Timeline: 1868
This Timeline documents all the information discovered for bushranger Frederick Ward for the year 1868, with associated source-references. Many of the referenced newspapers are now accessible online (see Newspapers Online).
For information about Frederick Ward's accomplice, see William Monckton.
Copyright Carol Baxter 2011
For information about Frederick Ward's accomplice, see William Monckton.
Copyright Carol Baxter 2011
1867 Dec late Reportedly joined by William Simmons: born 1836 Germany, reportedly arrived per Walter Morris (came 1849, 1853, 1854 but no hits yet in indexes), sawyer, 5’6”, dark hair, dark eyes[1]
1867 Dec 24 Store robbed at Ollera station, 14 miles north-west of Guyra[2]
1868 Jan 5 Thunderbolt and a masked man stuck-up Sandy Creek Farm near Ollera[3]
1868 Jan 10/11 Robbery of northern mailman (Mr Wardrop) near Ben Lomond by one man with a black, curly, well-oiled beard however no suggestion made at the time that it was Thunderbolt, only later[4]
1868 Jan 12+ 12 Jan: the masked man, Williams Simmons, arrested by Constables McDonald and Daly for stealing and receiving stolen goods from Ollera; 4 Feb: wife Sarah Simmons and stepdaughter Charlotte Ramage brought up on charges of being in possession of stolen goods from the robbery and stepdaughter said that Simmons and Thunderbolt committed the robbery; 24 Mar: tried at Armidale Quarter Sessions for the store robbery, convicted, and sentenced to ten years’ hard labour on the roads; 6 Apr: tried at Armidale Circuit Court for “robbery under arms” (the Sandy Creek Farm robbery) associated with Thunderbolt and convicted; 8 Apr: sentenced to fifteen years roads; mid-1868: rewards paid for apprehension of one of Thunderbolt’s accomplices; mid-1874: released from Darlinghurst Gaol and sent “to exile”[5]
1868 Jan 13 Walgett-Wee Waa mailman robbed near Bungle Gully station but mailman claimed that the robber was not Thunderbolt as he knew him[6]
1868 Jan 17 Bushranger robbed northern mailman (Mr Wardrop) again near Ben Lomond with mate nearby; again no suggestion until later that it was Thunderbolt[7]
1868 Jan 18 Murrurundi correspondent reported that since mail had been guarded to Tamworth there had been no more depredations from Thunderbolt but a few miles beyond that the mail had been recently robbed with impunity[8]
1868 Jan mid Fred joined by young William Monckton; described by Warwick Times as an “ugly youth with two of his front teeth protruding”[9]
1868 Jan 28 Bushranger (believed to be Thunderbolt) and boy aged about 12 [Monckton] rob northern mailman (William O’Dell) about 8 miles above Tamworth and 7 miles from Moonby around 1.30am; bushranger fired shot in the air to induce the guard to show himself and the boy rode off; bushranger accompanied the coach for some distance and when guard did not show himself, he forced the driver to stop and took all the mailbags with him; he also stole three half-sovereigns from the only passenger, Rev. Mr Sturton; the Armidale Telegraph reported that the mailman said there was a youth with Ward and that as Dorrington the jockey (mail robber of a couple of weeks previously) was short, Thunderbolt’s companion was believed to be Dorrington[10]
1868 Jan 30 Two armed men rob northern mailman (again William O’Dell) six miles south of Bendemeer, one of whom was recognised as being the mail robber of 28 Jan; all the mail bags were again taken as well as £1 note and a gun from one of the two passengers; the Police Gazette reported that the robbers were supposed to be Ward and Kelly (latter identity unknown)[11]
1868 Feb 4 Sarah Simmons and her daughter Charlotte Ramage were brought up on charges of having stolen goods in their possession, goods recognised as being from the Ollera store robbery at Sandy Creek on 25 December; Mrs Ramage signed a statement claiming that her stepfather William Simmons and Thunderbolt were the robbers[12]
1868 Feb 6 Armed man (supposedly Thunderbolt) robbed mailman (Mr Wardrop) near Ben Lomond and took the letters, leaving the newspapers behind; as he had no coat on, it was presumed that his hiding place was not far distant[13]
1868 Feb 13 Report in Empire (taken from Braidwood Dispatch) that Senior Sergeant Byrne was being relocated to Tamworth to help capture Thunderbolt[14]
1868 Feb 13 Report in Armidale that Thunderbolt robbed a shepherd on the Tilbuster station about four miles from town; another report around the same time said that a traveller had been stopped at Tilbuster station and asked to give up what money he had, but the report was not believed to be true[15]
