Thomas Mason
Thomas Mason was an accomplice of bushranger Frederick Ward.
1867 Feb mid Thunderbolt joined by Thomas Mason. Born c1852 Queensland, protestant, stockkeeper, reads only; description when aged 15: 5’3¼”, stout build, sallow complexion, light brown hair, hazel eyes, mole under left armpit, large vaccinations marks on left arm, number of small moles between[?] shoulders, large scar under left leg; referred to as ‘cranky’ (peevish, eccentric, odd) in Maitland Ensign in Mar 1867, and as ‘half-witted’ in Tamworth Examiner in May 1867 but in September 1867 reports said that he ‘does not appear to have any trace of insanity about him, as was at one time reported, nor anything in his outward appearance to indicate criminal propensities; list of Mason’s employers in Armidale Express 21 Sep 1867[1]
1867 Feb-Sep See Timeline: 1867
1867 Sep + 4 Sep 1867: Thomas Mason caught by Narrabri police at Old Oreel station near Millie; 8 Sep: arrived at Tamworth; 10 Sep: brought before Police Court and remanded on 5 charges of highway robbery; 17 Sep: committed to stand trial; 29 Oct: pleaded guilty and convicted at Tamworth Quarter Sessions on three charges of armed mail robbery and sentenced to 3 years light labour on each charge to be served concurrently; Oct/Nov: petitioned for mercy; 23 Nov: admitted to Maitland Gaol; 20 Apr 1868: convicted by East Maitland Circuit Court on two charges of armed robbery (against Richard Simpson and Samuel Cook on 25 Feb 1867) and sentenced to three years roads on each charge to be served concurrently; 30 Apr: readmitted to Maitland Gaol; May/Jun: rewards paid to police for Mason’s apprehension; 20 Sep 1870: released from East Maitland Gaol by remission[2]
Sources:
[1] Maitland Gaol - Description Book: Thomas Mason, 1867 & 1868 [SRNSW 5/759 1867 No.187 & 1868 No.218; Reel 2371]; NSW Police Gazette 1870 No.40 (5 Oct 1870) p.271; ME 13 Mar 1867 p.4; Maitland Mercury 28 May 1867 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 25 May); Armidale Express 21 Sep 1867 p4 (from Tamworth Examiner 14 Sep)
[2] NSW Police Gazette 1867 No.37 (11 Sep 1867) p.275, No.38 (18 Sep 1867) p.279, No.46 (13 Nov 1867) p.332, 1868 No.18 (29 Apr 1868) p.133, No.23 (3 Jun 1868) p.171, 1870 No.40 (5 Oct 1870) p.271; Armidale Express 14 Sep 1867 p.2, 28 Sep p.3 (from Tamworth Examiner 21 Sep), 5 Oct p.3 (from Maitland Mercury); Argus 25 Sep 1867 p.7 (from Tamworth Examiner 14 Sep); Maitland Mercury 12 Sep 1867 p.4, 14 Sep p.3, 24 Sep p.3, 5 Nov p.2, 12 Nov p.3(x2); Sydney Morning Herald 1 Nov 1867 p.5, 13 Nov p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner); CSIL: Report of Mason’s capture by Tamworth Police Superintendent Garland [SNRSW 4/646 Item 69/278 68/1624]; MG-EB: Thomas Mason, 1867 & 1868 [SRNSW 5/747 1867 No.579 & 1868 No.218; Reel 2368] & Discharge Book, 1870 [SRNSW 5/789 1870-09-20 No.68/218]; CSIL [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No. 68/1624]; Notebooks of Justice Hargrave: Thomas Mason, 20 Apr 1868 [SRNSW 2/4481 p.1]
1867 Feb mid Thunderbolt joined by Thomas Mason. Born c1852 Queensland, protestant, stockkeeper, reads only; description when aged 15: 5’3¼”, stout build, sallow complexion, light brown hair, hazel eyes, mole under left armpit, large vaccinations marks on left arm, number of small moles between[?] shoulders, large scar under left leg; referred to as ‘cranky’ (peevish, eccentric, odd) in Maitland Ensign in Mar 1867, and as ‘half-witted’ in Tamworth Examiner in May 1867 but in September 1867 reports said that he ‘does not appear to have any trace of insanity about him, as was at one time reported, nor anything in his outward appearance to indicate criminal propensities; list of Mason’s employers in Armidale Express 21 Sep 1867[1]
1867 Feb-Sep See Timeline: 1867
1867 Sep + 4 Sep 1867: Thomas Mason caught by Narrabri police at Old Oreel station near Millie; 8 Sep: arrived at Tamworth; 10 Sep: brought before Police Court and remanded on 5 charges of highway robbery; 17 Sep: committed to stand trial; 29 Oct: pleaded guilty and convicted at Tamworth Quarter Sessions on three charges of armed mail robbery and sentenced to 3 years light labour on each charge to be served concurrently; Oct/Nov: petitioned for mercy; 23 Nov: admitted to Maitland Gaol; 20 Apr 1868: convicted by East Maitland Circuit Court on two charges of armed robbery (against Richard Simpson and Samuel Cook on 25 Feb 1867) and sentenced to three years roads on each charge to be served concurrently; 30 Apr: readmitted to Maitland Gaol; May/Jun: rewards paid to police for Mason’s apprehension; 20 Sep 1870: released from East Maitland Gaol by remission[2]
Sources:
[1] Maitland Gaol - Description Book: Thomas Mason, 1867 & 1868 [SRNSW 5/759 1867 No.187 & 1868 No.218; Reel 2371]; NSW Police Gazette 1870 No.40 (5 Oct 1870) p.271; ME 13 Mar 1867 p.4; Maitland Mercury 28 May 1867 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 25 May); Armidale Express 21 Sep 1867 p4 (from Tamworth Examiner 14 Sep)
[2] NSW Police Gazette 1867 No.37 (11 Sep 1867) p.275, No.38 (18 Sep 1867) p.279, No.46 (13 Nov 1867) p.332, 1868 No.18 (29 Apr 1868) p.133, No.23 (3 Jun 1868) p.171, 1870 No.40 (5 Oct 1870) p.271; Armidale Express 14 Sep 1867 p.2, 28 Sep p.3 (from Tamworth Examiner 21 Sep), 5 Oct p.3 (from Maitland Mercury); Argus 25 Sep 1867 p.7 (from Tamworth Examiner 14 Sep); Maitland Mercury 12 Sep 1867 p.4, 14 Sep p.3, 24 Sep p.3, 5 Nov p.2, 12 Nov p.3(x2); Sydney Morning Herald 1 Nov 1867 p.5, 13 Nov p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner); CSIL: Report of Mason’s capture by Tamworth Police Superintendent Garland [SNRSW 4/646 Item 69/278 68/1624]; MG-EB: Thomas Mason, 1867 & 1868 [SRNSW 5/747 1867 No.579 & 1868 No.218; Reel 2368] & Discharge Book, 1870 [SRNSW 5/789 1870-09-20 No.68/218]; CSIL [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No. 68/1624]; Notebooks of Justice Hargrave: Thomas Mason, 20 Apr 1868 [SRNSW 2/4481 p.1]