Britten/Ellis jigsaw puzzle
I still haven't managed to work out who Frederick Britten (Fred Ward's escapee companion) really was. Although he was convicted under the name Frederick Britten (listed also as Brittain, Britain, Britton, etc), this was possibly an alias.
Late in 1864 claims were made that Fred Britten was the same person as Thomas John Ellis who escaped from Jameson lock-up in Victoria. Around the same time, a John Ellis and others purportedly robbed the Cooyal property (near Mudgee NSW) belonging to Elizabeth Garbutt, the wife of Fred's nephew, John Charles Garbutt.
So it is interesting to note that a John Ellis visited Fred Britten at Cockatoo Island in March 1863. It is also interesting to note that one of the victims of the Bathurst mail-coach robbery (for which Fred Britten was convicted) later claimed that it was John Ellis not Fred Britten who was the robber. Moreover Britten kept insisting that he was innocent.
So who was Fred Britten and what was his relationship with John Ellis? Some of the clues will no doubt be found in the Victorian Public Record Office.
John Ellis (purported Bathurst mail robber)
1863 Mar 5 Visits Fred Britten at Cockatoo Island [Cockatoo Island – Daily State of the Establishment, 1861-63 [SRNSW ref: 4/6505]]
1863 Apr 16 Apprehended on suspicion of being one of Bathurst mail robbers [SMH 27 Apr 1863 p.5; NSWPG 1863 p.117]
1863 Apr 25 Brought before Central Police Court and remanded until following Saturday [SMH 27 Apr 1863 p.5]
1863 May 9 Discharged as the witness failed to identify him but remanded on grounds that he might be John Howard alias Anderson advertised in Victorian Police Gazette [VicPG] as prisoner of Crown illegally at large in that colony. [SMH 11 May 1863 p.2] NB. This was the same alias as that mentioned re Alfred Early/Airy (alias William Davis alias Howard alias Anderson) who escaped from Jamieson lock-up with Thomas John Ellis (alias Frederick Britten etc) in Dec 1864.
George Blacker (purported Bathurst mail-coach robber)
1863 May 9 Brought before bench on writ of habeas corpus on suspicion of being one of robbers in Bathurst mail robbery; Arundell Everett as witness who said that he ‘does not believe nor did he ever swear that Britten was one of the three but he lately saw a man whom he believes to be the third man with Willison and Britten’. [SMH 11 May 1863 p.2]
1863 Jun 12 Blacker identified and sworn to by Arundell Everett, Peter Graham and John Christie, passengers, as being one of Bathurst mail robbers (the one who stole Everett’s neck-tie). [SMH 13 Jun 1863 p.7]
1863 Jun 16? Blacker found guilty of another charge of stealing [SMH 17 Jun 1863 p.2]
1863 Jul 2? Blacker discharged; judge ordered ‘not guilty’ verdict because identity not proven [SMH 3 Jul 1863 p.8]
1863 Jul 3 Argus reported that Blacker was a runaway Victorian convict. NB. Probably error for Ellis (see) [Argus 3 Jul 1863 p.5]
John Thomas Clarke (Victorian robber)
1863/4 Description: Born VDL, aged 30 (c1833/4), 5/7½, fresh complexion, light brown hair, hazel eyes, broad nose, brown moustache, smooth face
1863 TL holder gazetted illegally at large (need to find entry in VicPG 1863 p.255) [VicPG 1864 p.195]
1864 Apr? John Thomas Clarke arrested for burglary [VicPG 1864 p.195]
1864 Apr 25 John Thomas Clarke and another (Henry Wright) escape from Wood’s Point lock-up [VicPG 1864 p.195]
NB This man does not seem to be Frederick Britten as he is referred to in Victorian records for 1863 when Britten was in Cockatoo Island - unless this was a belated reference to him. He appears to be the same man as the following:
Thomas John Ellis alias Frederick Britten
1864 Nov 1 John Little robbed at Jamieson, VIC [NSWPG 1864 p.366]
1864 Nov Two men apprehended for Little’s robbery by Sandhurst & Ballarat detectives:
- Thomas John Ellis alias Tommy/Thomas Richards alias Tommy the Native alias Frederick Brittain alias John Thomas Clarke (see VicPG 1863 p.195)
- Alfred Early/Airy alias William Davis alias Howard alias Anderson; description: aged about 30, 5/8, medium build, sandy complexion, hair and whiskers, shaved on upper lip only, stooping shoulders, full dark eyes, small dent above tip of nose. Supposed to be Sydney native. [VicPG 1864 p.476; NSWPG 1865 p.9; Argus 23 Nov 1864 p.4]
NB. It seems likely that the alias Frederick Brittain is a red herring. Of the five aliases listed above, Thomas occurs four times. Of the same four instances, John occurs in the only two instances in which a second given name is listed. This suggests that this criminal’s given names were Thomas John and his surname Ellis or Richards or Clarke.