1868 Feb 15 Notice in newspaper ‘To the bushrangers stopping the north mail on Ben Lomond and their associates’ by ‘Sarah’ requesting that bushrangers put back in bag all letters not containing money and hang it on trees so they may be found and posted again[16]
1868 Feb 16 George Gibson robbed of two horses and a saddle at Four Mile Station, McDonald River, near Bendemeer, supposedly by Thunderbolt; later reported to be a different man[17]
1868 Feb 17 A “well-connected” young man named Watt committed a number of robberies on the Great North Road in the vicinity of Doughboy Hollow while claiming to be Thunderbolt but was caught the same day[18]
1868 Feb 19 Letter published in the Empire complaining about the police’s failure to capture Thunderbolt and explaining why[19]
1868 Feb 24 Report from Bundarra correspondent that two horses supposed to be Thunderbolt’s had been brought into the pound from the Abington run[20]
1868 Feb 28 Parcel of cheques found under log in Ben Lomond, presumed to have been left there by Thunderbolt[21]
1868 Feb 29 Poorly-written letter to editor supposedly by German immigrant (seemingly facetious) which remarks, among other things, that “Policemen here very good indeed – they catch three Thunderbolts in one week and put them in the lock-up”[22]
1868 Feb late Rumour scotched of a meeting between Inspector Brown and Thunderbolt[23]
1868 Mar 1 Young Millis came upon Thunderbolt & boy at their camp on his father’s Guyra run; later that day Thunderbolt & boy visited Mr Rae’s Faulkner’s hotel and bought goods[24]
1868 Mar 19 Thunderbolt and the boy [Monckon] robbed the Tenterfield-to-Queensland mail, thirteen miles on the NSW side of Maryland, but found no money[25]
1868 Mar 19 Thunderbolt & Monckton robbed Wirth’s German musicians (three or four men) on the same road near Maryland, stealing about £16 in cash; Wirth complained that it was hard to take money from poor men, and that the sum stolen was from a few days playing; according to the Warwick Times, Thunderbolt replied that “he did not care – if it was his own brother he would take it, but coolly said if the party would give him their names and addresses, he would return the money to them if he succeeded in sticking up some person who had a good sum; reportedly he did give them back 5 shillings at the time; John Wirth evidently exaggerated the story as his son Philip later wrote in his autobiography, The Life of Philip Wirth, that his father was carrying £70 at that time which he intended sending to his mother, that Thunderbolt apologised for taking the money but promised to return it if Wirth called at the Post Office in Warwick as he was passing through town, and that, to his father’s surprise, Thunderbolt kept his word[26]
1868 Mar 19 Thunderbolt & Monckton robbed two travellers of £6[27]
1868 Mar 19 Thunderbolt & Monckton rob Nicholas Hart (ration-carrier of Maryland station) of £105 on the same road near Maryland; on his horse Minstrel, Hart had won the Tenterfield Town Plate with a purse of 70 sovereigns the day previously; Hart complained that he was a poor man and the horse had won him the money; Thunderbolt returned £5 of the money [28]
1868 Mar 20 Thunderbolt & Monckton robbed Messrs Smith and Pery, the Merry Go Round proprietors, at the Bluff[29]
1868 Mar 21 Thunderbolt & Monckton stole two horses from Deepwater station leaving two others in their place; took Deepwater horses to the neighbouring station, Ranger’s Valley, to be shod; posse including J McMaster, Manager of Ranger’s Valley, set out after them with a black tracker but lose their trail[30]
1868 Apr 13 Muswellbrook correspondent wrote that a young shepherd living at St Helier’s found a bundle of cheques worth £300; presumed to be cheques planted by Thunderbolt[31]
1868 Apr 15 Rumour that Thunderbolt in Armidale created great excitement but proved false[32]
1868 Apr 17 Report that Thunderbolt seen at Goonoo Goonoo near Tamworth; Police Magistrate, Mr Irving, suffered injury while searching for him[33]
1868 May 6 Thunderbolt & Monckton stole two horse at Abington station belonging to Inspector Brown who had stopped at the station for the night; two knocked up horses left in their place[34]
1868 May Report that Thunderbolt going to stick-up Owen’s Inn at Carlisle Gully near Bendemeer; police went there about midnight and hid themselves for a week without success; Thunderbolt later spent the night there, only revealing his identity the next morning[35]
1868 May 17 Thunderbolt reportedly seen at a station near Tamworth looking for a horse[36]
1868 May late Dorrington, remanded on charges of criminally assaulting a young girl, tells police that Thunderbolt had wanted Dorrington to join him, but that he (Dorrington) had declined[37]
