Thomas Akers [Convict "Charlotte" 1788]

Thomas AKERS (aka ACRES) was born c1757 England

Thomas was convicted of highway robbery (along with John SMITH) and sentenced to 7 years transportation.

Thomas Akers had been tried at Exeter Castle in Devon England on Monday 14/3/1785 for highway robbery and convicted and sentenced to be hanged. This sentence was later changed to 7 years transportation. Whilst Thomas was waiting to be transported to Port Jackson he was held on the hulk Dunkirk on the Thames river.

He arrived in Sydney Cove on 26/1/1788 on "Charlotte".

Thomas had a relationship with Ann HINCHLEY c1792 and they had the following children

• Mary Ann 1792
• Sophia 1795
• Thomas 1798
• Henry 1799
• Catherine 1801

Thomas died 4/6/1824 Cowpastures, NSW

• http://australianroyalty.net.au/individual.php?pid=I72891&ged=purne...
• https://convictrecords.com.au/convicts/akers/thomas/133363
• http://www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au/thomasacres.htm
• http://www.monaropioneers.com/akers-t.htm
• http://www.firstfleetershunter.com.au/uploads/Family%20History/Thom...
• http://firstfleet.thruhere.net/convict.php?id=8

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Transcript of Thomas Aker's Trial.

Place and date of trial. Devon Lent Assizes held at Exeter Castle on Monday 14/3/1785 before Beaumont Hotham Knt. and Frances Buller Esq.(1).

Crime and Sentence (a) "Com Aug.18th. by Thos. Moore Esq. Mayor of Torrington for felony." (3) (b) "Thomas Acres and John Smith (q.v.): For feloniously assaulting John Squance in the King's Highway feloniously putting him in corporal fear and danger of his life in the said highway and feloniously and violently taking from his person and against his will in the said highway 10s. his monies."

"GUILTY. TO BE HANGED." (1)

Transportation order for Mark Domingo, Edward Smith (q.v.), Thomas Acres, John Smith(q.v.), Robert Ruth (q.v.), John Herbert (q.v.) and John Small (q.v.), severally convicted at Devon Lent Ass, 1785 of Felony; royal mercy extended on condition of transportation, Mark Domingo for life,the others each for 7 years.(2)

Occupation. Age.

Thomas Akers(Acres)(Aikins) could write because he signed his name Thomas Akers, on his transportation papers and as a witness to John Herbert's wedding and John Small's wedding. He was a Catholic and his occupation was a Shoemaker.

In 1792 he was emancipated.

http://www.monaropioneers.com/akers-t.htm

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Thomas Akers was born in 1758, son of Thomas Akers and Mary Hussen of Devon, England.

Thomas was a Shoemaker by trade. Not much is known of his early life until 1785 when, at the age of 27, he was arrested and charged in the company of John Smith with assault and robbery of Mr. John Squance on the King’s Highway. Their combined haul was 10 shillings and when tried at Exeter Castle, Devon on 14th March 1785 Thomas was found guilty and sentenced to hang.

After a little more than 2 years on the prison hulk “Dunkirk” on the Thames River, while he awaited execution, his sentence was commuted to 7 years on condition of transportation to the colonies. Both Thomas and John Smith were together on the hulk and were reported to be “troublesome at times”…

Thomas found himself bound for Botany Bay aboard the ‘Charlotte” which contained 88 male and 20 female convicts, with 213 Marines, 27 wives and 14 children. Thomas’ surname is on record as being spelt ACRES but he signed his name AKERS, the spelling which is used today.

Thomas appears to have been a model prisoner and by 1792 was emancipated and found is partner in Ann Guy.

It is thought she and Thomas were married ((or not)) in 1792. A daughter called Mary Ann was born in 1792 and in 1794 Thomas received his first land grant of 20 acres with 10 others at Mulgrave Place on the Wilberforce Reach of the Hawkesbury River. A second daughter, Sophia, was born in 1795, my great, great grandmother.

Thomas was reported to have been speared by aborigines at Mulgrave Place in 1798.

