The good man is the man who, no matter how morally unworthy he has been, is moving to become better. John Dewey
It is not possible to pinpoint the time Mary began her relationship with Joseph Hatfield. It is easy to speculate and imagine things were tough with Cowburn. Mary married Cowburn in Sorrell a hamlet near Hobart. It may have been her escape plan to go North to George Town to be with friends. Hatfield was now in Westbury, a small village near Launceston.
Here he is known as "Joe the Butcher". It is possible that they met and fell madly in love. Or this was a pragmatic arrangement when Mary fell pregnant, and she could not return to Cowburn.
On 18 August 1837, Hatfield's application for some land arrived on the Survey General's desk. No further action was taken. The two must have left for South Australia before August 1837.
When they met, Joseph and Mary were both free. They had completed their sentences and could travel to any colony in Australia. They could not return to England and perhaps had no desire. The new colony of South Australia was opening, and the opportunity for cheaper land and a fresh start. Or maybe they were on the run from someone.
Unlike Cowburn, Joseph was of a dark sallow complexion. At 5'4½", he was of average height. His earlier nickname was "Joe the Butcher" could be attributed to his employment as a butcher. In later years in South Australia, he is known as "Black Joe". This is due to his black hair and eyes and perhaps a black temper.
In December 1814, Joseph and a mate Joseph Williams stole some cheese. Foolishly they committed the crime in front of a constable. Both were caught and thrown into prison. Williams stood before the judge in the Old Bailey on 11 January 1815. The prosecution was unable to provide evidence on the day, and he was found not guilty.
This would have buoyed Joseph’s spirits. He came before the court in the February session. His name is recorded as "Adfield", perhaps due to a strong Yorkshire accent. This time more evidence and eyewitnesses were produced. What a shock when he heard the word “Guilty”. He had a strong hope of freedom dashed. After the shock, he must have felt angry and betrayed. His friend set free for the very crime he was sent down for seven years of transportation. Five weeks later, he has relocated to the prison hulk Justitia.
The Justitia, like all prison hulks, was old and unseaworthy and overcrowded with 300-400 prisoners. Fever, malnutrition, overwork, and brutal overseers contributed to a high death rate. Nevertheless, Hatfield survived five months before transportation. On arrival, he was allocated to a cell block. Here he would live with cellmates. One would have the task of collecting meals, dividing them into portions. Life was regimented.
These temporary prisons were hellish. The prisoners were chained day and night in irons. They rose at 5 am each morning, work for ten gruelling hours in summer and seven in winter. These winter hours were determined by available light, not kindness. Worked finished at 7 pm. In the cramped conditions disease, typhus and tuberculosis were rife. Inadequate clothing and diet lacking in fresh fruit and vegetables contributed to the high death rate. In the early days, the death rate was one in three. Transportation bought the rate down to one in ten.
What it did to the mind was worse than the body. Many preferred to hang than go to the hulks. High levels of depression were exacerbated by work on the docks. It was heavy, brutal work. Sightseers came to watch and harangue the prisoners adding public humiliation to worm into the brain.
On August 7, 1815, he was conveyed to the convict ship Fanny and transported with 174 other felons to NSW. On the Fanny, his name is recorded as Attfield.
The Fanny was a West Indiaman built in the Thames in 1810. The West Indiaman was mainly a cargo ship sailing from London to the West Indies and returning. This was her first cargo of convicts—the ship's master John Wallis was an experienced slave trader. The surgeon Dr William McDonald began his career as a Naval Officer and ship's surgeon in 1793.
Life aboard was regulated. The Surgeon Superintendent Cunningham, R.N., he made five trips to New South Wales between 1819 and 1828, in the Recovery (August-December 1819 and April-July 1823), Grenada (May-September 1821 and October 1824–January 1825) and Morley (November 1827–March 1828) thus describes the voyage and the method of treating the convicts during its continuance, his experiences extending over years preceding 1826:—
Before leaving the Hulk, the male convicts are roughly clothed in new suits, and ironed; and it is curious to observe with what nonchalance some of these fellows will turn the jingling of their chains into music whereto they dance and sing. Two rows of sleeping-berths, one above the other, extend on each side of the between-decks of the convicts ship, each berth being six feet square, and calculated to hold four convicts, everyone thus possessing eighteen inches of space to sleep in—and ample space, too! ....Strong wooden stanchions thickly studded with nails are fixed round the fore and main hatchways, between decks, in each of which is a door with three padlocks, to let the convicts out and in, and secure them at night. .... everything that can be thought of provided to secure health and proper comfort to the convicts during their voyage. Each is allowed a pair of shoes, three shirts, two pairs of trousers, and other warm clothing on his embarkation, besides a bed, pillow, and blanket—while Bibles, Testaments, prayer-books, and psalters, are distributed among the messes.
The rations are both good and abundant, three-quarters of a pound of biscuits being the daily allowance of bread, whilst each day the convict sits down to dinner off either beef, pork, or plum pudding, having pea-soup four times a week, and a pot of gruel every morning, with sugar or butter in it. Vinegar is issued to the messes weekly; and as soon as the ship has been three weeks at sea, each man is served with one ounce of lime-juice and the same of sugar daily, to guard against scurvy; while two gallons of good Spanish red wine, and one hundred and forty gallons of water are put on board for issuing to each likewise—three to four gills of wine weekly, and three quarts of water daily, being the general allowance.
