Thursday Flashback

Berthed in Scarborough harbour is the former merchant and prison ship Success. The sign above the rear deck reads ‘Original Convict Ship from Australia’. The Success was built as a merchant ship in 1840 in Burma and worked the trade routes of the Indian Ocean. Around 1852 at the height of the Australian gold rush she was purchased by the state government of Victoria and converted to a prison ship in Melbourne, due to the increase in crime and overflowing prisons. 10s on them.” She went with the result stated, and returning she gave him the 7s and he gave her a shilling for pledging them. Prisoner, said the chief, was arrested by the York police - a description of him having been circulated - on October 5th. When conveyed to Scarborough and charged with the offence he replied: Yes.

Prisoner said he was sorry - he would make compensation to Mr Williams. He was upset through having been mined when serving on a ship - he was suffering from his nerves.

Replying to questions he said he belonged to Beccles, in Suffolk.

The chief said, so far, he only knew of one case against In 1890, Success was purchased by a group of entrepreneurs to be refitted as a museum ship to travel the world displaying relics and advertising the perceived horrors of the convict era. After extensive world tours she was destroyed by fire while berthed in Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, USA, in 1946. Photo reproduced courtesy of the Max Payne collection. Reprints can be ordered with proceeds going to local charities. Telephone 0330 1230203 and quote reference number YRN160930-121319050. the man. His place of birth was given as Beccles, he was described as a motor mechanic, and he was sentenced to a month’s hard labour at Barnsley in 1908, for stealing eleven bicycle spanners. He was then convicted in the name of Betram Cross.

Prisoner said Read was his proper name. He admitted the conviction at Barnsley.

The chief: He was in employment at the time he committed this theft. Why he should have robbed this man of his watches I don’t know.

The magistrates sent him to gaol for six weeks, with hard labour.