Australian Royalty: Genealogy of the colony of NSW

age given as 32 in 1812

Charles King, one of 200 convicts transported on the ship Fortune, November 1812.
Details: Sentence details: Convicted at Middlesex Gaol Delivery for a term of life on 15 January 1812.
Vessel: Fortune.
Date of Departure: November 1812.
Place of Arrival: New South Wales.

CHARLES KING, THOMAS CULLIVER, GEORGE HOUGHTON, Theft > theft from a specified place, Theft > receiving, 15th January 1812.
143. CHARLES KING and THOMAS CULLIVER were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 20th of December , two hundred and eighty deals, value 100 l. the property of Joseph Tucker, senior, in a certain barge in the navigable river Thames . And GEORGE HOUGHTON for feloniously receiving the said goods, knowing them to have been stolen.
SECOND COUNT for like offence, stating the goods to be the property of Henry Bolton, David Briscoe Baker, and Charles Bolton.
JAMES CLEMENTS . I am a lighterman in the employ of Mr. Tucker.
Q. Has he a barge called the Union - A. Yes. On Friday the 20th of December I took her from the moor chains and moored her in Rosser and Fisher's wharf, Rotherhithe ; I moored her both head and stern. She was laden with deals.
Q. At the time that you left her was there a pair of oars in her - A. Yes. I left the barge between three and four in the afternoon.
JOSEPH TUCKER, JUN. Q. Your father is a lighterman - A. Yes.
Q. On Saturday the 21st of December did you go to Rosser's and Fisher's wharf to look for the Union - A. Yes; I went there about half after two in the day. I did not find the barge, she was gone from there; I went in search of her up and down the river in a skiff.
Q. In the course of your search did you meet with the prisoner King - A. I did. He is a lighterman . I enquired of him whether he had seen my barge; he told me he had not; he told me he thought she must be on the South shore, as the wind blew from the North.
Q. I believe you did not find her that day - A. No, nor the Sunday; on the Monday evening I found her at a place called East-lane on the South shore; she was empty.
Q. Were the oars gone - A. Yes, they were. She was a barge without either fore or stern hatch, or any sealing.
JOSEPH TUCKER , SEN. Q. You are the owner of the barge Union - A. Yes.
Q. For whom had you lightered this cargo of deals - A. For Messrs. Bolton and Baker.
Q. What was the value of the cargo - A. Ninety-nine pounds was the parchase if they came out right by the barge note.
Q. Having known by your son that the barge was missed did you go about to the deal yards - A. I did and on Thursday after I went to Mr. Houghton's premises in the Borough road; he sells old building materials; I saw no new there but my own.
Q. Did you see any deals there that you thought were your own - A. I did, thirty-five in number; thirty-two eight-feet, and three twelve-feet. I markedthem before they came to the office. I recognised them by the ship's mark.
Q. Having examined them did you proceed to Union Hall to obtain a warrant - A. I did. I went back with an officer, and took possession of the deals.
Q. While you and the officer were there did Houghton come in - A. He did; I asked him how he came by them deals; he said he had bought them of a man of the name of Chapman, who lived in Dover-street; that is a cross street near the Magdalen; he said he bought two hundred and a half, he gave thirty-five pounds a hundred for them; I asked him what become of the rest of the deals; he told me that his wife and he had retailed them out at two or three at a time, and to whom he did not know. I told him it was a serious loss to me, if he could tell me it would help me; he said it was using him ill to ask him. I went to him again in the evening. There was an hundred deals at the Royal Mortar in the London-road, Mr. Inman, he lived next door but one, he claimed them.
Q. After you had found them did you tell Houghton that you had found them - A. On the next day I told the magistrate before him. In counting over the two hundred I found nine that did not belong to me. In the thirty-five that I found at Houghton's they all belonged to me.
Q. How near did you find these deals at Inman's premises to his - A. About two or three hundred yards.
Mr. Alley. I believe Houghton, who is now indicted pointed out to you where to apprehend Chapman - A. He did, I believe.
Mr. Gurney. The deals were a small part of the ship's cargo - A. Yes.
DAVID BRISCOE BAKER . Q. Are you in the house of Messrs. Bolton and Baker - A. Yes. The names of the firm are Henry Bolton , Charles Bolton, and David Briscoe Baker. These deals were consigned to us for sale, and they were all that were in the ship. Mr. Tucker had all the deals to the best of my knowledge.
- CHAPMAN. I live at 23, Dover-street, Blackfriars-road, near the Magdalen.
Q. Do you know the three prisoners at the bar - A. Yes. I knew King before this transaction.
Q. Did King and Culliver come to you on the evening of Thursday the 19th of December - A. Yes, they came to my own house; they said they wanted to speak to me. We went over to the Dover Castle public-house, they asked me if I wanted to buy any deals, they said they had got about an hundred; I said I did not want any, I am out of business, I have got nothing to do; I said, I knew a person that did; I would let them know the next evening.
Q. Was any price mentioned - A. Not then. We had two or three pots of beer together. We met again the next evening. On Friday I went to Mr. Houghton's, I asked him if he wanted to buy any deals; he said yes, he would buy them.
