Australia's last living convict

Question

Just read this news item which talks about Australia's last living convict, Samuel Speed, who died in 1938 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-10/australias-last-convicts/9317172

A quick Wikitree search did not find a profile for him but perhaps the Australian Convicts project may be able to give him a place on Wikitree.

Comments

Unless the Australian justice system has completely been trashed, I would honestly be very surprised if their last convict died in 1938!

I think, to be clear (some may say pedantic) this refers to the last of the convicts from the UK to be transported to Australia.

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Is that word still in common use in the UK? Australians call modern convicted criminals ‘prisoners’ or ‘inmates’ and the word convicts is reserved for the olden days transportees. The prisoners are still convicted but the noun isn’t used, and if an Australian says that they’ve discovered an escaped convict the reaction would be to assume they’re talking genealogy rather than to call the police. I suppose that he probably wasn’t the last convict when he died, but in current usage he is? :)

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Just read a book called "great convict stories" by Graham Seal. His last story is about Samuel Speed. Find also on Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76057783?searchTerm=%22samuel%20speed%22~0&searchLimits=l-state=Western+Australia|||l-title=253

Lionel

 

 

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Although transportation to the eastern states ended c 1842, in Western Australia it ended in 1868. Therefore, if a convict was young when sent to WA, it is quite possible that he/she could still be alive in 1938. I mean, one of my convict ancestors was only 16 when he was transported.

Answer 1

I’ll have a go at adding him.

Comments

In progress - he’s Speed-1009.

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Excellent, thank you Kathleen.

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Well done Kathleen! Great work. Now we just need to connnect him up. Thanks a lot.

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He never married and had no family in Australia, but his 1871 papers for his release gave his next of kin as his sister - I believe the name reads Mrs Prey - C/- Leicester St, Birmingham. That should be trackable! If he wasn't writing to her, it may be her address from 1863-ish when he was arrested.

Answer 2

I was just going through the listing of PMs to check if any had convict heritage. The only one I could work out who had was Harold Holt, however, I could not track all of them back that far.

I think if that is true, it would make a killer trivia question

Q/ Who is the only ex-Australian Prime Minister with convict heritage

A/ Harold Holt

Comments

Not the only PM with convict heritage. Kevin Rudd has a few including Thomas Rudd and Mary Wade. 

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Ah, Thanks Vivian,

Maybe I missed Kev. Good pick up!

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Scott Morrison too apparently -- some First Fleeters!

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@Simon. I agree that would be killer question at an Australian Trivia quiz night.
I wonder how much has been caused by embarrassment of some convict ancestry in times past.