In the copies of the convict records held at the Tasmania State Archives, John CLOSE shows his native place as, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire. But extensive searchs by others as well as me have failed to find a record of his birth or christening. The convict indent for the "Medway" showed that John had a tatoo on his right arm "Hannah Jackson" and that he was age 32 at the time of transportation.

There is a record of a Hannah Jackson as being christened in Newcastle Under Lyme on 1 May 1791. This would have made her say two years younger than John Close if his age as shown in the "Medway" indent was correct.

The fact that no one has been able to trace John's place of christening has caused me to wonder if the spelling of his name as recorded in his trial and convict records is correct and so with that in mind, I asked on Worcester Gene List, how could you spell "Close" when it was spoken by a Staffordshire person and heard and written by a Worcester person. The answer I received was "Clewes, Clowes, Cloose, Clews or Close".

A search of the Newcastle Under Lyme record under these names has produced a John Clews christenned 20 Nov 1786. If this is the correct person his correct age at the time of the Assize at which our John was convicted was 33 and 7 months. Could this be our John and was there a mistake made with the age? I guess we may never know but until I find a better nomination I am going to take it as correct.

In 1830, i.e. ten years after John's crime and subsequent conviction as detailed in the Assize record shown below, there was an Edward Close, Tailor of St Nicholas St, Worcester and a Josiah Close, Glove Manufacturer of Nicholas St, Worcester. This information was obtained from Pigot's 1830 Directory of Worcestershire but it could be that John was working for or with them.

John Close was charged with the crimes detailed in the following affidavits, which were presented to the Worcester Lent Assizes on the July 15 1820. I copied the following affidavit from the original record at the PRO London.

"WORCESTERSHIRE
The Jurors for our Lord the King upon their OATH that John Close late of the Parish of Saint John in Benwardine in the County of Worcester labourer on the 24th day of June in the first year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the fourth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King defender of the faith with force and arms at the Parish aforesaid in the county aforesaid.

No 1     Three smock frocks of the value of fifteen shillings and one handkerchief the value of one shilling the goods of Henry Wheeler then and being found feloniously did steal take carry away against the peace of our said Lord the King his crown and dignity.

No 2     One wooden bucket of the value of two shillings the goods of John Soule and being found feloniously did steal take carry away against the peace of our said Lord the King his crown and dignity.

No 3     One sheep of the value of fifty shillings the goods and chattels of William Payne then and there being found then and there wilfully and with felonious intent to steal a part of the carcase thereof (that is to say) the two hind quarters and twenty pounds weight of mutton of the said sheep to kill as aforesaid against the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace of ours said Lord the King his crown and his dignity.

And the jurors aforesaid upon their oath aforesaid do further present that the said John Close afterwards that is to say on the same day and year aforesaid with force and arms at the Parish aforesaid in the County aforesaid one sheep if the price of fifty shillings of the goods and chattels of the said William Payne then and there being found then and there feloniously did steal take and drive away against the peace of our said Lord the King his crown and dignity

Witnesses:
William Payne
John Hodges
Richard Minor
Joseph Orchard
Joseph Nicklin
Five witnesses Were sworn in.

* Guilty to be hanged"

From the Notes of the Clerk of the Court:

"John Close for killing a sheep the property of William Payne with intent to steal parts of the carcase. Po: se Guilty to be imprisoned in the goal for one year and then to be discharged."

I expect that John would have preferred the sentence as noted by the Clerk of the Court. The clerk must have made a mistake and the death sentence must have been commuted to transportation. I have not sighted the commutation record but the practice was common.

After a period in goal for which he obtained a report "industrious" John was transferred to a Hulk where he was reported as "orderly" until his ship the "Medway" was ready to sail to Van Diemans Land. (The "Medway" of 435 tons was built at Rochester in 1810). It was made ready and and sailed from on Nov 13, 1820 i.e. four months after John was convicted. The Master was Borthwick Wright and Surgeon, Thomas Davies of the Royal Navy. Officer of the guard was Lieutenant GORDON of the 82d Regiment.

A description of John Close was as follows: -

Height 5 foot 8.25 inches
Hair Dark Brown
Eyes Dark Brown
Age 32 Years
Trade Tailor
Native Place Newcastle under Lime, Staffordshire
Marks Scar left arm below elbow and one on right arm. Hannah Jackson on right arm

The "Medway" arrived in Hobart on Mar 13, 1821 with 156 male prisoners, a guard of 30 from the 53rd Regiment plus spare provisions and stores.

From the convict record (Con31/6 page 118) of John Close who had police number 353, it was noted

"April 20,1829 Meredith’s -Drunk and insolent on Easter Sunday. Severely reprimanded (R Lane)

April 20, 1834 Ticket of Leave. Handing in articles to the prisoners confined in the Watch House unintelligible (B Bayly).

Conditional Pardon Granted No 725 August 1835."

