William Ashton, Convict "Guildford" 1812

William was convicted and tried on the 6th August 1808 at the Devon Assizes. He received the sentence of transportation for Life. He was transported on the ship “Guildford”, which left England September 1811 and arrived at Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia on the 18th January 1812. He was then selected to be transported to Hobart Town, Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), and boarded the ship “Ruby” on the 10th February 1812. He arrived on the 19th February 1812 to begin his sentence.

He worked on the chain gangs at Launceston and tried to escape a few times. The last one is documented below which resulted in him being executed on the morning of the 15th February 1829. He was aged 37 years old.

Bushrangers Captured

Launceston, July 14. The four bushrangers who have committed the late robberies at Major McLeod's, Mrs. Youl's and Mr. Corney's, I have much pleasure to inform you are all taken and lodged in the Gaol here. They were surprised in a hut on Captain Barclay's farm, near Gibson's ford, on the South Esk, by Mr. David Gray, Mr. W. Nairn Gray, Lieutenant James Gray, and Mr. James Aitkin, accompanied by some assigned servants. The dogs on their approach gave the alarm, upon which Moulds, Gibson and Baker rushed from the hut, and Moulds fired at Mr. James Gray, but missed him. The fire was returned and the robbers immediately fled, pursued by Lieut. Gray, Mr. W. Gray, and some assigned servants. The gentlemen being on horseback were thrown out by the intervention of a fence, and the fugitives were lost sight of. In the mean time a messenger had been dispatched to Lieut. Sergeantson, at Perth, and Mr. D. Gray and Mr. Aitkin and some assigned servants secured Ashton in the hut with three knapsacks and two bundles and fire arms. About two o'clock Lieuts. Sergeantson and Coddington and a party of the 40th. Regiment, with field Police Constable Joseph Gray, fell in with the three runaways about a mile from the Cocked hat hill, when the two officers being mounted overtook Baker and Gibson, who threw down their arms and surrendered. A shot was fired by one of the Soldiers which knocked off Mould's hat; who again escaped. About nine o'clock Mr. Hinksman and Constable Smith perceived him stealing through a forest and followed him unobserved, until he entered a hut on Paterson's plains where he also was taken.

I am happy to add that there is no other party of armed bushrangers in this or the neighbouring districts, and that the robberies at Mr. Taylors, Mr. Diprose's and another, were perpetrated by these four men.

Source: Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839), Saturday 19 July 1828, page 2 [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4221721?searchTerm=Ashton#].

Trial of Bushrangers

William Ashton, John Gibson, and Joseph Moulds, (three of the bushrangers), charged with stealing in the dwelling-house of Donald McLeod, a quantity of property, Catherine McLeod, Alexander McLeod, and Magnus McLeod being therein, and put in fear, and William Windsor charged as an accessory after the fact. This was a most aggravated case. Mrs. McLeod evinced the greatest coolness and self-possession during the time the robbers were in the house. Ashton, Moulds and Windsor guilty. Gibson acquitted. Mr Rowlands for Windsor.

Source Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839), Saturday 10 January 1829, page 2 [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4218793?searchTerm=Ashton#]

Bushrangers Executed

Most appalling indeed is the circumstance, that thirteen out of the eighteen criminals, sentenced to death at the last Criminal Sessions, held by Chief Justice PEDDER, at Launceston, have ere this expiated their crimes, by a forfeiture of life, as it would appear from the following paragraph, copied from the "Launceston Advertiser" of Monday last: —"This morning, at eight o'clock, the following unfortunate men underwent the awful sentence of the law, viz: — William Ashton, Josh. Moulds, William Baker, John Gibson, Charles Williams, J. Morrison, and Phillip Large. The Rev. Dr. Brown, who has paid, every attention to them since their Condemnation attended them to the scaffold, where their behaviour was very suitable to the occasion.

Source: Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857), Fri 20 Feb 1829 [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8644122?searchTerm=Ashton]

Curious Fact

lt is a curious circumstance that William Ashton, who was executed last month in Launceston, for robbery and bushranging, was the person who laid the foundation stone of St. David's church, in the administration of Colonel Davey.

Source: Hobart Town Courier (Tas. : 1827 - 1839), Saturday 21 March 1829, page 2 [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4217554?searchTerm=Ashton#