The next consideration is, to cull out a portion of the most fitting among them to make a sort of petty officers of, for seeing orders executed and keeping the others in subjection. These individuals are called 'Captains of the deck,' four officiating in the prison and two upon deck; all the convicts being obliged to obey their orders equally with the surgeons; while a captain is appointed to each mess, who sees his place kept tidy, attends for the rations, and is responsible for the orderly demeanour of the other five members. Two individuals are also employed to fill the cisterns, &c., every day; two to take charge of the hospital, and four to attend to the schools.
The convicts have changes of garments weekly, one shirt and a pair of trowsers being marked with the letter A above the numeral, and the others with the letter B, the individual wearing A shirt and trowsers one week and B shirt and trowsers the next. They are all mustered in the prison every fine evening, with their shoes and stockings off and trousers rolled over their knees, to see that their persons are clean—as many of them would not wash during the voyage if not compelled. During the warm weather the half of them bathe every morning, and on Sunday they are all mustered to hear the church-service read on the quarter-deck—the guard being kept under arms during the time.
Thirty-three soldiers compose the guard (under command of a commissioned officer), who do duty in three alternate watches upon the poop or quarter-deck—a sentry with a drawn cutlass guarding the small doors in the barricade across the upper deck dividing them from the convicts.
Cunningham said he introduced a numbering system to stop prisoners throwing dirty clothes over the side and stealing clean clothes from others. Men were encouraged to dance and sing and enjoy time spent on deck. They attended church each Sunday and school. In some ways Joseph would be better off than his friend Williams. Joseph was clothed, fed and living in a cleaner environment. But still very much a prisoner.
The journey ended in Sydney. Joseph and 59 others were transferred to HMS Emu and sent to Hobart. All convict ships called in to Sydney first, there any skilled convicts needed in the colony were off loaded and the surplus sent to Tasmania. Convict sships did not sail directly to Hobart until 1817. Joseph said he was a labourer and it seems Sydney had enough of those.
Joseph's Conduct Record is short with what appears at first to be minor infractions. However, on closer inspection, he experienced some severe punishments. He was given fifty lashes for theft and sent to work on a road gang. Compared to Cowburn Joseph kept himself free from too much trouble. Some attempts to escape early in his sentence and very little else.
Joseph Hatfield’s Conduct Record.
July 5 1817 Steals from the person of R. Nash also breaks out of H.M. Goal and absent into the woods. 50 Lashes and 12 months Goal Gang. (D.J.A, Rev RH, AWHH and AJK)
Dec 8 1819 P.S./Steals a boat sail acquitted (DJA ???)
June 28 1832 SS/Felony having in his possesion a quantity of mutton supposed to have been stolen. Discharged for want of evidence / W. Littleton.
June 30 1832 F.J./ Having on the 17th for sometime previous kept a dog without a licence fined £20 it appearing the dog was kept for the purpose of killing sheep/W.L
Two years into his sentence, Hatfield makes a bid for freedom. His conduct record states, "July 5, 1817, stealing from the person R. Nash and breaking out of H.M. Prison and absconding into the woods". He was probably in prison awaiting trial when he joined the escape attempt.
A description of him is published. He is "commonly known as Joe the Butcher, about 5ft. 4ins. high, dark complexion, black eyes, and slightly pitted with smallpox". A reward of 50 Guineas is posted for the capture of the escapees.
Later it was recognised the men were unsupervised while in prison. A pardon for their absconding offence was offered for their soon surrender. Joseph surrendered along with a fellow prisoner. Prisoners were referred to as Crown Servants.
A later newspaper plea for the men to surrender had the required effect. Possibly, hunger, cold and fear of attack lead to his surrender. By submitting, Joseph avoided punishment for absconding. He did not escape punishment for stealing from Nash. For this crime, he receives 50 lashes and 12 months on the gaol gang. This meant hard labour on the roads and clearing the bush.
He is then assigned as a servant to someone surnamed McCoy. Finally, there is a second reference to David McCoy. However, who and where the McCoy business is located is unknown.
All goes quiet for two years when Joe steals a sail. He is acquitted due to a lack of evidence. This is the last charge while under sentence. His name appears when he is Discharged by Proclamation on 20 December 1825.
He continues to work as a butcher. In June 1832, he is arrested and charged with owning "a quantity mutton thought to be stolen". Again, he is acquitted due to a lack of evidence. Two days later, he is fined £20 for keeping a dog without a licence. The dog had was suspected of "being kept for the purpose of killing sheep".
After gaining his freedom Joseph begins to work his way northward. A Police Report published on Tuesday 17 March 1835 states that Joseph Hatfield of Norfolk Plains assaulted Henry Bell. He is ordered to pay restitution to Bell. It is not certain that this is our Joseph Hatfield, as there is no comment in his Conduct Record.
At some point, he moved to Westbury. Westbury, a garrison town, with a detachment of troops, was surveyed in 1823. The town was designed for Irish military pensioners who could not return home due to the famine. Situated only 30 km west of Launceston in the 1830s Westbury was one of the largest garrison towns with a population of 3000 people. It is possible he met Mary there. Both had completed their prison sentence and were deemed “free by servitude”. Joseph was known as "Joe the Butcher" and had applied in 1837 for land in Westbury. However, before a response from the government was received, Joseph and Mary had left Van Dieman's Land and were bound for South Australia.
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