Thomas SARJEANT

Story

There are several variants of Thomas’s surname. The following are the spellings for records that have been found whilst researching;

SARJEANT/SARGEANT/SERGEANT/SARGENT/SEARJEANT/SEARGEANT

Thomas SARJEANT was born in London, England, about 1804 of parents William SARJEANT and Elizabeth CHAMBERS. On 18 /12//1826, at Surrey, he was sentenced to Transportation for Life for the offence of Burglary. He arrived in Sydney, on 31/7/1827, aboard the “Marquis of Hastings” . This was the ship’s second voyage to Sydney with convicts, and on this occasion is was mastered by John Jeffrey DRAKE, and the surgeon was Mr GILBERT. The ship’s transportation details described Thomas as being 5ft 7ins tall, fair-ruddy complexion, brown hair, and hazel eyes. He was a single man, who could read and write, and was of Protestant religion. He had a number of tattoos, (“Westbrook Woman”, “M.E.W.”, crucifix man, mermaid, seaman, woman and sun) which tends to lead to a seafarer’s background, however, his occupation was listed as a painter.

On arrival Thomas was assigned to Doctor Francis MORAN in the Newcastle area. At this time The Great North Road was being constructed, with the use of convicts, from Sydney to Newcastle (1826 to 1836 – 240kms, also known as “The Convict Trail”). It was commenced both in the south and the north by convicts. Records indicate Thomas worked from the Newcastle end, and worked his way south. In 1827 he had been assigned to the No.28 Road Party. The overseer of this Party was John McDOUGALL, and he had a reputation of being a brutal and hash master who used the “cat-o-nine tails” mercilessly. Records then indicate Thomas then went to the No.1 Iron Gang, and on 1/11/1827 apparently had an accident(?), as on 3/11/1827 he was taken to hospital. On 8/1/1828, Thomas was sentenced to 2 months on the Iron Chain Gang by Wallis Plains Court (now Maitland), for Neglect of Duty. This meant that he was to wear chains for this period while working on the construction of the road. The 1828 Census had his occupation as a Road Ganger. Thomas by this time had now been assigned to the No.29 Road Party, and he is named in that group in a report dated May 1830. It is presumed he continued to work with the No.29 Road Party until the conclusion of construction of the road. This group of convicts worked in Wallis Plains Jan-Sept 1830, Dennis’s Dog Kennel (stockade) Oct-Dec 1830, Newcastle-Maitland Apr-June 1832, and Wollombi Brook 1833. It is known that No.29 Road Party constructed the Bucketty Culvert 1830-1831 and possibly the Fernance’s Crossing Culvert around the same time.

At the end of construction of The Great North Road, it appears that Thomas SARJEANT had travelled a fair distance south, for in 1836 he was given a Ticket of Leave by the Bathurst Bench, to remain in the District of Windsor. In 1845 was given a Conditional Pardon.

It was probably during his stay in the Windsor area that he met a local girl, Harriet SMITH. Although they were both living in the Windsor area they actually married in Sydney, 30/12/1850. It may have not been a sanctioned marriage as there was a 17 years difference in age and she was 6 months pregnant. In all there were 5 children; 1) Harriett b.1851 2) Elizabeth b.1853 3) Sarah b.1855 4) George b.1857 5) William. All born Windsor.

Thomas’s experience on the road chain gangs must have paid dividends as checks made at Windsor Library revealed that Thomas SARJEANT’S name is mentioned numerous times in the “Walker Papers – Windsor Road Trust Minute Book 1848 to 1883” This is a record of minutes taken at meetings during local road repairs around Windsor. There are 375 pages of minutes.

Thomas died on 12 July, 1878, at The Penninsular, Windsor, suffering from asthma which he had suffered for many years. The Penninsular is an area situated just north of the township near the old Observatory. He was buried at St.Mathews, Church of England, Windsor. There is no headstone.

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