William Flint arrived in the colony on 18th July 1839 aboard "The Marquis of Hastings". He was 20 years of age and sentenced at the Ilford Assizes in Oxford. Born in Adderbury, Oxford to James and Hannah Flint.

William was 71 years old when he died and was buried at Leith or Old Forth Church of England (Pioneer) Cemetery.

Information received from John Mawer as to land ownership is below. I'm not 100% sure if this is the correct William Flint to be attaching it to, but he was about the same age as William Eastley so I'm going to take a gamble! ;-)

Description: Land
Location: Stony Creek
Area: 15 acres
Value: �7
Occupier: Flint, William
Residence: On property
Owner: Eastley, William
Residence: Middle Plain
Ref. No.: DI-629

Description: Farm
Location: Stony Creek
Area: 50 acres
Value: �20
Occupier: Flint, William
Residence: On land
Owner: Flint, William
Residence: Stony Creek
Ref. No.: DI-629

Description: House with land
Location: Red Gate
Area: 15 acres
Value: �15
Occupier: Flint, William with John Russell
Residence: On property
Owner: Flint, William with John Russell
Residence: Red Gate
Ref. No.: DI-629

The following information was very kindly shared with me by David and Edna Armstrong. Edna is a descendant of Willian Flint's and I'm very grateful to them both for allowing me to publish this information on my website! The information below was researched by Pastfinders.net ...

The Oxford University, City, and County Herald
Saturday July 14th 1838

John Spicer, Thomas Deeley, and William Flint, severally pleaded Guilty to an indictment charging them with having violently and feloniously assaulted William Merry, in the parish of Adderbury, in the night of the 8th of March last, and taken from his person divers notes, and gold and silver coin, exceeding �200 in value, and were sentenced to be transported for fifteen years

The Oxford University, City, and County Herald
Saturday March 17th 1838

On Thursday se'enight, as Mr. William Merry, of Dedington Mills, was returning in the evening, on horseback, from Banbury Market, accompanied by a man named Dawes, on foot, he was attacked between Adderbury and Deddington by three fellows, who dragged him from his horse, knelt on him, and threatened him with personal violence, if he offered any resistance. They took from one of his pockets a purse containing seventy sovereigns; from another his pocket-book, in which was �130 in bank notes, and also various other papers. On the following day three Adderbury youths were missing, and, they being suspected of having committed the robbery, search was made for them. Their names are Henry Deeley, aged 19, William Flint, aged 17, and John Spicer, aged 22. Deeley is the son of the Landlord of the White Lion at Adderbury, where William Merry had been drinking until he became in a state bordering on intoxication. The father of Spicer is a collarmaker, and is supposed to be of considerable property. Flint's father is a very industrious shoemaker. The three youths, on being apprehended, gave false names and residences. In Deely's possession was found �31 0s 6d.; in Spicer's, �19 12s 8d, and in Flint's, �21 4s. Several of the papers taken from Mr. Merry were afterwards found in a pond in Adderbury. On Monday, Deely made the following voluntary confession to Daniel Newton, the police officer of Banbury:-