The 1814 muster stated that Thomas was free by servitude and a landholder and owned 40 acres at Airds, Campbelltown. Ten years later on the 4th June 1824 Thomas died aged 66 at Cowpasture and is buried at St. Peters Anglican Church Campbelltown as a Catholic. His wife Ann died at age 74 in 1831.

Thomas Akers Public School (established 1986) at Ambervale was named in his honour and is built on his original land grant at Campbelltown. The first Principal, Mr. Ralph Brown was also a descendant of Thomas Akers. There is also a reserve named in his honour at Ambervale.

http://www.firstfleetershunter.com.au/uploads/Family%20History/Thom...

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Source: Gillen, Mollie. The Founders of Australia: a biographical dictionary of the First Fleet. North Sydney: Library of Australian History, 1989 Text: Thomas Akers ‎(indicted as Acres but signing as Akers)‎ and John Smith ‎(First Fleet)‎ were partners in a violent highway robbery near Torrington, Devon, that netted them 10 shillings. Sentenced to death at Exeter on 14 Mar 1785, Akers was 27 when received on the 'Dunkirk'hulk after reprieve to seven years transportation on 5 April. He was 'troublesome at times'before being embarked aboard the First Fleet ship Çharlotte'on 11 Mau 1787.

Akers may have been a seaman. Several men of this name are recorded at various ages on various naval vessels ‎('Fubbs'and 'Mary'yachts, 'Alcmene'. 'Africa', "Albermarle' and others)‎. The most likely candidate was the Thomas Acres who joined 'Diadem' at Sheerness on 29 Jul 1783, volunteer aged 17 from London, and who was promoted able seaman from ordinary on 1 Feb 1784. He was marked 'run from leave'at Plymouth on 1 Feb 1785. His commital at Torrington on 18 Aug 1784, however, predates the desertion from the ship, and casts doubt on his identity as the First Fleeter. But a bureaucratic delay in recording his absence may account for the discrepancy.

On 8 Feb 1788 at Port Jackson, Akers was involved in a quarrel with Samuel Barsby ‎(First Fleet)‎ who had been drinking. The quarrel was observed by John West ‎(First Fleet)‎, marine drummer on duty at the governor's garden where Akers may have been working. He obeyed an order by drummer Benjamin Cook ‎(First Fleet)‎ to return to his work. In his statement at the trial, Barsby admitted that he had been intoxicated and that he and Akers had 'some personal animosities' which were the cause of the quarrel.

Gillen, Mollie. The Founders of Australia: a biographical dictionary of the First Fleet. North Sydney: Library of Australian History, 1989 Text: In Nov 1794 Akers was working 20 acres. On the 3rd, a grant of 30 acres at Mulgrave Place was recorded to John Akers, probably an error for Thomas. A John Acres had arrived aboard the "Albermarle" in 1791, and a grant to him as early as 1794 is unlikely, his seven year term not expiring until 1795. In any case, John Akers seems to have been the man whose death was recorded in Dec 1791.

In 1800 Akers set his name to a petition from the Hawkesbury settlers protesting the high cost of labour and goods, and in 1801 he joined with his neighbours after the big floods to ask for credit until next harvest. He seems to have left his original grant. By mid 1800 he was renting at Mulgrave Place farm with five acres ready for planting maize. He was off stores, as were a woman and three children.

Two years later he held 20 acres there by purchase with three acres sown in wheat and six ready for maize. With 2 pigs and 20 bushels of maize in store, the family ‎(Now including 4 children)‎ was self supporting.

He was probably among the settlers suffering attacks by aborigines in 1805. In May of that year he conveyed a 30 acre farm to Thomas Lewers for £180.

The year 1806 saw him in partnership with Thomas Phillips on a 22 and a half acre property at 'Cat Eye. With his wife and five children, he was off stores and owned 12 sows, holding 4 bushels of wheat in store.

As early as 1814 he was living in the Liverpool district. On 8 Oct 1816 he held 40 acres at Airds.

http://www.easystreetretreat.com.au/australianroyalty/individual.ph...

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