The convict record also discloses John's location on certain dates. These are as follows: -

17/ 6/ 34 Richmond. 29/ 7/ 34 SPort Office. 13/ 3 /39 Goal. 21/ 2/ 40 Port Arthur Office. Unreadable 30/ 1/ 41. 9/ 2/ 41 NN (? New Norfolk)

John was assigned to Lt Col George Meredith (1777-1856) late of Wales and an ex Royal Marine who had arrived in Tasmania on March 17 1821 i.e. four days after the arrival of the "Medway" on which John Close was carried from England. The Meredith’s arrived with Messers Adam and John Amos and their wives. The group moved to take up land at Great Swanport in October of 1821. Meredith took up his Grant of land at the head of the bay and called his property Cambria. The Messers Amos settled further up the Swan River at an estate known as Cranbrook.

John Close is mentioned in a letter written by George Meredith to his wife Mary on 15 April 1825. I assume Meredith was in Hobart at the time and his wife was at Swanport. He wrote in part "Of the other two men Bayley & ?Irovel I cannot judge - but Close or Mary will probably be able to give you their characters by the time they arrive. Give orders that the Whalers confine themselves to their hut & allow no one to enter Mary's - that ought to be your own private Hut and compel Mary to prevent even Sharpe from entering it or it will by & bye become a common receptacle for them all. Close and Mary cannot be united until a Certificate of her Husband's Death is procured from England - she looks on the Increase if so I suppose the way is for them to pledge themselves to marry as soon as the obstacle is removed & they must be considered Man & Wife. This appears to be the only way of reconciling what cannot be avoided."

The Diary of District Constable Adam Amos shows the following information from a Muster Roll at October 19, 1823-

"Female Convicts:
Mary Turner (assigned to) Mrs Meredith. Age 32, native place Tipperary. Tried at Newgate. Sentence 7 (years). Arrived by "Lord Sidmouth". Shipped in the same."

I think there is little doubt that this would be the Mary "on the increase" mentioned in George Meredith's letter.

On the 8th of June 1839, John Close was found guilty in the Supreme Court of Tasmania of the offence " Received 40lbs of nails the property of George Meredith value 20/-" with which he was charged. As it was an offence by a convict he was sentenced " to be transported to Port Arthur for 14 years " the record was noted that conduct was to be reported at 12 months.

It seems that the report on John at 12 months was favourable as he was transferred from Port Arthur to New Norfolk, arriving on Feb 9, 1841. John was assigned to a Mr G Glasey. He must have become ill and admitted to the nearest hospital as a memo from the Medical Superintendent states that John died on 5 June 1842.

Unfortunately the admission register of the New Norfolk Asylum was not commenced until 1859 but an entry to the Asylum food register on Ref HSD/104 June 1842. "John Close - cost 4 shillings, per the Medway, period 2-5 June, responsible person - C Glasey Esq. New Norfolk, Sickness - Peritonitis, date admitted June 1 1842, died - June 5 1842.

Other than what is noted above, what John did in Tasmania or just how he lived his life is not known other than his employment as a servant by George Meredith.

In the record of her marriage to Timothy Simcock, John's second child Charlotte Close says that her father had been a Tailor and that her native place was Swan Port, Tasmania. Swan Port is now known as Swansea. It can probably be quite safely assumed that Meredith employed John principally as a Tailor.

It must be noted that John married the sixteen-year-old daughter of a fellow convict.

1788 Apr 27    Birth of John Close at? Newcastle under Lime
1820 June 24    Stole a Sheep at Parish of Spleen
1820 July 15    Convicted at Worcester Assizes
1820 Nov 13    "Medway" sailed for Tasmania
1821 Mar 13    Arrived Hobart
1825 Apr 15    George Meredith's letter to his wife mentions John and his association with Mary who was "on the increase"
1829 Apr 20    was drunk and insolent on Easter Sunday at Meredith's
1832 July 24    Married Maria Kimber by Banns at Pittwater.
1833 Mar 19    John Thomas Close born
1834 Apr 23    Caught passing articles to prisoners in the watch house
1834 June 17    Noted at Richmond
1834 July 29    Noted at Swanport Office
1835 Jan 25    Charlotte Close born
1835 Aug 25    Received Conditional Pardon no 725
1837    Mary Ann Close born
1839    Henry William born
1839 Mar 18    Goal
1839 June 5    John Close pleaded Not Guilty in Supreme Court of Tasmania to “Receiving Stolen nails the property of George Meredith.
1839 June 8    Verdict was guilty and sentenced "to be transported for 14 Years". "To be sent to Port Arthur 12 Months and conduct to be reported"
1841 Jan 30    Noted at Port Arthur Office
1841 Feb 9    Noted at New Norfolk
1842 June 5    Died New Norfolk Asylum
1842 June 8    Buried at St Mathews Church, New Norfolk. Burial No 619 was performed by Rev W Garrard.