1868 May c20 Report that Thunderbolt seen near Falconer riding one of Inspector Brown’s horses, and had the boy in his company[38]
1868 Jun 10 Rumour that Thunderbolt at Roma races proves false[39]
1868 Jun 18 Armidale & Tenterfield mailman stopped at the Bluff, New Tenterfield by Thunderbolt and the boy, and robbed[40]
1868 Jun 25 Thunderbolt on his own robbed two Chinese men near Bingara[41]
1868 Jun 27 Editorial regarding Thunderbolt, the police and rewards[42]
1868 mid-year Report that Ballarat miner walking from the diggings at Gympie, Queensland, back to Ballarat (1700 miles) met Thunderbolt (who was on foot) during the journey but both were armed and nothing came of it; miner reached Ballarat again in October 1868[43]
1868 Jul early Thunderbolt reported still to be in the Tenterfield district[44]
1868 Jul 19 Thunderbolt and mate reportedly slept the night at Mr Ewen’s inn, Carlyle’s Gully (near Uralla), and paid their expenses[45]
1868 Jul 21 Thunderbolt & youth robbed Mrs Jackson’s store at Maitland Point at the Rocky River Diggings; Mr Weston was in the house at the time and was the person actually robbed which led to reports that Mr Weston’s store was robbed[46]
1868 Jul late Report that Muswellbrook police have good horses which would help in catching Thunderbolt[47]
1868 Aug 1 Report that Thunderbolt had stolen a horse from Paradise Creek station; soon after he stuck up an outstation at Moredun, then robbed a Chinese man, then stole two horses from Moredun but the residents managed to get them back[48]
1868 Aug early Thunderbolt seen in vicinity of Glen Innes and police pursue him[49]
1868 Aug mid On Friday night (13? Aug) boy spotted on back of mail coach as it neared Carlyle Gully; he had unbuckled most of the straps but escaped in the darkness; believed to be Monckton[50]
1868 Aug 15 John Moore claimed to be Thunderbolt when he robbed a man near Scone; apprehended and charged[51]
1868 Aug 20 Son Frederick Wordsworth born at Carroll near Tamworth to Mary Ann Baker of Carroll, aged 29 years; birth registered on 16 Sep 1868 at Tamworth by Mary Ann Baker; baptised as Frederick Wordsworth, son of Frederick Wordsworth and Mary Ann Ward of Carroll, on 29 Aug 1868 in Wesleyan-Methodist ceremony, Tamworth circuit (at which time birth-date noted as 26 Aug 1868; NB. as the numbers ‘6’ and ‘0’ are easily mistaken, it is likely that the child’s birth day listed on either the baptism entry or the birth-certificate was a mistaken transcription of an original handwritten reference); never married according to death certificate; died 21 Jun 1937 at Moree (parents listed as John Burrows, miner, and Mary Ann Boggs); informant brother A Burrows of Scarborough[52]
1868 Sep 7 Thunderbolt and Monckton robbed hut of Ah Moor, Chinaman, at Grove Station near Bundarra (one report said Manalla), stealing 40 £1 notes, two sovereigns and some opium[53]
1868 Sep 29 Angledool station (near Goodooga) stuck up by two men, one calling himself Thunderbolt; NB. Almost certainly Curriwillinghi bushrangers – see 6 Oct 1868[54]
1868 Oct 2 Two armed men came down from the Moonby Ranges and stuck-up some stores in the village of Moonby (near Tamworth); one 35-ish, one 40-ish, no suggestion that one was Thunderbolt; suggestion that these were same men as the Curriwillinghi robbers (see 6 Oct) but this almost certainly incorrect; man named Bellinger arrested a couple of weeks later[55]
1868 Oct 6 Affray with police near Curriwillinghi (near Goodoga) involving two men, one believed to be Thunderbolt (but called by his companion “Frank” and later proved to be Frank Pearson alias Dr Pearson alias Captain Starlight) and the other Charles Rutherford (alias William Bedford, etc); Rutherford shot Senior Constable McCabe who eventually died from his injuries; the pair separated early in Dec 1868; Pearson was captured by Bourke police late Dec 1868, tried at the Bathurst Circuit Court on 26 Apr 1869 and sentenced to death although sentence later commuted to life imprisonment; Rutherford continued to commit crimes until 5 Sep 1869 when he accidentally shot himself during a hold up and died the following day[56]
1868 Oct mid A man named Bellinger, supposed to be one of Thunderbolt’s gang, captured near Bendemeer[57]
1868 Oct 14 Thunderbolt & Monckton stuck up Mr Maund’s store at Wellingrove[58]
1868 Oct/Nov Report that Thunderbolt visited Wilcannia during races there and robbing Mr Collins; later report said Mr Collins knew nothing about it and intimated that the whole claim was incorrect (which is likely as no other references suggest that Thunderbolt travelled as far west[59]
1868 Nov 2 Horse stolen from Jacob Muller, Toowoomba carrier, near Whetstone station on the McIntyre River near Yetman, supposedly by Thunderbolt[60]