1864 Nov 22 Ellis & Early appear at City Court (Melbourne) and remanded [Argus 23 Nov 1864 p.4]
1864 Nov 29 Ellis & Early appear at City Court (Melbourne) and again remanded [Argus 30 Nov 1864 p.5]
1864 Dec 6 Ellis & Early appear at City Court (Melbourne) and remanded to Jamieson [Argus 7 Dec 1864 p.1S]
1864 Dec 18 Ellis & Early escaped from Jamieson lock-up [VicPG 1864 pp.476, 483; NSWPG 1865 p.9]
This incident occurred at around the same time as the Cooyal robbery below
Cooyal robbery
1864 Nov 8 Five men rob Mrs Garbutt of Cooyal; 1st man: 5/11 slight, dark complexion & dark eyes very bright and prominent; 2nd man: 5/9 stout, broad features, no beard. NB. These proved to be Robert Campbell and Edward McGurk. [NSWPG 1864 p.368]
1864 Nov late Warrant issued for arrest of Robert Campbell alias Bob Robison alias Bolaro Bob (5/9 or 10, very slight build, long jaws, dark small whiskers, dark hair, prominent eyes), also of Edward McGurke (5/7, slovenly build, long black hair, very broad features, shows his teeth when speaking, large feet) for robbery. Also warrant issued for arrest of McGuirk for horse-stealing from Patrick Lynch (when description noted that he was about 21 5/9, long black hair worn native fashion, no beard or whiskers, low forehead). [NSWPG 1864 pp.378 & 379]
1864 Nov 29 Report from Western Post re Cooyal robbery and arrest on suspicion of three possible men; also another mention of robbery in report on bushranger [SMH 29 Nov 1864 p.8; 21 Dec 1864 p.5]
1864 Dec Warrant issued for arrest of Paddy alias Tom for Cooyal robbery. Supposed to be identical with Paddy Tom alias Carrington arrested on suspicion of robbing Bathurst Mail at Lapstone Hill on 11 Mar 1864 (see NSWPG 1864 p.78 No.1), also other mail robberies in 1864 and the murder of Mussen (see NSWPG 1864 p.350 No.1) [NSWPG 1864 p.397]
1864 Dec Robert Campbell alias Bob Robison alias Bolaro Bob, and Edward McGurke arrested and committed to take trial at Mudgee Quarter Sessions [NSWPG 1864 p.402]
1865 Feb Ellis, one of prisoners who escaped from Jamieson lock-up on 18 Dec 1864 has been arrested [Argus 21 Feb 1865 p.5]
1865 Feb 20 John Ellis and George Brown (resembling description of man who robbed Mrs Garbutt on NSWPG 1864 p.368) arrested at Brisbane; Ellis supposed to resemble man who robbed Lapstone Hill mail. George Gibson arrested same evening (also resembling description of man who robbed Mrs Garbutt on NSWPG 1864 p.368). NB. later references indicate this was a bit confused; Gibson was reportedly Lapstone Hill robber. [Brisbane Courier 21 Feb 1865 p.2]
1865 Feb 27 George Gibson alias Paddy Thom brought up on Cooyal charges among others and remanded, as were George Brown and John Ellis [Brisbane Courier 28 Feb 1865 p.2]
1865 Mar 6 George Brown and John Ellis brought before Brisbane police magistrate and remanded to Mudgee [Brisbane Courier 7 Mar 1865 p.2; SMH 3 Mar 1865 p.5]
1865 Mar Paddy alias Paddy Tom alias Carrington, George Brown and John Ellis (the latter identical with Thomas John Ellis alias Tommy Richards alias Tommy the Native alias Frederick Britten alias John Thomas Clarke, escaped prisoner from Victoria) charged on warrants with robbing Mrs Garbutt of Cooyal have been arrested by Brisbane Police and remanded to Mudgee. [NSWPG 1865 p.113] NB. Could not have been identical as NSW and Victorian robberies were committed at the same time.
