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William Meads Transported.

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Terence

Terence Report 29 Apr 2026 06:22

I have a William Meads marriage to Elizabeth Corby on11th April1831 in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Producing 3 children.
Both parents seem to have been born in 1811.
No sign of William in subsequent Census', but I have a record of him being convicted for robbery with violence to Joseph Folly in January 1836 and transported to Australia. I cannot find his origins as I have many ancestors from Marlow.
Terence Meads. South Australia.

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 29 Apr 2026 08:34

You don’t know Williams origins but you do know his parents. Otherwise you wouldn’t know when they were born :-S

With so many Bucks relatives you should be a member of Bucksfhs. Even as a non member they will do lookups for you. Probably for a small fee.

added: Been thinking the post didn't actually make sense. When you state parents - you actually mean William & his iwfe. NOT Williams parents :-(

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 29 Apr 2026 08:57

Where have you actually looked?

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 29 Apr 2026 10:06

Posting for our reference:

William Meads
in the England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973
Name William Meads
Gender Male
Marriage Date 11 Apr 1831
Marriage Place Great Marlow, Buckingham, England
Spouse
Elizabeth Corby
FHL Film Number 1999445
Reference ID p 126


As the marriage record gives no info about his parents, and as he does not appear in any censuses, it's highly unlikely you'll ever find out about his origins.

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 29 Apr 2026 10:14

Bucksfhs has a huge database and as they are the experts on Bucks Terence should really be contacting them.
They will also have access to records that may not yet be on line.
Many records that are on line have been licensed or sold by the FHS. I suspect this is the original source of the record shown by AG. Although the Mormons do go out and copy some records and documents themselves.

Marlow is just across the Thames from Berkshire so Terence should also take a look at that county.

Does William not appear in Australian census? He wouldn’t appear on English ones if he was transported before 1841.

alviegal

alviegal Report 29 Apr 2026 13:27

The newspapers I have seen have reports of the robbery.

27 Feb 1836 Berkshire Chronicle has William Meads 25 GUILTY - recommended to mercy on account of previous good character.

29 Feb 1836 Morning Post, London has William Meads 25 GUILTY - death recorded.

Are you certain he was transported?

alviegal

alviegal Report 29 Apr 2026 13:40

I assume this is Elizabeth and children.

1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census
St Peter Street, Marlow, Great, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
Household members (4 people)
First name(s) Last name Sex Age Birth year Birth place
Elizabeth Meads Female 25 1816 Buckinghamshire, England
Ann Meads Female 5 1836 Buckinghamshire, England
Sarah Meads Female 5 1836 Buckinghamshire, England
William Meads Male 5 1836 Buckinghamshire, England

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 29 Apr 2026 13:49

The man convicted of robbery in 1836 was in Berkshire, not Bucks.

The man transported for life stole 14 shoes from a shop in Great Marlow in 1838. The shoes were found in the defendant’s “lodgings”

alviegal

alviegal Report 29 Apr 2026 13:51

There was a William Meads transported in 1838 for breaking open a shop in Great Marlow and stealing 14 pairs of shoes. John Beck was the owner.

Name: William Meads
Gender: Male
Born: 31st Dec 1807
Death: Unknown
Age at death: Unknown
Occupation: Ropemaker
Crime
Crime: Burglary (house breaking)
Convicted at: Bucks. Quarter Session
Sentence term: 99 years
Voyage
Departed: 25th Jun 1838
Ship: Coromandel
Arrival: 26th Oct 1838
Place of Arrival: Van Diemen's Land

https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/meads/william/47611


Name William Meads
Vessel Coromandel
Convicted Date 2 Jan 1838
Voyage Date 25 Jun 1838
Colony Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)
Place of Conviction Buckinghamshire, England



Name William Meads
Vessel Coromandel
Province Tasmania
Title Pardons
Year(s) 1849-1851
Place of Conviction Bucks



ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 29 Apr 2026 14:09

In 1846 he's listed as "3rd class pass", meaning reduced privileges, and a low chance of pardon.

William Meads
in the New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849
Name William Meads
Arrival Date 1838
Vessel Coromandel
Province Tasmania
Title Ledger Returns A - R
Year(s) 1846
Place of Conviction Bucks


However, the image of the 1849-1851 "Pardons" record posted by Alviegal says:

"Has completed 10 yrs and 9 months under a life sentence with good conduct."