1868 Nov 13 Thunderbolt reportedly robbed the northern mail travelling between Yetman on the McIntyre and Goondiwindi in Queensland; later report said it wasn’t Thunderbolt[61]
1868 Dec 2 Thunderbolt robbed Chinamen at Oban diggings; one report said the boy was with him, another that he wasn’t; this is the last reference to Thunderbolt and Monckton together[62]
1868 Dec Late November or early December 1868 Monckton left Thunderbolt; Monckton stated that he left Ward about 5 weeks prior to his apprehension on 6 January 1869[63]
1868 Dec 18 Thunderbolt robs northern mailman (Bowden) between Bingara and Warialda, some four miles from Bingara[64]
? FW mentions to a man he had just stuck up that he used to live with a gentleman squatter and that in one season they had run in and branded 700 head of cattle which they all knew to be “nuggets”[65]
1868 Dec 24 Reward for apprehension of Frederick Ward raised to £400 after request by Inspector General of Police dated 1 Dec[66]
1868 Dec 30 Letter sent by Colonial Secretary, Sydney, to Colonial Secretary, Brisbane, requesting their co-operation with a view to capturing Thunderbolt; reply 6 Jan 1869[67]
1869 Jan 6 Thunderbolt’s mate, William Monckton, captured at Wellingrove and lodged in the Glen Innes lock-up[68]
Sources:
[1] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.1 (1 Jan 1868) p.3, No.8 (19 Feb 1868) p.59, No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.102, No.17 (22 Apr 1868) p.126, 1874 No.25 (24 Jun 1874); CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under Secretary, 22 Jul 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/3914]
[2] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.1 (1 Jan 1868) p.3, No.8 (19 Feb 1868) p.59, No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.102, No.17 (22 Apr 1868) p.126, 1874 No.25 (24 Jun 1874); CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under Secretary, 22 Jul 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/3914]; “Reminiscences of Mrs Susan Bundarra Young (formerly Mrs James Buchanan) of Bundarra” in Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society Vol.8 (1923) pp.394-407; Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.2, 8 Feb p.2, 11 Apr p.2 (trials of Simmonds etc.); constables responsible for Simmond’s apprehension receive reward Armidale Express 5 Sep 1868 p.2
[3] Empire 17 Jan 1868 p.2 (from Armidale Telegraph 11 Jan); Maitland Mercury 14 Jan 1868 p.3; NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.1 (1 Jan 1868) p.3, No.8 (19 Feb 1868) p.59, No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.102, No.17 (22 Apr 1868) p.126, 1874 No.25 (24 Jun 1874); CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under Secretary, 22 Jul 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/3914]; “Reminiscences of Mrs Susan Bundarra Young (formerly Mrs James Buchanan) of Bundarra” in Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society Vol.8 (1923) pp.394-407; Williams, A Ghost called Thunderbolt, pp.106-9
[4] Armidale Express 8 Feb 1868 p.3; Maitland Mercury 21 Jan 1868 p.2, 25 Jan 1868 p.4, 11 Feb 1868 p.2 (from Armidale Telegraph 8 Feb)
[5] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.1 (1 Jan 1868) p.3, No.8 (19 Feb 1868) p.59, No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.102, No.17 (22 Apr 1868) p.126, 1874 No.25 (24 Jun 1874); CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under Secretary, 22 Jul 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/3914]; “Reminiscences of Mrs Susan Bundarra Young (formerly Mrs James Buchanan) of Bundarra” in Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society Vol.8 (1923) pp.394-407; Williams, A Ghost called Thunderbolt, pp.106-9
[6] Maitland Mercury 21 Jan 1868 p.2
[7] Armidale Express 8 Feb 1868 p.3; Maitland Mercury 21 Jan 1868 p.2, 25 Jan 1868 p.4, 11 Feb 1868 p.2 (from Armidale Telegraph 8 Feb)
[8] Maitland Mercury 21 Jan 1868 p.3
[9] Brisbane Courier 25 Mar 1868 p.2 (from Warwick Times 21 Mar 1868)
[10] Maitland Mercury 4 Feb 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Express 1 Feb 1868 – article p.2 damaged); Empire 6 Feb 1868 (from Armidale Telegraph)
[11] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.6 (5 Feb 1868) p.38; Maitland Mercury 4 Feb 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Express 1 Feb 1868 – article p.2 damaged); Empire 6 Feb 1868 p.3
[12] Armidale Express 8 Feb 1868 p.2
[13] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.7 (12 Feb 1868) p.46; Brisbane Courier 8 Feb 1868 p.4; Armidale Express 8 Feb 1868 p.2; Maitland Mercury 8 Feb 1868 p.5, 11 Feb 1868 p.2 (from Armidale Telegraph 8 Feb)