1865 Mar 14 Edward McGurk pleaded guilty to horsestealing; Robert Campbell pleaded guilty to Cooyal robbery and turned approver against McGurk, but jury acquitted McGurk on grounds that Campbell’s evidence unsupported. NB. McGurk testified in John Garbutt’s case (for or against?) [SMH 15 Mar 1865 p.4]
1865 Mar From Western Post 24 Mar: George Gibson, John Ellis (alias Richards/Britton &c.) and George Brown charged with being concerned in murder of Musson. No positive proof but storekeeper said Gibson looked like one of the men and he was committed for trial. Gibson also committed for trial for Cooyal robbery. No mention of the other two. [MM 28 Mar 1865 p.3]
? Was John Ellis then remanded to Victoria? No further references to him have been found
Britten/Clarke/Ellis
1865 Sep Report that Frederick Britten, escaped prisoner from Cockatoo Island, was identical with Thomas John Ellis alias Tommy the Native alias Tommy/Thomas Richards alias John Thomas Clarke alias Frederick Brittain. [NSWPG 1865 p.337] NB. This claim unlikely to be true as John Thomas Clarke was in Victoria in 1863 when Britten in C.I. Unless there was a long delay in notifying that he was a TL illegally at large.
1866 Dec Report that Frederick Britten escaped prisoner from Cockatoo Island is supposed to be in NSW passing under the name of Clarke; he may be at the new rush, Emu Creek [NSW PG 1866 p.445]
1863 Mar 5 Visits Fred Britten at Cockatoo Island [Cockatoo Island – Daily State of the Establishment, 1861-63 [SRNSW ref: 4/6505]]
1863 Apr 16 Apprehended on suspicion of being one of Bathurst mail robbers [SMH 27 Apr 1863 p.5; NSWPG 1863 p.117]
1863 Apr 25 Brought before Central Police Court and remanded until following Saturday [SMH 27 Apr 1863 p.5]
1863 May 9 Discharged as the witness failed to identify him but remanded on grounds that he might be John Howard alias Anderson advertised in Victorian Police Gazette [VicPG] as prisoner of Crown illegally at large in that colony. [SMH 11 May 1863 p.2] NB. This was the same alias as that mentioned re Alfred Early/Airy (alias William Davis alias Howard alias Anderson) who escaped from Jamieson lock-up with Thomas John Ellis (alias Frederick Britten etc) in Dec 1864.
