George Watts (c. 1785–1817)
George Watts (1785-1817), a labourer, was found guilty on 9 March 1803 at Gloucester, Gloucestshire, of an untraced crime. Sentenced to 7 years transportation he arrived at Sydney aboard the Coromandel in May 1804. He was sent to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) on the Lady Barlow in August 1804. He married Margaret Eddington on 9 May 1811.
Watts was sentenced to 7 years transportation in late September 1813 for stealing promissory notes from John Ingle's house in Hobart. He was sent to the Newcastle penal settlement but on 18 November was on the list of convicts who had absconded. He returned to Van Diemen's Land where in 1816 he broke out of gaol and became a bushranger. A reward of 80 guineas was offered for his apprehension in 1816. He was wounded in an exchange with fellow bushranger William Howe in October 1817. Captured and sent to Sydney to stand trial he died in late December 1817; his age was given as 32.
* information from Biographical Database of Australia — https://www.bda-online.org.au
Additional Resources
- is convicted of stealing promissory notes, Sydney Gazette, 2 October 1813, p 2
- has 'absented' himself frm Newcastle penal settlement, Sydney Gazette, 27 November 1813, p 1, column 2
- is still at large, Sydney Gazette, 19 November 1814, p 1
- a reward of 80 guineas is offered for his apprehension, Hobart Town Gazette, 5 July 1817, p 1
- Watts is wounded when he tried to capture William Howe, Hobart Town Gazette, 11 October 1817, p 1
- is sent to Sydney for trial, Hobart Town Gazette, 18 October 1817, p 1
- died three days after landing at Sydney, Hobart Town Gazette, 13 December 1817, p 1
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Connelly, Margaret (wife)
- Lord, Maria (daughter)
- Lord, James (son-in-law)
- Headington, Elizabeth (mother-in-law)
- Headington, Thomas (father-in-law)
- Johnston, Hannah Eliza (granddaughter)
- Aitken, Grace Virginia (granddaughter)
- Cole, Rebecca Matilda (granddaughter)
- Coke, Annie Albania (granddaughter)
- Weedon, Frances Jane (granddaughter)
- Lord, David (grandson)
- Lord, John Carr (grandson)
Citation details
'Watts, George (c. 1785–1817)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/watts-george-31256/text38644, accessed 13 September 2024.
Life Summary [details]
Birth
c.
1785
Gloucestershire,
England
Death
December,
1817
(aged ~ 32)
Sydney,
New South Wales,
Australia
Cause of Death
Cultural Heritage
Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.