Step brother to Margaret Cooley
Margaret Cooley had a younger step-brother Robert, baptised on 14 August 1813 so probably born a few days earlier. However, there is some doubt as to whether this was the same Robert to whom John Junior refers in his letter to his half sister as "my only brother". A Robert Edmondston was indicted in Edinburgh on 27 January 1834 for theft with violence.
The document reads:
"Declares that he is 16 years of age and he was born in Edinburgh and he is a hostler and resides in Rose Street with his mother Elizabeth Allan or Edmondston, a widow".
He is hardly likely to have got so young an age wrong so was probably born in 1817. The birth of 2 Roberts cannot be traced but it is possible that the 1813 one died in infancy and that a subsequent child was given the same name.
Robert was convicted with James Brown of stealing money: "Two shillings and sixpence or thereby of silver money and Threepence or thereby of copper money, the property or in the lawful possession of Duncan McMillan". He was sentenced to be transported for 7 years. He left Woolwich on 14 December 1834 on board the "George III" and arrived in Van Diemens Land on 12 April 1835, aged only 18. He was 5' 6 and 1/2" tall with black hair and brown eyes. He had a fresh but pock-marked complexion, a high broad forehead, a long nose and a large chin. Although his hulk report was "Very Good" it was recorded that he had been imprisoned before.
Life in Tasmania
Before the year was over he was in trouble with the following offences:
15 Dec 1835 Disobedience of orders on the night of the 14th instant - Hard labour at a road gang
30 Sep 1836 Returned to the Government at the request of his master
6 Dec 1836 Out after hours and in a disorderly house- Bread and water for 7 days
18 Jan 1837 Neglect of Duty - Hard labour in chains and returned to the Government
30 Dec 1837 Disobedience of orders and giving insolence 12 months hard labour; 6 months in Campbelltown chain gang, 6 months in Snake Banks chain gang
16 Apr 1838 Neglect of of duty, Campbelltown chain gang. Absence in the house and other misconduct - 3 months hard labour
3 Aug 1840 Drunk and disorderly - 3 months hard labour and returned to the Government.
Despite the last sentence he was given a Ticket of Leave on 11 September 1840 and finally granted a Free Certificate No. 218 in 1841.
Where did Robert go?
His brother John writing to Thomas and Mary on 25 May 1842 says: "We again sincerely thank you for your kindness to my only brother. We can do no more than send the grateful breathings of true hearts. Our thanks are not the mere words of form but the deepest troublings of ardent, anxious souls. We cannot say he is homeless in Australia with such a fireside as yours, if he will but do well. Oh that God would show him the error of his ways. Oh that God would open his eyes that he might see and know his TRUE friends."
(NB) Information received in February 2006 reveals Robert left Tasmania, married and had a large family in Victoria. I hope to add this information in the near future. We wonder did he keep in touch with Margaret in Hobart or his brother John in Edinburgh? ...and do his descendants bear any resemblance to our Cooley descendants?