[14] Empire 13 Feb 1868 p.3 (from Braidwood Dispatch)
[15] Maitland Mercury 18 Feb 1868 p.3 (x2)
[16] Armidale Express 15 Feb 1868 p.2
[17] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.9 (26 Feb 1868) p.62; Maitland Mercury 27 Feb 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 22 Feb)
[18] Empire 12 Mar 1868 p.2
[19] Empire 19 Feb 1868 p.3
[20] Maitland Mercury 7 Mar 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Express 29 Feb 1868)
[21] Empire 2 Mar 1868 p.3
[22] Maitland Mercury 29 Feb 1868 p.3
[23] Armidale Express 29 Feb 1868 p.2
[24] Empire 11 Mar 1868 p.2, 13 Mar p.3; Maitland Mercury 12 Mar 1868 p.3 (from Armidale papers)
[25] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.13 (25 Mar 1868) p.92; Brisbane Courier 21 Mar 1868 p.4, 25 Mar p.2 (from Warwick Times 21 Mar); Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.3
[26] Brisbane Courier 21 Mar 1868 p.4, 25 Mar 1868 p.2 (from Warwick Times 21 Mar); Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.3; Monckton Three Years with Thunderbolt, Chapter VII; Wirth, Philip The Life of Philip Wirth, Coogee (NSW), c1935
[27] Clarence & Richmond Examiner 31 Mar 1868 p.3 (from their own Tenterfield correspondent)
[28] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.100; Brisbane Courier 21 Mar 1868 p.4, 25 Mar 1868 p.2 (from Warwick Times 21 Mar); Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.3
[29] Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.3
[30] CSIL: Re Frederick Ward at Deepwater [SRNSW 4/624 No.68/2145]; Clarence & Richmond Examiner 31 Mar 1868 p.3
[31] Maitland Mercury 18 Apr 1868 p.6
[32] Brisbane Courier 11 May 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Telegraph)
[33] Armidale Express 2 May 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 25 Apr); Sydney Morning Herald 12 May 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner)
[34] Maitland Mercury 12 May 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Express 9 May)
[35] CSIL: Re Thunderbolt’s expected visit at inn at Carlisle Gully near Bendemeer [SRNSW ref: 4/649 No. 69/1193]; see also William Monckton’s Three Years with Thunderbolt, Chapter 9
[36] Sydney Morning Herald 20 May 1868 p.5 (from Newcastle Chronicle)
[37] Armidale Express 6 Jun 1868 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 29 May)
[38] Maitland Mercury 30 May 1868 p.2
[39] Brisbane Courier 19 Jun 1868 p.3
[40] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.26 (24 Jun 1868) p.190; Brisbane Courier 19 Jun 1868 p.2; Argus 19 Jun 1868 p.5; Armidale Express 4 Jul 1868 p.4
[41] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.27 (1 Jul 1868) p.196; Armidale Express 11 Jul 1868 p.3 (from Tamworth Examiner 4 Jul); Sydney Morning Herald 8 Jul 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner); Empire 15 Jul 1868 p.3
[42] Armidale Express 27 Jun 1868 p.2
[43] Hobart Mercury 20 Oct 1868 p.3
[44] Clarence & Richmond Examiner 14 Jul 1868 p.2
[45] Maitland Mercury 25 Jul 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 25 Jul); Armidale Express 1 Aug 1868 p.3
[46] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.31 (29 Jul 1868) p.224; Armidale Express 25 Jul 1868 p.2; Empire 1 Aug 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Telegraph); Maitland Mercury 28 Jul 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 25 Jul); Empire 1 Aug 1868 p.3
[47] Maitland Mercury 30 Jul 1868 p.4
[48] Maitland Mercury 6 Aug 1868 p.4, 13 Aug 1868 p.3 (from Armidale papers, 1 Aug)
[49] Empire 12 Aug 1868 p.3
[50] Maitland Mercury 27 Aug 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Telegraph 22 Aug)
[51] Maitland Mercury 29 Aug 1868 p.6
[52] Birth Certificate: Frederick Wordsworth Baker [RBDM 1868/0016881]; Baptism: Frederick Wordsworth Ward [SRNSW 5/4036 Part 51, p.13; Reel 4519]; Death Certificate: Frederick Wordsworth Burrows [RBDM 1937//0016011]
[53] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.38 (16 Sep 1868) p.272; Sydney Morning Herald 9 Sep 1868 p.9, 14 Sep 1868 p.5; Maitland Mercury 15 Sep 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 12 Sep)
[54] Armidale Express 17 Oct 1868 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 10 Oct)
[55] Brisbane Courier 20 Oct 1868 p.2, 4 Nov 1868 p.6 (from Tamworth Examiner 3 Oct 1868); Sydney Morning Herald 15 Oct 1868 p.5, 19 Oct 1868 p.5; Armidale Express 17 Oct 1868 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 10 Oct)