Q. Was any price agreed upon - A. Not then.
Q. You knew King was a lighterman - A. Yes. I never saw Culliver before Thursday evening.
Q. Did Houghton ask who was to supply the deals - A. I told him they were lightermen.
Q. Did any thing pass between Houghton and you how the deals were to be brought - A. He told me to provide carts to bring them to his house the next morning, and he would go down with me in the morning, and I went to see Culliver and King that evening.
Q. That evening did King and Culliver come to you again - A. Yes; I informed them what had passed between Houghton and me; King told me he would call me up in the morning about half after five. The deals were to be at the Anchor wharf, Wapping Old-stairs, Mr. Johnson's wharf; he told me that they would be there at high water in the morning.
Q. Upon that, that evening, did you go to bespeak waggons - A. I did, that evening, to Mr. Briant's, East Smithfield.
Q. On Saturday morning did King call you up - A. He did, about half after five; I went with him over Blackfriars-bridge, and from there to the Anchor wharf; the barge was there; the name of the barge was the Union, she was laden with deals.
Q. Did you see any oars in her - A. Yes, one pair, they were in the barge, and King, in about half an hour fetched the oars from the barge and put them on the wharf, and afterwards he took them away.
Q. What time in the morning was this - A. About half after six, or nearly seven.
Q. While you were there did Culliver come - A. Culliver came in about twenty minutes with an empty barge, he moored that barge outside of the Union; the Union laid close to the wall.
Q. What was the use of mooring that empty barge close to the Union - A. To cover her; she was empty, and laid higher in the water. Culliver came to us at the public-house, there we had something to drink. We stopped there some time; I went out and met one of the waggons coming to the wharf; I directed the waggons to be loaded at the Anchorwharf. Culliver, King, and me went as far as Tower Hill together; then I went over the water to Mr. Houghton, I told him the deals were come to the Anchor wharf, one waggon was loading, and the other waggon was coming; I got a man to unload the barge. I breakfasted at Houghton's, and then Houghton and I came to the Anchor wharf.
Q. When you got there did you find the waggons loaded - A. One waggon was loaded and gone out of the yard; Mr. Houghton gave them a card where to go to; they asked for money to pay turnpikes, Houghton gave each of the men a shilling; he paid the wharfinger and the man I employed.
Q. Then the waggons were sent off - A. Yes.
Q. Did you go with Houghton to his own yard - A. Yes. In going over we overtook one of the waggons.
Q. At last did the waggons arrive at his yard with the deals - A. They did; he and I assisted to unload them. All the deals came. On Monday we counted them over; I cannot exactly say the number, I think two hundred and seventy-three, short hundreds; I asked him thirty-two pounds a hundred; I said the men would not be satisfied without thirty, that was to be the lowest; Houghton said he could not afford to give so much money for them; he said, you know Irun a hazard, he agreed to give twenty-five pound, he gave me a pound note, earnest of the money.
Q. Did Culliver call upon you. - A. He had called upon me on the Saturday night, to know if I was paid. On Monday night Culliver and King came together, and Houghton came to my house; we all went over to the Dover Castle, I went home to Houghton's house with him, he gave me twenty-nine pounds, making up with the one pound, thirty pounds; I went to the Dover Castle, and gave it King, Culliver was in the tap-room, I went into the parlour, and gave King twenty poundout of the thirty.
Q. Who was present at the time. - A. Mr. Jones's boy was reading prayers at the time, the oldest son turned round and looked at me, while I was paying him the money; we agreed to meet the Tuesday evening to have the remainder of the money. On Tuesday evening they came to me, we went to the Dover Castle, I had not got the money, we appointed to meet on the day after Christmas day. On Thursday morning I saw Houghton, he gave me fifteen pounds, he told me that he had sold the deals.
Q. How much did that leave to pay. - A. Thirteen pounds, with the expences, there were three pounds paid for waggons, wharfage, and landing, he promised to pay me that on the Friday or the Saturday after.
Q. I believe on that evening, Thursday, an officer came to your house to take you in custody. - A. I was in the country, I heard of it, I sent a young man of the name of Murphy to King and Culliver, I saw Culliver, and told him that the officer had been after me; he said he had heard something of thirty pounds, he thought it must be Houghton that had told.
Q. Had you heard of the reward. - A. I was apprehended that same day, through Houghton; after I was apprehended I told Glannon all I knew.
Mr. Alley. Q. In what way of life is Houghton. - A. He buys new and old building materials.
Q. What are you. - A. I am a carpenter.
Q. Are you in earnest. - A. Yes. I am a tradesman.
Q. What house is it you keep in Dover-street. - A. A private house.
Q. In which you let out lodgings. - A. That is not material, my wife does.
Q. I think, according to your own observations, you applied to Houghton to purchase these deals of the lightermen. - A. I did.
Q. Had you a bill of invoice at the time. - A. None at all.