George Blacker (purported Bathurst mail-coach robber)
1863 May 9 Brought before bench on writ of habeas corpus on suspicion of being one of robbers in Bathurst mail robbery; Arundell Everett as witness who said that he ‘does not believe nor did he ever swear that Britten was one of the three but he lately saw a man whom he believes to be the third man with Willison and Britten’. [SMH 11 May 1863 p.2]
1863 Jun 12 Blacker identified and sworn to by Arundell Everett, Peter Graham and John Christie, passengers, as being one of Bathurst mail robbers (the one who stole Everett’s neck-tie). [SMH 13 Jun 1863 p.7]
1863 Jun 16? Blacker found guilty of another charge of stealing [SMH 17 Jun 1863 p.2]
1863 Jul 2? Blacker discharged; judge ordered ‘not guilty’ verdict because identity not proven [SMH 3 Jul 1863 p.8]
1863 Jul 3 Argus reported that Blacker was a runaway Victorian convict. NB. Probably error for Ellis (see) [Argus 3 Jul 1863 p.5]
John Thomas Clarke (Victorian robber)
1863/4 Description: Born VDL, aged 30 (c1833/4), 5/7½, fresh complexion, light brown hair, hazel eyes, broad nose, brown moustache, smooth face
1863 TL holder gazetted illegally at large (need to find entry in VicPG 1863 p.255) [VicPG 1864 p.195]
1864 Apr? John Thomas Clarke arrested for burglary [VicPG 1864 p.195]
1864 Apr 25 John Thomas Clarke and another (Henry Wright) escape from Wood’s Point lock-up [VicPG 1864 p.195]
NB This man does not seem to be Frederick Britten as he is referred to in Victorian records for 1863 when Britten was in Cockatoo Island - unless this was a belated reference to him. He appears to be the same man as the following:
Thomas John Ellis alias Frederick Britten
1864 Nov 1 John Little robbed at Jamieson, VIC [NSWPG 1864 p.366]
1864 Nov Two men apprehended for Little’s robbery by Sandhurst & Ballarat detectives:
- Thomas John Ellis alias Tommy/Thomas Richards alias Tommy the Native alias Frederick Brittain alias John Thomas Clarke (see VicPG 1863 p.195)
- Alfred Early/Airy alias William Davis alias Howard alias Anderson; description: aged about 30, 5/8, medium build, sandy complexion, hair and whiskers, shaved on upper lip only, stooping shoulders, full dark eyes, small dent above tip of nose. Supposed to be Sydney native. [VicPG 1864 p.476; NSWPG 1865 p.9; Argus 23 Nov 1864 p.4]
NB. It seems likely that the alias Frederick Brittain is a red herring. Of the five aliases listed above, Thomas occurs four times. Of the same four instances, John occurs in the only two instances in which a second given name is listed. This suggests that this criminal’s given names were Thomas John and his surname Ellis or Richards or Clarke.
1864 Nov 22 Ellis & Early appear at City Court (Melbourne) and remanded [Argus 23 Nov 1864 p.4]
1864 Nov 29 Ellis & Early appear at City Court (Melbourne) and again remanded [Argus 30 Nov 1864 p.5]
1864 Dec 6 Ellis & Early appear at City Court (Melbourne) and remanded to Jamieson [Argus 7 Dec 1864 p.1S]
1864 Dec 18 Ellis & Early escaped from Jamieson lock-up [VicPG 1864 pp.476, 483; NSWPG 1865 p.9]
This incident occurred at around the same time as the Cooyal robbery below
Cooyal robbery
1864 Nov 8 Five men rob Mrs Garbutt of Cooyal; 1st man: 5/11 slight, dark complexion & dark eyes very bright and prominent; 2nd man: 5/9 stout, broad features, no beard. NB. These proved to be Robert Campbell and Edward McGurk. [NSWPG 1864 p.368]
1864 Nov late Warrant issued for arrest of Robert Campbell alias Bob Robison alias Bolaro Bob (5/9 or 10, very slight build, long jaws, dark small whiskers, dark hair, prominent eyes), also of Edward McGurke (5/7, slovenly build, long black hair, very broad features, shows his teeth when speaking, large feet) for robbery. Also warrant issued for arrest of McGuirk for horse-stealing from Patrick Lynch (when description noted that he was about 21 5/9, long black hair worn native fashion, no beard or whiskers, low forehead). [NSWPG 1864 pp.378 & 379]