[56] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.21 (20 May 1868) p.154, No.43 (21 Oct 1868) p.312, No.49 (2 Dec 1868) p.350, 1869 No.1 (6 Jan 1869) pp.2 & 6, No.2 (13 Jan 1869) p.8, No.19 (12 May 1869) p.145, No.38 (15 Sep 1869) p.295 (plus numerous additional references to crimes committed by one or both within this period); Brisbane Courier 20 Oct 1868 p2., 24 Oct 1868 p.6 (from Dubbo Dispatch), 27 Oct 1868 p.3, 4 Nov 1868 p.2, 2 Dec 1868 p.2; Hobart Mercury 31 Oct 1868 p.4 (from Maitland Mercury), 11 Nov 1868 p.3; Argus 19 Nov 1868 p.7 (from Sydney Morning Herald 12 Nov 1868); CSIL: Senior Sergeant Andrew Cleary to Supt of Police, Bathurst [SRNSW 4/649 No.69/938]; see Online Newspapers for further information
[57] Brisbane Courier 16 Oct 1868 p.2
[58] Armidale Express 24 Oct 1868 p.4; Sydney Morning Herald 29 Oct 1868 p.5; Clerk of Peace depositions – Armidale Circuit: R. vs Monckton [SRNSW 9/6522 No.174/8]; Monckton Three Years with Thunderbolt, Chapter VII
[59] Empire 19 Nov 1868 p.3; Argus 17 Nov 1868 p.5
[60] QLD PG Vol. V No.12 (2 Dec 1868) p.94; Maitland Mercury 19 Nov 1868 p.4
[61] Argus 28 Nov 1868 p.5; Sydney Morning Herald 25 Nov 1868 p.5 (from Tamworth Examiner); Maitland Mercury 26 Nov 1868 p.4; Empire 14 Dec 1868 p.3
[62] Armidale Express 12 Dec 1868 p.2; Hobart Mercury 18 Dec 1868 p.2; Sydney Morning Herald 23 Dec 1868 p.4
[63] Clerk of Peace depositions – Armidale Circuit: R vs Monckton [SRNSW 9/6522 No.174/8]
[64] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.52 (23 Dec 1868) p.370; CSIL: Telegram from Supt Garland, Tamworth, to Inspector General of Police, 21 Dec 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278]; Empire 30 Dec 1868 p.2 & Maitland Mercury 29 Dec 1868 p.3 (both from Tamworth Examiner 26 Dec); Sydney Morning Herald 30 Dec 1868 p.5
[65] Argus 19 Nov 1868 p.5
[66] CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under-Secretary, 1 Dec 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/6742]; NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.53 (30 Dec 1868) p.376; Maitland Mercury 29 Dec 1868 p.3; NSW Government Gazette 1868 p.4617
[67] CSIL: Re co-operation of Queensland authorities with a view to capturing Thunderbolt [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 Nos.68/6742 & 69/278]; NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.53 (30 Dec 1868) p.376; Argus 8 Jan 1869 p.5
[68] SMH 8 Jan 1869 p.5, 13 Jan 1869 p.4; Maitland Mercury 9 Jan 1869 p.2
1867 Dec 24 Store robbed at Ollera station, 14 miles north-west of Guyra[2]
1868 Jan 5 Thunderbolt and a masked man stuck-up Sandy Creek Farm near Ollera[3]
1868 Jan 10/11 Robbery of northern mailman (Mr Wardrop) near Ben Lomond by one man with a black, curly, well-oiled beard however no suggestion made at the time that it was Thunderbolt, only later[4]
1868 Jan 12+ 12 Jan: the masked man, Williams Simmons, arrested by Constables McDonald and Daly for stealing and receiving stolen goods from Ollera; 4 Feb: wife Sarah Simmons and stepdaughter Charlotte Ramage brought up on charges of being in possession of stolen goods from the robbery and stepdaughter said that Simmons and Thunderbolt committed the robbery; 24 Mar: tried at Armidale Quarter Sessions for the store robbery, convicted, and sentenced to ten years’ hard labour on the roads; 6 Apr: tried at Armidale Circuit Court for “robbery under arms” (the Sandy Creek Farm robbery) associated with Thunderbolt and convicted; 8 Apr: sentenced to fifteen years roads; mid-1868: rewards paid for apprehension of one of Thunderbolt’s accomplices; mid-1874: released from Darlinghurst Gaol and sent “to exile”[5]
1868 Jan 13 Walgett-Wee Waa mailman robbed near Bungle Gully station but mailman claimed that the robber was not Thunderbolt as he knew him[6]
1868 Jan 17 Bushranger robbed northern mailman (Mr Wardrop) again near Ben Lomond with mate nearby; again no suggestion until later that it was Thunderbolt[7]
1868 Jan 18 Murrurundi correspondent reported that since mail had been guarded to Tamworth there had been no more depredations from Thunderbolt but a few miles beyond that the mail had been recently robbed with impunity[8]
1868 Jan mid Fred joined by young William Monckton; described by Warwick Times as an “ugly youth with two of his front teeth protruding”[9]
1868 Jan 28 Bushranger (believed to be Thunderbolt) and boy aged about 12 [Monckton] rob northern mailman (William O’Dell) about 8 miles above Tamworth and 7 miles from Moonby around 1.30am; bushranger fired shot in the air to induce the guard to show himself and the boy rode off; bushranger accompanied the coach for some distance and when guard did not show himself, he forced the driver to stop and took all the mailbags with him; he also stole three half-sovereigns from the only passenger, Rev. Mr Sturton; the Armidale Telegraph reported that the mailman said there was a youth with Ward and that as Dorrington the jockey (mail robber of a couple of weeks previously) was short, Thunderbolt’s companion was believed to be Dorrington[10]
