[TASMANIA; POLICE; CONVICTS] Manuscript letter from William H. Ellis, Hobart Town, to the Chief Magistrate of Police of Van Diemen’s Land, seeking reimbursement for providing a member of the convict F

A$500 · Offered by Douglas Stewart Fine Books

Foolscap folio, 335 x 210 mm, manuscript in ink on laid paper watermarked Gilling Alford 1828 ; 1 page autograph letter signed by William H. Ellis, headed Hobart Town, 11 August 1831, addressed to James Gordon Esq., Chief Police Magistrate: I most respectfully request you will be pleased to stop from Constable Shalvey s Salary the Sum of £1.13.0 being the amount of Wearing Apparel I supplied him with some time since He stated to me at the time that he was greatly in want of the articles and to secure the payment for them you would have no objection to retain the money In proof of the debt I beg leave to annex a Copy of the order he gave me and which I still hold. (Copy): Hobart Town 19 April 1831. Sir, Please to pay W. H. Ellis one pound thirteen shillings for wearing apparel had of him this day (out of my salary as Constable for the present month. To James Gordon Esq. Police Magistrate. (Signed) James Shalvey [with his mark] Witness W. Isaac ; original folds, in fine condition. A unique document offering an insight into the typically disreputable character of the men who made up Lieutenant-Governor Arthur s despised convict Field Police around the time of the notorious Black Line operation in Van Diemen s Land. Members of the Field Police, which had been created out of necessity due to the small number of soldiers stationed in the penal colony, were offered rewards for rounding-up deserters from road gangs and runaways from assigned service. James Shalvey (b. 1798) , a sheph

• Binding: Hardcover

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