Nelson robbery
Encyclopedia
The Nelson robbery was one of the major crimes of the Victorian gold rush
. It involved the robbery at gunpoint of 8,183 ounces of gold
valued at about £30,000 by a party of thieves from the barque
Nelson as she lay at anchor in Hobsons Bay
off Melbourne
on the night of 1–2 April 1852.
s New Measurement, 128.2 x 26.9 x 19.4 feet, built at Dumbarton, Scotland
by Denny & Rankine in 1844. Her original owners were Lewis, Alexander, John and James Potter, Peter Denny and Daniel Rankine. She spent many years in the trade between London
and Melbourne. Years after the robbery, Nelson hit rocks and sank near the Seven Stones at the entrance to the English Channel
on 7 October 1870 while on a voyage from Aguilas
to the Tyne
, drowning the master, Captain Henderson and two of her crew. The ship’s figurehead was recovered and on 25 February 2004 was sold at auction at Knightsbridge
for £3760.
within days of the discovery of gold
in Victoria
, her master was unaware of the situation in port and over the following days most of the crew jumped ship. The Nelson was, nevertheless, towed to Geelong, loaded a cargo of wool
and gold consigned by local merchants, and returned to Melbourne to find more crew.
Captain Wright was staying in town, leaving the Nelson in charge of the First and Second Mates and three other crew, when a party of robbers estimated to number between ten and over twenty boarded the ship from two stolen boats, bailed up all on board, and forced their way into the lazarette containing the gold. One shot was fired during the outrage, slightly injuring the First Mate Henry Draper. The robbers then reboarded their boats and slipped off into the darkness. It was later discovered that they had landed on St Kilda beach and divided the gold amongst themselves before dispersing.
in Melbourne and Justice Redmond Barry
in Geelong, ultimately sentenced five of them to lengthy sentences to hard labour in chains on the roads of Victoria: John James, James Duncan, James Morgan, Stephen Fox and John Roberts (who was later released after proving an alibi
but soon convicted of another crime).
Several who were acquitted of the crime were later convicted of other crimes including the St Kilda Road robberies
. Police recovered some £2263 in gold, cash, banknotes and other property from those arrested, most of which was eventually redistributed amongst the original owners. It was believed that much of the balance that the police had not recovered was fenced
with a St. Kilda publican John Milton Dascombe (1824–1868), who was never charged with being involved in the affair.
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
. It involved the robbery at gunpoint of 8,183 ounces of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
valued at about £30,000 by a party of thieves from the barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
Nelson as she lay at anchor in Hobsons Bay
Hobsons Bay
Hobsons Bay is a bay in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia....
off Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on the night of 1–2 April 1852.
Nelson
Nelson was a barque of 603 29/100th tonTon
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s New Measurement, 128.2 x 26.9 x 19.4 feet, built at Dumbarton, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
by Denny & Rankine in 1844. Her original owners were Lewis, Alexander, John and James Potter, Peter Denny and Daniel Rankine. She spent many years in the trade between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Melbourne. Years after the robbery, Nelson hit rocks and sank near the Seven Stones at the entrance to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
on 7 October 1870 while on a voyage from Aguilas
Águilas
Águilas is a municipality and seaport of southeastern Spain, in the province of Murcia. It is situated at the southern end of Murcia's Mediterranean coastline, otherwise known as the Costa Cálida, near the border with the Province of Almería....
to the Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
, drowning the master, Captain Henderson and two of her crew. The ship’s figurehead was recovered and on 25 February 2004 was sold at auction at Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
for £3760.
The robbery
On 18 October 1851, the Nelson arrived at Melbourne under the command of Captain Walter Wright. Having left LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
within days of the discovery of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, her master was unaware of the situation in port and over the following days most of the crew jumped ship. The Nelson was, nevertheless, towed to Geelong, loaded a cargo of wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
and gold consigned by local merchants, and returned to Melbourne to find more crew.
Captain Wright was staying in town, leaving the Nelson in charge of the First and Second Mates and three other crew, when a party of robbers estimated to number between ten and over twenty boarded the ship from two stolen boats, bailed up all on board, and forced their way into the lazarette containing the gold. One shot was fired during the outrage, slightly injuring the First Mate Henry Draper. The robbers then reboarded their boats and slipped off into the darkness. It was later discovered that they had landed on St Kilda beach and divided the gold amongst themselves before dispersing.
The trials
Over several weeks several men, mostly former convicts from Van Diemens Land, were arrested and charged with the robbery, of which nine were eventually tried. A series of trials, mostly before Chief Justice Sir William à BeckettWilliam à Beckett
Sir William à Beckett was a British barrister and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.-Background:Born in London, he was the eldest son of William à Beckett, also a solicitor...
in Melbourne and Justice Redmond Barry
Redmond Barry
Sir Redmond Barry KCMG was an Irish colonial judge in Victoria, Australia.-Early life:Barry was the son of Major-General Henry Green Barry, of Ballyclough, County Cork and his wife Phoebe Drought, daughter of John Armstrong Drought and Letita Head...
in Geelong, ultimately sentenced five of them to lengthy sentences to hard labour in chains on the roads of Victoria: John James, James Duncan, James Morgan, Stephen Fox and John Roberts (who was later released after proving an alibi
Alibi
Alibi is a 1929 American crime film directed by Roland West. The screenplay was written by West and C. Gardner Sullivan, who adapted the 1927 Broadway stage play, Nightstick, written by Elaine Sterne Carrington, J.C...
but soon convicted of another crime).
Several who were acquitted of the crime were later convicted of other crimes including the St Kilda Road robberies
St Kilda Road robberies
During the first eighteen months of the Victorian gold rush, the section of St Kilda Road between Melbourne and Canvas Town was the scene of frequent hold-ups by armed bandits and bushrangers, mostly former convicts from Van Diemens Land.-The last major offense:On 17 March 1853, gold-buyer Edward...
. Police recovered some £2263 in gold, cash, banknotes and other property from those arrested, most of which was eventually redistributed amongst the original owners. It was believed that much of the balance that the police had not recovered was fenced
Fence (criminal)
A fence is an individual who knowingly buys stolen property for later resale, sometimes in a legitimate market. The fence thus acts as a middleman between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods who may or may not be aware that the goods are stolen. As a verb, the word describes the...
with a St. Kilda publican John Milton Dascombe (1824–1868), who was never charged with being involved in the affair.