1868 Jan 30 Two armed men rob northern mailman (again William O’Dell) six miles south of Bendemeer, one of whom was recognised as being the mail robber of 28 Jan; all the mail bags were again taken as well as £1 note and a gun from one of the two passengers; the Police Gazette reported that the robbers were supposed to be Ward and Kelly (latter identity unknown)[11]
1868 Feb 4 Sarah Simmons and her daughter Charlotte Ramage were brought up on charges of having stolen goods in their possession, goods recognised as being from the Ollera store robbery at Sandy Creek on 25 December; Mrs Ramage signed a statement claiming that her stepfather William Simmons and Thunderbolt were the robbers[12]
1868 Feb 6 Armed man (supposedly Thunderbolt) robbed mailman (Mr Wardrop) near Ben Lomond and took the letters, leaving the newspapers behind; as he had no coat on, it was presumed that his hiding place was not far distant[13]
1868 Feb 13 Report in Empire (taken from Braidwood Dispatch) that Senior Sergeant Byrne was being relocated to Tamworth to help capture Thunderbolt[14]
1868 Feb 13 Report in Armidale that Thunderbolt robbed a shepherd on the Tilbuster station about four miles from town; another report around the same time said that a traveller had been stopped at Tilbuster station and asked to give up what money he had, but the report was not believed to be true[15]
1868 Feb 15 Notice in newspaper ‘To the bushrangers stopping the north mail on Ben Lomond and their associates’ by ‘Sarah’ requesting that bushrangers put back in bag all letters not containing money and hang it on trees so they may be found and posted again[16]
1868 Feb 16 George Gibson robbed of two horses and a saddle at Four Mile Station, McDonald River, near Bendemeer, supposedly by Thunderbolt; later reported to be a different man[17]
1868 Feb 17 A “well-connected” young man named Watt committed a number of robberies on the Great North Road in the vicinity of Doughboy Hollow while claiming to be Thunderbolt but was caught the same day[18]
1868 Feb 19 Letter published in the Empire complaining about the police’s failure to capture Thunderbolt and explaining why[19]
1868 Feb 24 Report from Bundarra correspondent that two horses supposed to be Thunderbolt’s had been brought into the pound from the Abington run[20]
1868 Feb 28 Parcel of cheques found under log in Ben Lomond, presumed to have been left there by Thunderbolt[21]
1868 Feb 29 Poorly-written letter to editor supposedly by German immigrant (seemingly facetious) which remarks, among other things, that “Policemen here very good indeed – they catch three Thunderbolts in one week and put them in the lock-up”[22]
1868 Feb late Rumour scotched of a meeting between Inspector Brown and Thunderbolt[23]
1868 Mar 1 Young Millis came upon Thunderbolt & boy at their camp on his father’s Guyra run; later that day Thunderbolt & boy visited Mr Rae’s Faulkner’s hotel and bought goods[24]
1868 Mar 19 Thunderbolt and the boy [Monckon] robbed the Tenterfield-to-Queensland mail, thirteen miles on the NSW side of Maryland, but found no money[25]
1868 Mar 19 Thunderbolt & Monckton robbed Wirth’s German musicians (three or four men) on the same road near Maryland, stealing about £16 in cash; Wirth complained that it was hard to take money from poor men, and that the sum stolen was from a few days playing; according to the Warwick Times, Thunderbolt replied that “he did not care – if it was his own brother he would take it, but coolly said if the party would give him their names and addresses, he would return the money to them if he succeeded in sticking up some person who had a good sum; reportedly he did give them back 5 shillings at the time; John Wirth evidently exaggerated the story as his son Philip later wrote in his autobiography, The Life of Philip Wirth, that his father was carrying £70 at that time which he intended sending to his mother, that Thunderbolt apologised for taking the money but promised to return it if Wirth called at the Post Office in Warwick as he was passing through town, and that, to his father’s surprise, Thunderbolt kept his word[26]
1868 Mar 19 Thunderbolt & Monckton robbed two travellers of £6[27]
1868 Mar 19 Thunderbolt & Monckton rob Nicholas Hart (ration-carrier of Maryland station) of £105 on the same road near Maryland; on his horse Minstrel, Hart had won the Tenterfield Town Plate with a purse of 70 sovereigns the day previously; Hart complained that he was a poor man and the horse had won him the money; Thunderbolt returned £5 of the money [28]