1864 Nov 29 Report from Western Post re Cooyal robbery and arrest on suspicion of three possible men; also another mention of robbery in report on bushranger [SMH 29 Nov 1864 p.8; 21 Dec 1864 p.5]
1864 Dec Warrant issued for arrest of Paddy alias Tom for Cooyal robbery. Supposed to be identical with Paddy Tom alias Carrington arrested on suspicion of robbing Bathurst Mail at Lapstone Hill on 11 Mar 1864 (see NSWPG 1864 p.78 No.1), also other mail robberies in 1864 and the murder of Mussen (see NSWPG 1864 p.350 No.1) [NSWPG 1864 p.397]
1864 Dec Robert Campbell alias Bob Robison alias Bolaro Bob, and Edward McGurke arrested and committed to take trial at Mudgee Quarter Sessions [NSWPG 1864 p.402]
1865 Feb Ellis, one of prisoners who escaped from Jamieson lock-up on 18 Dec 1864 has been arrested [Argus 21 Feb 1865 p.5]
1865 Feb 20 John Ellis and George Brown (resembling description of man who robbed Mrs Garbutt on NSWPG 1864 p.368) arrested at Brisbane; Ellis supposed to resemble man who robbed Lapstone Hill mail. George Gibson arrested same evening (also resembling description of man who robbed Mrs Garbutt on NSWPG 1864 p.368). NB. later references indicate this was a bit confused; Gibson was reportedly Lapstone Hill robber. [Brisbane Courier 21 Feb 1865 p.2]
1865 Feb 27 George Gibson alias Paddy Thom brought up on Cooyal charges among others and remanded, as were George Brown and John Ellis [Brisbane Courier 28 Feb 1865 p.2]
1865 Mar 6 George Brown and John Ellis brought before Brisbane police magistrate and remanded to Mudgee [Brisbane Courier 7 Mar 1865 p.2; SMH 3 Mar 1865 p.5]
1865 Mar Paddy alias Paddy Tom alias Carrington, George Brown and John Ellis (the latter identical with Thomas John Ellis alias Tommy Richards alias Tommy the Native alias Frederick Britten alias John Thomas Clarke, escaped prisoner from Victoria) charged on warrants with robbing Mrs Garbutt of Cooyal have been arrested by Brisbane Police and remanded to Mudgee. [NSWPG 1865 p.113] NB. Could not have been identical as NSW and Victorian robberies were committed at the same time.
1865 Mar 14 Edward McGurk pleaded guilty to horsestealing; Robert Campbell pleaded guilty to Cooyal robbery and turned approver against McGurk, but jury acquitted McGurk on grounds that Campbell’s evidence unsupported. NB. McGurk testified in John Garbutt’s case (for or against?) [SMH 15 Mar 1865 p.4]
1865 Mar From Western Post 24 Mar: George Gibson, John Ellis (alias Richards/Britton &c.) and George Brown charged with being concerned in murder of Musson. No positive proof but storekeeper said Gibson looked like one of the men and he was committed for trial. Gibson also committed for trial for Cooyal robbery. No mention of the other two. [MM 28 Mar 1865 p.3]
? Was John Ellis then remanded to Victoria? No further references to him have been found
Britten/Clarke/Ellis
1865 Sep Report that Frederick Britten, escaped prisoner from Cockatoo Island, was identical with Thomas John Ellis alias Tommy the Native alias Tommy/Thomas Richards alias John Thomas Clarke alias Frederick Brittain. [NSWPG 1865 p.337] NB. This claim unlikely to be true as John Thomas Clarke was in Victoria in 1863 when Britten in C.I. Unless there was a long delay in notifying that he was a TL illegally at large.
1866 Dec Report that Frederick Britten escaped prisoner from Cockatoo Island is supposed to be in NSW passing under the name of Clarke; he may be at the new rush, Emu Creek [NSW PG 1866 p.445]