Q. Then I take it for granted, though you said you had these deals of a foreign captain to Mr. Houghton, that you did not produce a bill of invoice pretending that you had them upon that account. - A. I did not.
Q. You remember the man Houghton, when he was a witness before you and the other parties, do you not recollect his stating that fact, and did not you admit it. - A. No, I did not; I perhaps might, I do not recollect it.
Q. I ask you again, did not the prisoner Houghton say in your presence, and in your hearing, that you told him that you had the deals of a foreign captain, and that was what induced him to purchase them of you. - A. He might, I made no answer, I heard him say something, about a foreign captain.
Q. Were not you standing as a party accused of the robbery. - A. Yes, I must.
Q. Now attend to the question. When you were first examined, did not you at each of the examinations, desire to have it postponed, that you might produce the foreign captain of whom you had the timber. - A. I never said a word about the captain, Houghton did; I said if they would give me another day, I would bring the person that I had the deals of. I never saw the other men untill they were under examination.
Q. Were not you asked at that very time whether you knew them two men, King and Culliver. - A. I was asked that, I said I believed I had seen them before, that was before I was put on oath.
Q. So then you only tell lies when not upon oath. - A. When upon oath, I speak the truth.
Q. Do you know the first witness that has been examined, Clements, the lighterman. - A. I saw him at Hick's Hall.
Q. Did not you in the presence of Clements, and two other persons say, you would be d - d if you did not stick so close to Houghton as the shirt upon his back, because of your own expressions, he had pulled you up. - A. I do not know that I did.
Q. Houghton you say got the timber into his possession before you talked about the price of them. - A. I do.
Q. This yard of Houghton's in which the timber is put, is it not a yard directly open to the highway. - A. One part of it is open.
Mr Gurney. Glannon took you up, and whether you were charged with stealing or receiving, you did not know - A. I did not.
Q. On the Friday you were taken to Union Hall. - A. Yes.
Q. At first when you went there you had the discretion to hold your tongue; you told Glannon you would tell all you knew if they would receive you as a witness. - A. Yes.
Q. Is that the receipt of Houghton's - A. Yes, Received of Houghton thirty pounds in part of the amount of the deals.
EDWARD LAWSON . Q. Do you keep the Swan public house, Wapping Stairs. - A. I do, that is close to the Anchor Wharf.
Q. Early in the morning of Saturday, the 21st of December, do you remember a barge load of deals being there. - A. Yes, that barge was not there the night before, I saw it at seven o'clock, before daylight; the deals of that barge were landed, and carried away by Mr. Bryant's waggon; that was done by the direction of Chapman, he came there the afternoon before. After one waggon was loaded, Chapman came there in the course of the morning, I saw Mr. Houghton with him. Houghton assisted Chapman in putting the deals on the landing.
Q. Did you see Culliver or King there. - A. No, I did not.
Q. Is there a public house opposite to yours called the Bells. - A. Directly opposite.
DAVID MITCHEY . Q. Are you clerk to Mr. Briantof East Smithfield, who lets out waggons. - A. Yes.
Q. On the evening of Friday the 20th did Chapman come to you to hire some waggons to go to Ahehor wharf to bring away some deals. - A. Yes, I asked to what place, he said to Oxford Road, the next morning I sent one waggon down by seven o'clock. When I went down there were about eighty deals in one waggon, they waited near an hour before any person came to give orders, then Chapman and Houghton came, I asked them where the deals were to go, Houghton gave me a card, I looked at the card and said, there was a deal of difference between Oxford Road and the Borough Road, Houghton said he should have them at his own yard. Houghton promised to pay me the cartage, I saw Houghton pay the wharfage.
Q. Did you see the barge. - A. I did, she had got no cieling in her, there was an empty barge outside of her.
Q. That empty barge was higher out of the water than her. - A. She was.
Mr. Alley. Chapman was the man that called upon you. - A. Yes, and he said they were to go to Oxford Road. Houghton gave me the card, he said they should go to his own yard. The cartage is not paid yet, he promised to pay.
MARY ARCHIBALD . Q. Do you keep the Bell public-house, near the Anchor. - A. Yes, Mr. Spencer keeps the house, I am his niece.
Q. Do you remember about the time of that unhappy murder in your neighbourhood, seeing some man in your house that morning; look at that man - Chapman, stand forward. - A. No, I do not.
Q. Look at the bar, and tell me whether you recollect any of them men. - A. I do not recollect either of them.
MARY PHILLIPS . Q. Are you servant at that public-house, the Bell. - A. Yes.
Q. Do you remember the prisoners being at your public-house. - A. I have knowledge of them two young men, I have seen them within these three or four months, I cannot say I saw them in my master's house. They might have been in the house, I cannot say.
WILLIAM CLEMENTS . Q. I believe you are waiter at the Dover Castle public-house, Dover Street, St. George's Fields. - A. Yes.
Q. Does Chapman use your house sometimes. - A. Yes.