"As some of us are sure to be transported, I think we all should share alike, as we three are the persons who committed the robbery, and no other person is at all connected with it, either before or after. I am 19; I am son to Thos. Deely, who keeps the White Lion, Adderbury, the house where Mr. Merry calls from market every week; it was I who planned the robbery, and have contemplated it these six weeks. On the night in question I saw Mr. Merry had taken rather too much; I arranged with my companions; I went to bed, but directly got up again, and took three nightcaps with which we all disguised ourselves, and committed the robbery; I provided myself with a bludgeon by melting some lead into an ash stick; if he had resisted, we intended to have done for him, and also for a man on foot, a little way behind him; we then divided the seventy sovereigns, and also the bank notes, note for note promiscuously, without references to value, and at half past eight on Friday night, started on foot to Bicester, and reached there at half past eleven; we wanted to hire a gig, but were refused; and about one o'clock on Saturday morning were taken into custody. The Bicester police took the gold and change from us, but not the bank notes, viz., from myself, �31 0s 6d.; from Spicer, �19 12s 8d, and from Flint, �21 4s. The bank notes we concealed about our persons; I had eight fives; after our apprehension, and while at Bicester, I bit off the numbers of six of the notes, and ate the same; the two whole and the six mutilated notes I hid under the mattress. Flint had �25 in notes, which he poked down the privy, at Bicester; and Spicer had �40, which he hid in the lining of his coat collar. I also planned another robbery, about four months since, on a person who had �400, but this was never effected". In consequence of this confession and while under examination before the magistrates at Deddington, on the Monday, Spicer's coat was examined, and the �40 in notes found, as described. Deely offered to go to Adderbury, and point out the place where they had sunk some papers in a pond; he did so, in company of the officers, and the next day the water was drawn, and the papers found accordingly. After this the other two prisoners severally confessed to exactly the same effect, which confession were taken down; Deely's confession was then read over to them, and they all declared it to be perfectly true, and signed it. They were then fully committed for trial, and lodged in our county gaol. Deely is well known to be a bad character, he has a very boyish appearance, and is supposed to be the projector of all their villanies. Spicer is the blustering bully; and Flint the yielding simpleton; indeed, during the examination before the magistrates, Spicer, though handcuffed, and chained to the grate, was so violent as to make it distressing to remain in the room. The other two behaved less indecorously.

We have just learnt, from an Adderbury correspondent, that Ward, the Bicester constable, has found the bank notes in the mattress on which Deely slept, and 30l. in the privy drain, where Flint was detained.

HO17/121 Petitions for Clemency
Petition Xy34

William Flint 18
Oxford Summer Assizes
July 1838
Highway Robbery
15 years
Gaol Rept. Char. unknown

Ganymede

To the Right Honourable the Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department

The Humble petition of the undersigned

Sheweth

That William Flint aged seventeen years the son of James Flint of Adderbury in the County of Oxford shoemaker was convicted on his own confession at the last Assizes for the said County of Highway Robbery committed on the person of William Merry of Deddington Dealer in Corn and sentenced to be transported for the term of fifteen years - That the said robbery was effected by the convict in conjunction with Thomas Deely aged eighteen years and John Spicer aged twenty one years also both of Adderbury and who likewise pleaded guilty - That the case was not attended with any aggravated circumstances and nearly the whole of the money was returned to Mr. Merry. - That your petitioners understand that the Convict had expressed great contrition for his offence and believing it to be sincere they humbly venture to hope that if this favorable opinion shall be confirmed by his general good conduct her Majesty may be advised graciously to remit some portion of his sentence.

And you Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.

Wm. Merry - Deddington - Prosecutor
( + approx 60 other signatures)

ASSI5/158/12 Indictment Files

The Jurors for our Lady the Queen, upon their Oath present, that John Spicer late of the Parish of Adderbury in the County of Oxford Labourer Thomas Deeley late of the same Labourer and William Flint late of the same Labourer on the eighth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight with force and arms at the Parish aforesaid in the County aforesaid (the said Thomas Thomas Deeley being) then and there feloniously armed with a certain offensive weapon (to wit) a bludgeon in and upon one William Merry in the Peace of God and our said Lady the Queen, then and there being, feloniously did make an assault and the him the said William Merry in bodily fear and danger of his life, then and there did put, and eighty pieces of the current gold coin of this Realm called Sovereigns, twenty other pieces of the current gold coin of this realm called Half Sovereigns, four pieces of the current silver coin of this Realm called Crowns, eight other pieces of the current silver coin of the Realm called half crowns, twenty other pieces of the current silver coins of this Realm called shillings, and twenty other pieces of the current silver coin of this Realm called sixpences and one pocket book of the value of two shillings and eight notes for the payment of ten pounds each and of the value of ten pounds each and eight notes for the payment of five pounds each and of the value of five pounds each (the said several sums of money payable and secured by and upon the said notes being then and there due and unsatisfied to the said William Merry the proprietor thereof) of the monies goods and chattels of the said William Merry from the person and against the will of the said William Merry then and there feloniously and violently did steal, take and carry away against the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the Peace of our said Lady the Queen her Crown and Dignity

