Peck, "Joshua Peck, First Fleeter", Fellowship of First Fleeters http://www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au/joshuapeck.htm
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Gillen, Mollie, The Founders of Australia : A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet, 1989.
5. ↑ John Cobley, "Sydney Cove 1788", Angus and Robertson 1980 pp.173-4.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Court of Criminal Jurisdiction, Minutes of proceedings, SRNSW 5/1121, quoted in "Sex-related offences, NSW, to 1809", Criminal Justice Research Centre, The Ohio State University https://cjrc.osu.edu/sites/cjrc.osu.edu/files/New%20South%20Wales%20Non-homicidal%20assaults%2C%201788-1851_0.pdf accessed 1 Aug 2021 (see images 15-17)
7. ↑ Transported Convicts to Australia https://sites.google.com/site/transportedconvictstoaustralia/p-1
8. ↑ 1803 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 26 March, p. 4. , viewed 01 Aug 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article625477
9. ↑ 1821 'COURT OF CRIMINAL JURISDICTION.', Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser (Tas. : 1821 - 1825), 9 June, p. 2. , viewed 01 Aug 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1089460

• Community contributions, Convictrecords database https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/peck/joshua/134603

See also:

• As I sailed out from Plymouth, by Hilton M Peck (to check when the libraries re-open)
• Ancestors familysearch