Q. Do you remember his being at your house drinking with any person a few days before Christmas. - A. Two days before Christmas day, I have some recollection of King, but I cannot positively say I saw him twice there with Chapman.
Q. Do you remember Chapman going out of the room with either of them. - A. Yes, with King, he went into the parlour, he did not stay in the parlour more than five minutes I think; that was on the Monday, they came out of the parlour and had some gin and water, there were three of them together then. On Tuesday two of them came again, they were a good while together then before the other one came.
WILLIAM JONES . I am the son of the landlord of the public-house.
Q. Do you remember on the Monday night before Christmas being in the parlour with your brother. - A. I think it was Tuesday, Mr. Chapman came into the room where I was, I saw Chapman pay King a quantity of notes, and when they had done that they went out again.
THOMAS JONES . Q. I believe you are the landlord of the Dover Castle. - A. Yes.
Q. Do you remember shortly before Christmas day Chapman coming to your house. - A. On the Saturday before I am certain of seeing him with King, and I believe Culliver. On the Monday they all, I believe, came, King was one, I am not positive to Culliver, I remember they being there two days, I am not certain to the Monday.
JOHN BURROWS. I live at the corner of Dover Street.
Q. Were you at the Dover Castle on Saturday evening, or an evening shortly before Christmas day. - A. I have seen King and Culliver there, I have seen them in company with Chapman within a week, or two or three days before Christmas day, I remember they were there at the time of the talk of Williamson's murder, they were in company together.
JOHN MURPHY . Q. Do you know Chapman. - A. Yes, I am a slight relation to him
Q. Did you see the prisoners at his house nigh Christmas day. - A. On Monday before Christmas day I saw King, Culliver, and Houghton, on the same evening I saw them in company with him again at the Dover Castle, and there was a fourth man, I only saw his back, I took it to be Houghton.
Q. On the night that Houghton was apprehended, did Chapman send you to King's house. - A. He did, his house is close to the Old Barge house, I did not see King then. On the next morning, at seven o'clock, I saw Culliver, I told him that an officer and Mr. Tucker had been at Mr. Chapman's house in search of him, concerning some deals, Culliver said he would meet Chapman in a quarter of an hour at the Oakley Arms, I met Culliver after that going to the Oakley Arms, they both met there together.
WILLIAM GILBERT was called, and not appearing in court, his recognisance was ordered to be estreated.
WILLIAM INMAN . I live at 24 in the London Road.
Q. Did you on Monday, the 23d of December, purchase any deals of Houghton the prisoner. - A. I did, I bought-two hundred, at thirty-six pound per hundred, Mr. Tucker afterwards claimed them.
Prosecutor. I have examined all the deals, they are mine.
JOHN GLANNON . I am an officer, these deals have been in my care ever since, I took thirty-five deals from Houghton's yard.
Q. Did you enquire of Houghton what had become of the remainder. - A. I did, he said they were all sold, one at a time, he did not give me the name of any one person that he had sold to, I went to him on the evening again, and then he was offended with my asking, he said he knew nothing what became of the deals.
Mr. Alley. He never denied to you that he had bought the deals. - A. No, he said he had.
Q. At the first examination the three prisoners were there, and Chapman. - A. I believe they were.
Q. At that time the prisoner Houghton said that he had bought the deals of Chapman, Chapman saying he bought them of a foreign captain. - A. There was something of that.
Q. And you got it postponed. - A. Yes.
Q. At that time King, Culliver, Houghton, and Chapman were all together. - A. Yes, Chapman said I was perfectly right, these two men were of the party.
Mr. Gurney. Q. Then Chapman did not send you after the foreign captain. - A. No, certainly not, I knew to the contrary.
King's Defence. My Lord, I have no defence to make, only that I am innocent, and throw myself on the mercy of your Lordship and the court.
Culliver's Defence. I know nothing of the business.
Houghton's Defence. I am an innocent man, I was innocently led into it by Chapman, which I hope I shall prove to you.
WILLIAM HOLLIS. I am a carpenter, I live in the Borough Road. On the 20th of December Chapman applied to me to purchase the deals, at forty pound a hundred. I had not the money, or else I should have purchased them, he told me they were a captain's purquisites.
RICHARD NESBIT. I am an accomptant. On the morning of the 23d of December, I saw Chapman at Houghton's deal yard, and in conversation Houghton said, I have been buying of deals, here is the man that I have been buying the deals of, at forty pounds a hundred. Mr. Samuel and I were together, we were passing by accident.
ABRAHAM SAMUEL . I am a confectioner, I live in the Borough Road, I was at Houghton's yard, I saw Houghton and Chapman together, I said, you have a great many deals, yes, he said, I have bought a lot at forty pound a hundred, Chapman heard it, and never denied it.
Houghton called six witnesses, who gave him a good character.
King called five witnesses, who gave him a good character.
Culliver called two witnesses, who gave him a good character.
KING GUILTY - DEATH , aged 32,
CULLIVER GUILTY - DEATH , aged 34.
HOUGHTON NOT GUILTY .
Second Middlesex jury, before Mr. Recorder.

