Migration has always been a defining feature of my family’s history, with ancestors crossing oceans and continents in search of new beginnings. This April, as part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I’m sharing their stories—one letter at a time. Today, we focus on the letter C, which stands for Convict. This post tells the story of my 4th great-grandfather, William Carbis, who was transported to Australia in 1816 aboard the convict ship Ocean. His journey, along with that of his son and son-in-law, was not one of choice but of necessity, as they were convicted of sheep stealing in Cornwall.
The Crime
In 1815 William Carbis Senior was convicted of Sheep Stealing along with his son, William Carbis and son-in-law, Franics Bassett, at the Launceston Assizes in Cornwall.i The families knew each other very well and lived within walking distance. This close proximity likely contributed to the two marriages between them: William Carbis Senior’s daughter, Ann Drew Carbis, married Francis Bassett in 1806, while Martha Carbis married Francis’ brother, John Bassett, in 1812.ii The crime occurred at the end of 1812, and the three accused attempted to escape by sea.iii However, it was not until 1815 that they were apprehended and brought before the Launceston Assizes in the Western Circuit, where all three were sentenced to death.iv v vi Fortunately, their sentences were commuted to transportation.vii
Life on the Prison Hulk
After sentencing, the three men were transferred to the Portland hulk.viii Conditions on the Hulk were no better than in Launceston jail. The Portland was so old and dilapidated that it was decommissioned in 1817.ix
Prisoners on hulks typically worked onshore during the day, earning meagre wages to improve their living conditions. However, at Langstone Harbour, where the Portland was moored, there was not enough work for all the convicts. Only a third of the prisoners were employed at Fort Cumberland, while the rest remained confined on the hulk.x
Prisoners ate in sheds onshore but were locked below decks at night, often without lighting. On August 22, 1815, William Carbis and the others were transferred to the government-contracted transport ship Ocean, in preparation for their journey to Australia.xi
The Journey on the “Ocean”
In August 1815, Ocean set sail from England with 220 passengers, including 219 convicts—98 of whom had life sentences.xii The only free passenger was Reverend John Youl of the British and Foreign Bible Society.
In addition to convicts, the ship carried imported goods for sale in Australia, such as alcohol, confectionery, hardware, and clothing.xiii The voyage lasted nearly six months, including a seven-day layover in Rio de Janeiro. Only one convict died during the journey, falling down a hatchway during a gale.xiv The men wore irons for part of the voyage, leading to minor injuries from falls on deck. They spent up to 10 hours a day below decks, enduring intense heat as the ship crossed the equator.
Arrival in Australia
On January 30, 1816, Ocean arrived in Port Jackson, New South Wales. A local official conducted a muster onboard, welcoming the convicts while also cautioning them about their new circumstances.xv The newly arrived convicts were then sent to one of three locations: Parramatta, Windsor, or Liverpool.xvi William Carbis Senior, William Carbis Junior, and Francis Bassett were among 63 men taken by cart to Windsor to be placed under the authority of Mr. Cox, Esq. J.P. Only three of these men had been pre-assigned to settlers.xvii The others, including the Carbis men and Francis Bassett, were temporarily housed at Mr. Richard Fitzgerald’s rented accommodation until they could be assigned to settlers.xviii
Life in Australia
At 55 years old, William Carbis Senior became a government laborer in Windsor, serving Mr. J.T. Campbell.xix However, by the end of the 1822 muster, he had received his ticket of leave and became a farmer.xx By 1828, at the age of 67, he was farming in Lower Portland Headland in the Hawkesbury area, with seven assigned convicts working for him—including his son and son-in-law.xxi His son officially joined him in 1827, while Francis Bassett arrived later, following his marriage and an unfortunate incident involving mistaken pig theft.xxii
About the Ship: Ocean
- Name Ocean
- Owner 1804-1814: James Walker
- Builder Jack Beatson–Henry Baldwin, Quebec
- Launched 21 June 1802
- Tons between 532 and 567 depending on which measurement is being used
- Design a a full-rigged sailing ship, that had two decks and an armament of 16 x 12-pounder guns
Useful Links for Background
This April, as part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (#AtoZChallenge), where I’m sharing my ancestor's travel stories—one letter at a time. From long voyages by sea to overland treks, each post will focus on the journeys themselves—the routes they took, the challenges they faced, and the experiences along the way.
WikiTree Links:
- WikiTree profile for William Carbis 1761-1828
- WikiTree profile for William Carbice 1789-1863
- WikiTree profile for Francis Bassett 1785-
Blog Post Meta Data
The URL for this post is https://ancestralresearchjournal.blogspot.com/2025/04/c-is-for-convict-william-carbis-journey.html originally published 3 April 2025
Author 2025, Sandra Williamson
Sources:
Wikipedia contributors. (2023, July 27). Ocean (1802 ship). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:21, April 1, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ocean_(1802_ship)&oldid=1167345234
EndNotes:
i Anon., ‘Cornwall Assizes Crown Bar’ West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 7 April 1815 Pg. 1 & 4; Ancestry, Criminal Register entries for Wm Carbis, Wm Carbis Junr & Francis Bassett for Cornwall in 1815, ‘England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892’, Home Office: Criminal Registers, Middlesex and Home Office: Criminal Registers, England and Wales . Class: HO 27; Piece: 11; Page: 40. Accessed 18 September 2016ii "England, Cornwall and Devon Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 26 May 2016), Cornwall Records Office, Truro, Paul Marriage banns, marriages, 1754-1813 p.245 Entry for Francis Bassett and Ann Carbis married 7th November 1806 (image 127 of 143 at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11130-159132-4?cc=1769414); "England, Cornwall and Devon Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 26 May 2016), Cornwall Records Office, Truro, Paul Marriage banns, marriages, 1754-1813 p.273 Entry for John Basset and Martha Carbis married 15th March 1812 (image 141 of 143 at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11130-159580-8?cc=1769414)
iii West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser 7th April 1815 Pg. 4; Royal Cornwall Gazette, 22nd April 1815
iv Trewman’s Exeter Flying Post or Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser (Exeter, England), Thursday, February 23; 1815; issue 2581. Column 1
v Ancestry, Criminal Register entries for Wm Carbis, Wm Carbis Junr & Francis Bassett for Cornwall in 1815, ‘England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892’, Home Office: Criminal Registers, Middlesex and Home Office: Criminal Registers, England and Wales . Class: HO 27; Piece: 11; Page: 40. Accessed 18 September 2016
vi Anon., ‘Cornwall Assizes Crown Bar’ West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 7 April 1815 Pg. 1 & 4
vii Anon., ‘Cornwall Assizes’, Royal Cornwall Gazette, 22 April 1815, Pg.1
viii Ancestry.com, "Prison Hulk Registers and Letter Books, 1802-1849," database and images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 Jun 2016); Entries in the Portland Hulk Register for William Carbis Snr, William Carbis Jnr & Francis Bassett (p.80 #2548, 2549 & 2550, Image 43 of 47); Citing Home Office: Convict Prison Hulks: Registers and Letter Books; Class: HO9; Piece: 8.
