Wilkes and Earp

The Registers and Letter Books of the Convict Hulk Leviathan in Portsmouth Harbour show that on 22nd November, 1820 a group of nineteen convicts were received including Wilkes and Earp.

The Hulks were ships that were no longer seaworthy and normally had their masts reduced or removed. They were initially used to hold prisoners awaiting transportation, but later became general prisons as a cheap alternative to building more prisons on land. The conditions were crowded and unhealthy, with little or no ventilation, since the ports on the landward side were boarded over as a deterrent to escape. Prisoners were normally employed on manual labour ashore during the day. The Leviathan held about 650 men.

Two of the Thomas Wilkes entries are almost certainly the father and brother of Josiah, Luke was another brother and many other names can be reasonably assumed to be relatives.

The wife of Josiah was a Wilkinson, and his mother was a Small, explaining these names. Many others are either related by marriage or were likely to have been close trade contacts or neighbours of Josiah.

The Duffields are notable by their absence from the petition, despite being related by marriage to Josiah Wilkes. No record has been found of any further Petition on his behalf.

The earliest surviving Quarterly Return of Convicts on the Leviathan is for September 1824. This shows:

It appears that the age quoted is that of the prisoner when convicted, as Josiah remains aged 52 on these Returns for the duration of his imprisonment.

In 1826 Josiah appears in a "List of Convicts for Mitigation, Leviathan, 23rd April, 1826". The text shows this to be "A list of Six Convicts under sentence of Transportation on board the Leviathan Hulk, who have served more than three years and a half of their respective Sentences, which for their uniform good Conduct are recommended by Captain Stedman to the Inspector, as fit objects for a commutation of their respective Sentences." The list includes:

A Footnote shows that Josiah Wilkes was included in a list of those whose sentence was to be reduced to 14 years, and this is confirmed in the next Quarterly Return that is annotated " Comd 14 years 16th June, 1826”. It is interesting that his offence is now described as "Having Base Coin in his possession", rather than Coining or High Treason as in previous documents, possibly to put a more favourable light on the recommendation.

The change of his sentence to 14 years was of great importance to Josiah as, when a release of prisoners was considered in September of the same year, it meant that he had completed over half of his term. A list was prepared on 30th September, 1826 being a: " List of thirteen, being two out of every hundred Convicts confined on board the Leviathan Hulk in Portsmouth Harbour, who have served more than half the term of their respective sentences on board the said Hulks, and on account of their quick, orderly and uniform good behaviour since they came to her, are now, selected by the Captain, with the approbation of the Chaplain, assisted by the Principal Officer of the Leviathan, as the thirteen best behaved Men in the Hulk, and are therefore humbly recommended by Captain Stedman, who if required is ready to make Oath to the impartiality of the choice of them, to the Inspector, as fit objects of the Royal Mercy". The list showed that Josiah Wilkes had served 7 years 2 months of his reduced 14 year sentence. The whole list was apparently accepted as it is annotated "Free Pardon prepared Oct 1826".

The following Quarterly Return for the Leviathan is annotated against Josiah Wilkes "Discharged 27th October, 1826. Free Pardon". Josiah Wilkes was thus, because of his age and exemplary behaviour on the Leviathan, able to benefit from a reduction in his sentence and an eventual Free Pardon, allowing him to return to Darlaston where he lived for a further 34 years.

White’s Directory of 1834 lists Josiah Wilkes as a File Maker of Blakemore Lane, Darlaston.

The 1841 Census shows Josiah Wilkes living with his wife Sarah in Great Croft Street, Darlaston. Josiah and Sarah are both aged 70 and Josiah is a File Manufacturer. Also in the household are his married son Thomas aged 40, a File Cutter, with his wife Maria and two children, one of whom, Thomas aged 10, is also shown as a File Cutter. Josiah also appears in Pigot’s Directory of 1842 as a File Maker of Great Croft Street.

Sarah Wilkes died aged 76 on 22nd March, 1849 and was buried in the churchyard of St. Lawrence, Darlaston. By the Census of March 1851 Josiah Wilkes aged 82 and with no occupation was living on Great Croft Street, Darlaston as a lodger in the household of his married son Thomas.

Josiah Wilkes died on 10th October, 1860 and was also buried in Darlaston St. Lawrence. Josiah and Sarah have a twin headstone reading "TO The Memory of JOSIAH WILKES who died oct. 10 1860 Aged 91 years. TO The Memory of SARAH WIFE OF JOSIAH WILKES who died March 22 1846 Aged 76 years."