| Notes |
- Newsletter of The Haskell Family Society
March 2002, Volume 11, # 1, Page 10
Joseph Arney was born in 1804, possibly at Fordingbridge, Hampshire. His occupation was wheeler. On 9 November 1826 he married Sarah Haskell at Fordingbridge. They had two children: Joseph, baptized 23 December 1827, and Mary Ann, baptized 27 November 1829.
The crime for which Joseph was to be transported was well reported in the newspapers. New machines threatened the livelihoods of agricultural labourers over much of England and the workers reeked their vengeance on machines and other property of their employers.
With great regularity the newspapers reported the destruction and the reaction. Troops were brought in and the gaols and courts became full with the offenders.
The southern and eastern counties were badly hit. Such was the impact in Hampshire that the Hampshire Telegraph reported riots all over the county. The army was turned out and it brought many prisoners to Winchester.
On 18 December 1830 a Special Commission of Assize began at Winchester at which 345 prisoners were set before the magistrates. Well over 200 people were charged with riotous assembly, destruction of factories and machine breaking.
The Report of Convictions, Etc. under the Special Commission contains a calendar of all prisoners tried. Two of those charged were the Arney brothers, Joseph and William:
"No. 51. Joseph Arney, 26, on 23 Nov 1830 at Fordingbridge. Committed by Rev T C May on a warrant dated 24 Nov 30."
"No. 85. William Arney, 27, on 23 Nov at Fordingbridge. Committed by Rev T C May on a warrant dated 25 Nov 30."
The two Arneys were part of a group of fifteen people charged with machine breaking in the hemp and sacking mill of Mr Thompson, sack weaver and flax spinner, at Fordingbridge. The group was led by one James Thomas Cooper mounted on a horse. Over £1000 of damage was done.
Witnesses said Joseph played a leading part in the events. Joseph claimed he was not there. Joseph was convicted on 20 Dec. and sentenced to death.
William was acquitted on insufficient evidence, but he was further charged with riotous assembly and breaking a threshing machine. On this charge he was convicted and sentenced to seven years transportation.
The Criminal Registers for Hampshire for 1831 show that William was still to be transported for seven years, but that Joseph's death sentence had been commuted to transportation for life.
On 24 Jan 1831 there is a note that a letter was sent to the Justices of the Peace regarding pleas for mercy. Against the name of Joseph Arney are the words 'life transportation'. It is thus certain that it was the JPs themselves who saved Joseph from death.
On 10 Jan 1831 the Home Office engaged the Eleanor' to take male convicts, all from Portsmouth, to New South Wales. The speed with which this was done, and the small number of convicts transported, suggest that the chartering was done quickly to remove a rapidly growing number of convicts as a result of the riots.
Some idea of conditions on the ship can be gauged by the fact that the Home Office Entry Books record, on 12 February, a letter from the surgeon protesting the overcrowded conditions on board. As a result, seven convicts were offloaded!
On 15 February 1831 the Eleanor left for New South Wales. She was carrying 133 convicts, including Joseph and 35 others from the Winchester Special Session.
On 25 June 1831 the Eleanor arrived in New South Wales. William got his Ticket of Leave in 1835, Free Pardon (No. 252) February 1836 and was back in England 11 July 1837.
Joseph was tried for cattle stealing at Campbellton, Australia Quarter Sessions on 3 August 1836 and sentenced to life. He was transported to Norfolk Island 29 October 1836, where he died not long after.
Sarah (Haskell) Arney was buried 19 February 1839 at Fordingbridge, aged 31. Son Joseph Arney married Hannah Jeffries on 10 Sept 1842. Nothing more is known about daughter Hannah.
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1804 - Abt 1836 (32 years)
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