2nd Count

And the Jurors aforesaid, upon their Oath aforesaid, do further present that the said John Spicer, Thomas Deeley and William Flint afterwards, to wit, on the same day, and in the year aforesaid, with force and arms, at the Parish aforesaid in and upon the said William Merry in the Peace of God, and our Lady the Queen, then and there being, feloniously did make an assault, and him the said William Merry, in bodily fear and danger of his life, then and there did put, and eighty pieces of the current gold coin of this Realm called Sovereigns, twenty other pieces of the current gold coin of this realm called Half Sovereigns, four pieces of the current silver coin of this Realm called Crowns, eight other pieces of the current silver coin of the Realm called half crowns, twenty other pieces of the current silver coins of this Realm called shillings, and twenty other pieces of the current silver coin of this Realm called sixpences and one pocket book of the value of two shillings and eight notes for the payment of ten pounds each and of the value of ten pounds each and eight notes for the payment of five pounds each and of the value of five pounds each (the said several sums of money payable and secured by and upon the said notes being then and there due and unsatisfied to the said William Merry the proprietor thereof) of the monies goods and chattels of the said William Merry from the person and against the will of the said William Merry then and there feloniously and violently did steal, take and carry away and that the said John Spicer immediately before and at the time of such robbery feloniously did strike and beat and use other personal violence to the said William merry (the said Thomas Deeley and William Flint being then and there feloniously present against the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the Peace of our said Lady the Queen her Crown and Dignity

3rd Count

And the Jurors aforesaid, upon their Oath aforesaid, do further present that the said John Spicer, Thomas Deeley and William Flint afterwards, to wit, on the same day, and in the year aforesaid, with force and arms, at the Parish aforesaid in and upon the said William Merry in the Peace of God, and our Lady the Queen, then and there being, feloniously did make an assault, and him the said William Merry, in bodily fear and danger of his life, then and there did put, and and eighty pieces of the current gold coin of this Realm called Sovereigns, twenty other pieces of the current gold coin of this realm called Half Sovereigns, four pieces of the current silver coin of this Realm called Crowns, eight other pieces of the current silver coin of the Realm called half crowns, twenty other pieces of the current silver coins of this Realm called shillings, and twenty other pieces of the current silver coin of this Realm called sixpences and one pocket book of the value of two shillings and eight notes for the payment of ten pounds each and of the value of ten pounds each and eight notes for the payment of five pounds each and of the value of five pounds each (the said several sums of money payable and secured by and upon the said notes being then and there due and unsatisfied to the said William Merry the proprietor thereof) of the monies goods chattels and property of the said William Merry from the person and against the will of the said William Merry then and there feloniously and violently did steal, take and carry away against the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the Peace of our said Lady the Queen her Crown and Dignity

Eliza Eastley, aged 19, travelled to Van Dieman's Land aboard the General Sale, a cargo ship which sailed from Gravesend on the 15 November 1851, and arrived at Hobart, Tasmania in February 1852.



A photo provided by Edna and David Armstrong of Eliza at her husband's funeral can be found in the Eastley Family Photo Album. Edna is the Granddaughter of Eliza Flint (nee Eastley). Thank you Edna and David! :D

Baptismal records ... 7 October 1832 Eliza daughter of William & Elizabeth Eastley abode Lupridge, labourer ... North Huish Parish Register fiche 3, page 41 no. 328, received from Gail Wilson in Canada.

Eliza was 75 years old when she died and was buried at Leith or Old Forth Church of England (Pioneer) Cemetery.

FLINT, Thomas CB 676203 Birth
Sex: Male
Father: William
Mother: Eastly Eliza
Event Date: 11 Apr 1863
Reg Year: 1863
Reg State: Tasmania
Ref Number: 295

From the TPI microfilm, courtesy of Louise Leslie ...

Male FLINT (note: no given name by the time his birth was registered)
born 27 Aug 1854
to William FLINT and Eliza (EASTLEY)
reg Westbury
informant: W FLINT, father, (residence) (looks Like) BENGEO

From the AVRI CDs ...

FLINT, M CB 676148 Birth
Sex: Male
Father: William
Mother: Eastley Eliza
Event Date: 27 Aug 1854
Reg Year: 1854
Reg State: Tasmania
Ref Number: 1323