Appendices Appendix a Convict Ships Embarked for Mauritius
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Appendices Appendix A Convict Ships Embarked for Mauritius CONVICT SHIPS EMBARKED FOR MAURITIUS The following tables list all vessels transporting convicts from the Bengal and Bombay Presidencies to Mauritius between 1815 and 1836, in chronological order. They have been compiled from convict ship indents reproduced in the IOL P (Bengal and Bombay criminal and judicial proceedings) series and, to a lesser extent, the MA Z2D (passenger lists inwards) records. A 1: Convict ships from Bengal, 1815±28 Vessel Date of Departure Embarked Lady Barlow 10.9.1815 130 Helen 10.9.1815 106 Charlotte 25.9.1815 15 Po 5.10.1815 40 Susan 20.10.1815 32 Lady Sophia 31.10.1815 40 Greyhound 11.11.1815 40 Lady Elliott 22.1.1816 40 Lord Minto 16.2.1816 40 Union 19.3.1816 16 Po 26.4.1816 12 Swallow 21.7.1816 27 Union 15.9.1816 14 Jessie 27.9.1816 25 Greyhound 16.12.1816 16 Friendship 8.1.1817 11 Magnet 12.2.1817 40 Ceres 28.2.1817 25 Union 21.4.1817 32 John Bull 15.6.1817 5 Charlotte 23.7.1817 40 Ruby 30.8.1817 38 Union 17.9.1817 26 Magnet 14.10.1817 24 Friendship 26.11.1817 36 Anna Robertson 27.1.1818 31 Lord Amherst 19.6.1828 40 Reliance 19.6.1828 39 TOTAL 981 127 128 Convicts in the Indian Ocean A 2: Convict ships from Bombay, 1826±36 Vessel Date of Departure Embarked Constance 4.11.1826 16 Constance/Deux Charles 21.11.1827 7 Nerbudda 20.11.1828 2 Royal George n.d. 1829 4 James & Thomas 26.2.1830 27 La Maly n.d. 1830 10 La Navarine 31.5.1831 30 La Navarine 10.3.1832 37 Le Emmee n.d. 1832 7 Deux Sophie n.d. 1832 18 Elphinstone 10.1.1833 32 Le Balguerie 5.6.1833 22 Parkfield 25.10.1833 29 William 13.12.1833 11 Sarah 24.6.1834 32 Le Emmee 7.10.1834 19 Amelia Thompson 23.4.1835 37 Harriet n.d. 1835 18 Le Emmee n.d. 1835 19 Palmira 14.4.1836 48 Mahomodee n.d. 1836 9 TOTAL 534 n.d. ± no exact date of departure recorded. A 3: Sentences of the Bengal Supreme Court, 1816±27 Year Sentences of Transportation or Life Imprisonment 1816 297 1817 291 1818 260 1819 353 1820 322 1821 278 1822 167 1823 125 1824 156 1825 129 1826 176 1827 154 Source: PP (1831±2) XII. Sentences of the Nizamat Adalat, 1816±27. Appendix B Socio-economic Origin of the Convicts SOCIO-ECONOMIC ORIGINS OF THE CONVICTS Ship indents accompanied convicts from Bengal and Bombay, though the former provide by far the most detailed data. The tables below represent an analysis of all available data and, reflecting the originals, are far more complete for Bengal than Bombay convicts. Whilst columns do not always round up to 100, totals have been rounded up to 100 per cent. CONVICT CRIMES Although details of almost 100 offences were recorded in the indents (in varying detail) they have been summarised and then collapsed into ten categories for ease of analysis. Where offences were accompanied with actual, as opposed to attempted, murder they have been grouped in the latter category, reflecting the seriousness of the crime. Burglary: burglary, burglary & attempted theft & wounding, burglary & robbery, burglary & theft & wounding, burglary & wounding. Dacoity (gang robbery): accomplice dacoity, accomplice gang robbery, aggravated gang robbery, associate/member of gang of robbers, dacoity, dacoity & escaping from jail, dacoity & personal injury, dacoity & personal violence, dacoity & hand - ling of stolen goods, dacoity & wounding, gang robbery, gang robbery & personal injury, gang robbery & wounding, gang robbery with violence, gang robbery by night with force, opposing police by force & plundering cattle. Highway robbery: accomplice highway robbery, highway robbery, highway rob - bery & wounding, highway robbery by open violence. Murder: accomplice murder, accomplice murder & robbery, accomplice theft & murder, aiding & abetting in murder & robbery, aiding in gang robbery & murder, assisting in an attack & accessory to death, attempted gang robbery with murder, concealment of murder, dacoity & murder, gang robbery & murder, gang robbery by night with murder & wounding, highway robbery & murder, manslaughter, multiple charges of gang robbery & murder, murder, robbery & murder, murder & wounding, robbery by night & murder, theft & murder, wilful murder, wilfully & maliciously instigating to commit murder. Piracy: piracy. Robbery: accessory to robbery, accomplice robbery, repeated robbery, robbery, robbery & receiving stolen goods, robbery & wounding. Robbery by open violence: accomplice robbery by open violence, robbery by open violence, robbery by open violence & wounding, robbery by open violence & receiving stolen goods. Thuggee: being a thug, being a thug & performing the office of carrying away & burning the strangled bodies. 