#OnThisDay 13 February 1844 convicted murderer John Knatchbull was hanged before a big crowd at Darlinghurst Gaol. Knatchbull, a former captain in the British Navy, arrived in NSW as a convict and continued to run afoul of the law. In January 1844 he murdered shopkeeper Ellen Jamieson with a tomahawk.
Sources and techniques to find all the details of your gaolbird ancestor.
Explore the stories of men, women and children who were incarcerated in NSW gaols from 1870 to 1930. The exhibition engages with photographic portraits and descriptions of prisoners sourced from the State Archives Collection of Gaol Photographic Description Books.
A True Crime story about ferry captain George Dean who was found guilty of "administering poison with the intent to murder" his wife in April 1895. Despite a lack of evidence Dean was sentenced to death. A public outcry against the verdict was followed by a Royal Commission which resulted in Dean being granted a free pardon in June 1895. The story, however, was not over for George Dean and he was subsequently tried and sentenced to 9 years for "perjury with intent to procure acquittal".
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