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 29 Apr 2026 14:23

First name(s) William
Country England
Last name Meads
Father's first name(s) William
Sex Male
Father's last name Meads
Baptism year 1836
Mother's first name(s) Elizabeth
Baptism date 05 May 1836
Record set England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975
Residence Great Marlow, Buckingham, England
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Place Great Marlow
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
County Buckinghamshire

First name(s) Sarah
Mother's first name(s) Elizabeth
Last name Meads
Archive Buckinghamshire Archives
Baptism year 1834
Archive reference D/A/T/130
Baptism date 09 Feb 1834
Document type Bishop's transcripts
Residence Great Marlow
Register type Baptisms, marriages & burials
Place Great Marlow
Register year range 1826-1839
Denomination Anglican
Page 3
County Buckinghamshire
Record set Buckinghamshire Baptism Index
Country England
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Father's first name(s) William
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Father's last name Meads
Collections from England, Great Britain
Father's occupation Labourer*****************

First name(s) Hannah
Mother's first name(s) Elizabeth
Last name Meads
Archive Buckinghamshire Archives
Baptism year 1831
Archive reference D/A/T/130
Baptism date 04 Sep 1831
Document type Bishop's transcripts
Residence Great Marlow
Register type Baptisms, marriages & burials
Place Great Marlow
Register year range 1826-1839
Denomination Anglican
Page 263
County Buckinghamshire
Record set Buckinghamshire Baptism Index
Country England
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Father's first name(s) William
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Father's last name Meads
Collections from England, Great Britain
Father's occupation Labourer***************


Note that the father was a Labourer - the transportee was a Ropemaker

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 29 Apr 2026 14:29

The assault on Folly in 1836 was in Bisham. Newspaper report clearly says "Death recorded" as per alviegal's post

So NOT the man who was transported....................

alviegal

alviegal Report 29 Apr 2026 14:51

I'm just going to work but if someone, Erika, AG, could take a look at this. I can definitely read 3 children and wife Elizabeth.
Think some details may have been mixed with someone else but can't check just now.

Meads, William
Record Type:
Convicts
Departure date:
12 Jun 1838
Departure port:
Sheerness
Ship:
Coromandel (2)
Place of origin:
Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex
Origin location:
Latitude and Longitude
Voyage number:
153
Index number:
48917
Record ID:
NAME_INDEXES:1418338
Appropriation List:
CSO5/1/148 Page 3653


https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=meads

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 29 Apr 2026 14:55

Elizabeth is still describing herself as "married" in 1851:

Elizabeth Mead
in the 1851 England Census
Name Elizabeth Mead
Age 41
Estimated Birth Year abt 1810
Relation Head
Gender Female
Where born Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England
Civil parish Great Marlow
County/Island Buckinghamshire
Country England
Registration District Wycombe
Sub-registration district High Wycombe
ED, institution, or vessel 1a
Neighbors
Household schedule number 137
Piece 1719
Folio 372
Page number 33
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Elizabeth Mead 41 Head
W Mead 14 Son


But "widowed" in 1861:

Elizabeth Mead
in the 1861 England Census
Name Elizabeth Mead
Gender Female
Age 54
Relation Mother-in-law
Estimated Birth Year 1807
Where born Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England
Civil parish Islington
Ecclesiastical parish All Saints
County/Island Middlesex
Country England
Registration District Islington
Sub-registration district Islington West
ED, institution, or vessel 50
Neighbors
Household schedule number 118
Piece 133
Folio 110
Page number 31
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Chas Thos Sowden 29 Head
Hannah Sowden 29 Wife
Wm Charles Sowden 2 Son
Sarah Ann Sowden 1 Daughter
Elizabeth Mead 54 Mother-in-law
John Amos 23 Lodger


At the daughter Ann/Hannah's marriage in 1857, William is described as a Rope spinner.
That fits with the man transported in 1838.

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 29 Apr 2026 15:03

Agree that the convict record refers to "3 childs, wife Elizabeth".

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 29 Apr 2026 15:07

As mentioned earlier

https://bucksfhs.org.uk/category/resources/request-a-search

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 29 Apr 2026 15:17

At the son William's marriage to Sarah Wilson in 1871, his father is described as a labourer, deceased - but as William was so young when his father was transported he may not have known the occupation. Labourer is a useful general term.

It would be easier to say his father was dead, rather than to say he didn't know.

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 29 Apr 2026 15:26

The chap from Middlesex...............purely for elimination

Name William Meads
Arrival Date 1836**********
Vessel Lady Nugent
Province Tasmania
Title Ledger Returns A - R
Year(s) 1846
Place of Conviction Middlesex

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 29 Apr 2026 15:41

Apropos my earlier comment about looking at Berkshire - the current county border goes through the middle of the bridge.

Bridges have been there for many many centuries.

nameslessone

nameslessone Report 29 Apr 2026 16:10

Terence, are you a member of Mead-family.net. ?

They claim to be a one name study.