129 130 Convicts in the Indian Ocean Theft: accomplice theft & wounding, theft & attempted murder, theft & wound - ing. Other: arson, attempted robbery, contumacy, embezzlement, escaping jail, escap - ing road, harbouring gang robbers, returning from transportation, strangling & attempted murder, treason. B 1: Comparison of Crimes of Bengal and Bombay Convicts Bengal Convicts Bombay Convicts Crimes No. % No. % Burglary 26 2.8 0 0.0 Dacoity/gang robbery 295 31.8 38 17.8 Highway robbery 198 21.3 0 0.0 Murder 28 3.0 98 46.0 Piracy 0 0.0 7 3.3 Robbery 154 16.6 25 11.7 Robbery by open violence 179 19.3 0 0.0 Theft 29 3.1 29 13.6 Thuggee 0 0.0 11 5.2 Other 19 2.0 5 2.3 TOTAL 928 100 213 100 Source: Convict indents. B 2: Bengal Convicts Convicted in Gangs No. in gang No. of gangs (no. of convicts) 2 78 (156) 3 45 (135) 4 15 (60) 5 10 (50) 6 7 (42) 7 9 (63) 8 2 (16) 9 4 (36) 10 2 (20) 11 2 (22) 12 2 (24) 14 1 (14) TOTAL 177 (638) Source: Convict indents. Socio-economic Origin of the Convicts 131 B 3: Sentences of Bombay convicts Sentence of Transportation No. % Life 227 54.9 Life and hard labour 12 2.9 Death commuted to life 4 1.0 14 years 83 20.0 7 years 87 21.1 TOTAL 413 100 Source: Convict indents. PLACE OF TRIAL Due to missing values in the original indents, it is only possible to present an analysis of the place of trial of Bengal convicts. B 4: Bengal Convicts' Place of Trial The distribution has been grouped according to modern Indian states; the figures in brackets denote the number of convicts tried in each. Bangladesh: Backergunge (44), Dhaka (9), Dhaka Jalalpur (13), Jessore (1), Mymen - singh (3), Rajashahi (74), Rangpur (34), Sylhet (6), Tripura (14). Bihar: Bhagalpur (5), Bihar (13), Patna (3), Purnea (51), Ramgarh (10), Saran (12), Shahabad (6), Trihut (4). Orissa: Cuttack (8). Uttar Pradesh: Agra (33), Aligarh (32), Allahabad (13), Benares (6), Bareilly (22), Bundelkhand (24), Etawa (20), Gorakhpur (8), Jaunpur (9), Kanpur (16), Mirzapur (14), Moradabad (38), Sahabad (1), Saharanpur (40). West Bengal: 24 Parganas (32), Alipore (1), Birbhum (39), Burdwan (5), Hughli (48), Midnapur (35), Murshidabad (5), Nadia (10), districts/suburbs (4). West Bengal/Bangladesh: Dinajpur (87). West Bengal/Bihar: Jangal Mahals (24). Place of Trial No. % Bangladesh 198 27.5 Bihar 104 14.4 Orissa 8 1.1 Uttar Pradesh 276 38.3 West Bengal 179 24.8 West Bengal/Bangladesh 87 12.1 West Bengal/Bihar 24 3.3 TOTAL 721 100 Source: Convict indents. 132 Convicts in the Indian Ocean B 5: Correlation of Bengal Convicts' Place of Trial and Ascribed Caste This graph excludes those convicts for whom either caste or place of trial was not recorded and all convicts described simply as `hindu'. Figures below denote the number of convicts whose place of trial was recorded; those in brackets denote the number of convicts whose caste status was also ascertained and who provide the basis for the following figure. The convicts' places of trial have been grouped together on the basis of their distribution within modern Indian states. Place of Trial No. Bangladesh 198 (197) Bihar 104 (66) Orissa 8 (0) Uttar Pradesh 276 (234) West Bengal 179 (127) West Bengal/Bangladesh 87 (75) West Bengal/Bihar 24 (22) TOTAL 721 Socio-economic Origin of the Convicts 133 ASCRIBED CASTE The ascribed caste of convicts has been placed in modern caste varna, for ease of analysis, with reference to Risley, The People of India and K. S. Singh, The Scheduled Tribes and The Scheduled Castes; People of India National Series, Volumes III±IV (New Delhi, Oxford University Press: 1994±5). Brahmin (priests & teachers) Kshatriya (rulers & warriors): baidya, bhat, jat, rajput. Vaishya (merchants): abkar, bania/baniya, chhatri, halwai, jogi/jugi, kharwar/kher- war. Shudra (peasants & village servants): ahir, badhi/badi, bagdi, bhar, bharbhunja, chootar/chutar, dhanuk/dhanak, dholi, goala, ghasi, gujjar, haburah, hajjam, hari, kandu, kahar, kaibartta, kamar, kori, kotal, kurmi, lohar, mal, mali, manjhi, maratha, nai, nuniya, pasi, patni, pod, rajbanshi, rajwar, tanti, teli. Dalit (low caste, formerly `untouchable'): chamar, chandal, dhoba/dhobi, dum/dom, koli, lingayat, mahar, mala, muchi, wadi. Adivasi (tribals): bauri, berad, bhil, bhil mussulman, bhumij, bhunjia, bhuimya/ bhuiya, budduck, dhangar, dosad/dusadh, kangar, khoree/kura/kora, kunbi, lodha, mang, matea, mina, naek, pardhi. Muslim: mussulman, afghan, meewatee, mohadund, mughal, pathan, sheikh, syed/sayad. B 6: Comparison of Bengal and Bombay Convicts' Ascribed Caste Bengal Convicts Bombay Convicts Religion or caste varna No. % No. % `Hindu' 72 8.5 3 2.2 Brahmin 33 3.9 3 2.2 Kshatriya 60 7.1 2 1.5 Vaishya 12 1.4 0 0.0 Shudra 264 31.0 9 6.7 Dalit 25 2.9 55 40.7 Adivasi 99 11.6 36 26.7 Muslim 286 33.6 27 20.0 TOTAL 851 100 135 100 Source: Convict indents.