ix Wikipedia. (2016); List of British prison hulks. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_prison_hulks [Accessed 9 May 2016]
x Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (1815). Papers relating to the convict establishment at Woolwich, Sheerness, and Portsmouth: viz. : two reports of John Henry Capper, Esq. superintendent of ships and vessels employed for the confinement of offenders under sentence of transportation... dated 23rd August 1815. House of Commons, London. p.144
xi FindMyPast. “England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935” citing “Portland's Quarterly Account for year 1814-1816” Series T38 piece number 328 entries for Wm Carbis Senr, Wm Carbis Junr & Francis Bassett
xii 1816 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 3 February, p. 2. , viewed 13 May 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2176541
xiii 1816 'Classified Advertising', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 3 February, p. 2. , viewed 13 May 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2176541
xiv Google Books. (2016). Selection of Reports and Papers of the House of Commons. [online] Available at: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=ZCRDAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA2-PA101&lpg=RA2-PA101&dq=convict+ship+ocean+voyage&source=bl&ots=jlcR1KlFXm&sig=JROTrpAxTdd7ca57Xbt5dwelweU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRlOPriNfMAhXIKpQKHdDjC6k4FBDoAQhSMAk#v=onepage&q=convict%20ship%20ocean%20voyage&f=false [Accessed 14 May 2016].
xv White, Charles. 1889. Early Australian History: Convict life in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, parts I & II, the story of the ten governors and the story of the convicts. Bathurst: C. & G.S. White "Free Press Office. (2016. Gutenberg.Net.Au. Accessed June 11 2016. http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks12/1204081h.html#CHAPTER_VIII_AFTER_LANDING)
xvi Ancestry.com, New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1856, [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Citing - Series: NRS 937; Reel or Fiche Numbers: Reels 6004-6016 Includes mention of Wm Carbis Snr & Jnr & Francis Bassett (images 509 to 511 of 7619)
xvii 1816 'GOVERNMENT AND GENERAL ORDERS.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 11 May, p. 2. , viewed 13 May 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2176651; Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1856 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010. Original data: New South Wales Government. Main series of letters received, 1788-1825. Series 897, Reels 6041-6064, 6071-6072. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia. New South Wales Government. Special Bundles, 1794-1825. Series 898, Reels 6020-6040, 6070; Fiche 3260-3312. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.New South Wales Government. Memorials to the Governor, 1810-25. Series 899, Fiche 3001-3162. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.© the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales and is used under licence with the permission of the State Records Authority. The State of New South Wales gives no warranty regarding the data's accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose. View Full Source Citation.
xviii 1817 'GOVERNMENT AND GENERAL ORDERS.', The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), 8 February, p. 2. , viewed 10 Jun 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2177063
xix Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.Original data: Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Pieces 1-4, 6-18, 28-30); The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England. Entries 1817 for William Carbis & William Carbis Jnr Image 113 & 114; Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Pieces 1-4, 6-18, 28-30); The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England. Entries 1819 for Wm Carbis Wm & Wm Carbis Junr (image 164 & 165 of 898); Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Pieces 1-4, 6-18, 28-30); The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England. .Entries for 1821 William Carbis & William Carbis Jnr (image 171 of 478)
xx Ancestry.com. New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Pieces 5, 19-20, 32-51); The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England. Entry for 1822 William Corbis Junior (line 30) (Image 141 of 685)
xxi Johnson, Keith A., and Malcolm R. Sainty. 2001. 1828 census of New South Wales. Sydney Library of Australian History, CD ROM edition. Entry for William Carbiss Jnr #C0340; SRNSW, Copies of letters sent within the Colony [Colonial Secretary] 1814-1827, NRS 962: Convicts, 4/3666, Reel 1042 , p.338
xxii Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009. Original data: Registers of convicts' applications to marry. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia: State Records Authority of New South Wales. Series 12212 © the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales and is used under licence with the permission of the State Records Authority. The State of New South Wales gives no warranty regarding the data's accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose. Entry 4/4508, year 1827, No. 326, entry for Francis Bassett & Eliza Jones (Image 3 of 16); & Entry item# 4/4511, 1827, No. 328, entry for Francis Bassett & Eliza Jones (Image 11 of 16);; SRNSW, NRS 845 Depositions and other papers, Sydney and Country, 4/8480 , Windsor, Nov 1824-Aug 1836, 4/8480, No 16 Page 319, Reel 2754