The ship Fortune (2) arrived in NSW 11 Jun 1813

No marriage registration located. First recorded child registered to both parents was Mary Elizabeth King,(registered 1815).

James, Mary, 40, free by servitude, Friends, 1811, 7 years, Protestant, Ux [wife], Chas. King, Harrington Street Sydney
King, Charles, 50, conditional pardon, Fortune, 1812, life, waterman, Harrington Street Sydney
King, Ann, 15, born in the colony
King, Mary, 13, born in the colony
King, Sarah, 11, born in the colony
King, Charles (Jun), 9, born in the colony
King, Eliza, 7, born in the colony
King, Harriett, 7, born in the colony
King, John, 5, born in the colony
King, Jame, 3, born in the colony
King, Elizabeth, 6m, born in the colony

On Thursday last, Charles King, a waterman, plying at the King's wharf, was, according to the Act of Council, fined at the instance of Mr. Cathrow, in the sum of ten shillings for demanding and receiving more than the fare authorized by the said Act.

SALUTARY CAUTION TO LICENSED WATERMEN - On Tuesday a waterman named Charles King, was brought before the Police Bench, charged by Mr. Jenkins, with endeavouring to extort more than his legal fare. It appeared that on Friday, Mr. Jenkins went to the King's Wharf, when the defendant offered his services to convey him to Mr. Bass's house, at Bradley's Head, but demanded four shillings. This Mr. Jenkins refused, knowing the legal fare to be but two shillings, which he tendered, but the boatman declined receiving. In consequence came the present charge. The defendant alleged that the weather was so rough, it was impossible to have pulled back with a pair of sculls; this, however, was disproved, and the Bench sentenced him to pay a fine of ten shillings, and five shillings and two pence costs. Mr. Jenkins said, he had no wish to hurt the man, but thought the present case would be a warning to the other boatmen, who were continually abusing him because he would not submit to their extortions; the whole of the watermen pretended to know nothing of the Police Office Act, or the legal fares under it, and said, they were guided only by the regulations of Governor Macquarie. The Bench thought these were reasons to increase the penalty if possible, they should enforce the fine, and if not paid within three days, the defendant would be committed to Gaol for seven days. Mr. Jenkins remarked - he brought the case before the bench on public grounds, as parties who required the use of boats, were continually liable to the impositions practiced by the boatmen. Mr. Jenkins deserves the thanks of the whole community, well behaved watermen and all, for his praise worthy exertions in this matter.

Name: Charles King
Death Date: 1842
Death Place: New South Wales
Registration Year: 1842
Registration Place: Sydney, New South Wales
Volume Number: V184254 26B

54 Vol 26
Charles King
of Harrington Street Sydney
age 63, a waterman
died 27 Apr 1842
buried 30 Apr 1842

Charles KING
died 27th April 1842 aged 63 years
Leaving a wife & children

Buried 30 Apr 1842