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William Temple (1779 - 1839)William Temple was a native of Boston, Lincolnshire. Temple's Convict Indent papers record that he was tried and sentenced for larceny at the Lincoln Assizes on 6 March 1813. He was charged with burglary and robbery at the house of John Fawn, a carpenter of Whaplode. Although he was sentenced to death, this was commuted to life, and transportation (for life) to New South Wales in 1813 Temple was described as 34 years of age, 5 ft 6 3/4 inches in height, dark to sallow in complexion, with dark brown hair, and hazel-coloured eyes. He was listed as a "carpenter and joiner". Temple arrived in New South Wales on the convict transport General Hewitt on February 7th 1814. There is evidence that during his free time from government service Temple worked as a part-time employee of the Irishman, Lawrence Butler (1750?-1820), a former convict, who had established a successful business as a cabinet-maker, upholsterer, and undertaker. (By 1814 Butler was employing five men in his workshop). On 7 May 1814, when he was appearing before the Bench of Magistrates as a witness in the case between Captain Gill (46th Regiment) and Lawrence Butler, Temple stated that: "I am a prisoner and a cabinetmaker by trade. I have been in the employ of Lawrence Butler... I used to go to Butler, immediately after I had done my government work... I have been in the habit of working for Butler during my after hours ever since my arrival." Temple was back before the Bench of Magistrates on 5 November 1814, along with the Irishman Patrick O'Riley, charged with the theft of a boat (and carpentry tools) with the intent of escaping from the Colony. Both men were sentenced to Hard Labour on the Gaol Gang. This is confirmed in the 1814 General Muster (taken between 17 October - 16 November 1814) where both men are listed as a members of a "Gaol Gang." However by 1815 he had been assigned to work at the Government Lumber Yard in Sydney. In August 1817 Temple received another prison sentence (one year) for an unlisted offence, and in September of that year he was sent to Newcastle on the Mary with a number of other prisoners. While there he was undoubtedly reunited with his old friend Patrick Riley When Temple applied for (and was granted) a conditional pardon from Governor Macquarie in November 1821 he was listed as a "cabinet maker". In his petition for a conditional pardon he stated that he had been "exclusively employed under your Excellency's direction for the last 18 months at Government House". The entry for William Temple in the 1828 Census of New South Wales lists him as a "Carpenter" residing at Parramatta. After 1828 there is little evidence to indicate the activities and/or whereabouts of Temple: he is most probably the 'William Temple' (aged 60) whose death is recorded on 20 May 1839 in the burial records of St. Johns, Parramatta. This would correlate with earlier convict records regarding his age (34) at the time of his conviction in 1813.
References: Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
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