1868 Mar 20 Thunderbolt & Monckton robbed Messrs Smith and Pery, the Merry Go Round proprietors, at the Bluff[29]
1868 Mar 21 Thunderbolt & Monckton stole two horses from Deepwater station leaving two others in their place; took Deepwater horses to the neighbouring station, Ranger’s Valley, to be shod; posse including J McMaster, Manager of Ranger’s Valley, set out after them with a black tracker but lose their trail[30]
1868 Apr 13 Muswellbrook correspondent wrote that a young shepherd living at St Helier’s found a bundle of cheques worth £300; presumed to be cheques planted by Thunderbolt[31]
1868 Apr 15 Rumour that Thunderbolt in Armidale created great excitement but proved false[32]
1868 Apr 17 Report that Thunderbolt seen at Goonoo Goonoo near Tamworth; Police Magistrate, Mr Irving, suffered injury while searching for him[33]
1868 May 6 Thunderbolt & Monckton stole two horse at Abington station belonging to Inspector Brown who had stopped at the station for the night; two knocked up horses left in their place[34]
1868 May Report that Thunderbolt going to stick-up Owen’s Inn at Carlisle Gully near Bendemeer; police went there about midnight and hid themselves for a week without success; Thunderbolt later spent the night there, only revealing his identity the next morning[35]
1868 May 17 Thunderbolt reportedly seen at a station near Tamworth looking for a horse[36]
1868 May late Dorrington, remanded on charges of criminally assaulting a young girl, tells police that Thunderbolt had wanted Dorrington to join him, but that he (Dorrington) had declined[37]
1868 May c20 Report that Thunderbolt seen near Falconer riding one of Inspector Brown’s horses, and had the boy in his company[38]
1868 Jun 10 Rumour that Thunderbolt at Roma races proves false[39]
1868 Jun 18 Armidale & Tenterfield mailman stopped at the Bluff, New Tenterfield by Thunderbolt and the boy, and robbed[40]
1868 Jun 25 Thunderbolt on his own robbed two Chinese men near Bingara[41]
1868 Jun 27 Editorial regarding Thunderbolt, the police and rewards[42]
1868 mid-year Report that Ballarat miner walking from the diggings at Gympie, Queensland, back to Ballarat (1700 miles) met Thunderbolt (who was on foot) during the journey but both were armed and nothing came of it; miner reached Ballarat again in October 1868[43]
1868 Jul early Thunderbolt reported still to be in the Tenterfield district[44]
1868 Jul 19 Thunderbolt and mate reportedly slept the night at Mr Ewen’s inn, Carlyle’s Gully (near Uralla), and paid their expenses[45]
1868 Jul 21 Thunderbolt & youth robbed Mrs Jackson’s store at Maitland Point at the Rocky River Diggings; Mr Weston was in the house at the time and was the person actually robbed which led to reports that Mr Weston’s store was robbed[46]
1868 Jul late Report that Muswellbrook police have good horses which would help in catching Thunderbolt[47]
1868 Aug 1 Report that Thunderbolt had stolen a horse from Paradise Creek station; soon after he stuck up an outstation at Moredun, then robbed a Chinese man, then stole two horses from Moredun but the residents managed to get them back[48]
1868 Aug early Thunderbolt seen in vicinity of Glen Innes and police pursue him[49]
1868 Aug mid On Friday night (13? Aug) boy spotted on back of mail coach as it neared Carlyle Gully; he had unbuckled most of the straps but escaped in the darkness; believed to be Monckton[50]
1868 Aug 15 John Moore claimed to be Thunderbolt when he robbed a man near Scone; apprehended and charged[51]
1868 Aug 20 Son Frederick Wordsworth born at Carroll near Tamworth to Mary Ann Baker of Carroll, aged 29 years; birth registered on 16 Sep 1868 at Tamworth by Mary Ann Baker; baptised as Frederick Wordsworth, son of Frederick Wordsworth and Mary Ann Ward of Carroll, on 29 Aug 1868 in Wesleyan-Methodist ceremony, Tamworth circuit (at which time birth-date noted as 26 Aug 1868; NB. as the numbers ‘6’ and ‘0’ are easily mistaken, it is likely that the child’s birth day listed on either the baptism entry or the birth-certificate was a mistaken transcription of an original handwritten reference); never married according to death certificate; died 21 Jun 1937 at Moree (parents listed as John Burrows, miner, and Mary Ann Boggs); informant brother A Burrows of Scarborough[52]
1868 Sep 7 Thunderbolt and Monckton robbed hut of Ah Moor, Chinaman, at Grove Station near Bundarra (one report said Manalla), stealing 40 £1 notes, two sovereigns and some opium[53]
1868 Sep 29 Angledool station (near Goodooga) stuck up by two men, one calling himself Thunderbolt; NB. Almost certainly Curriwillinghi bushrangers – see 6 Oct 1868[54]
1868 Oct 2 Two armed men came down from the Moonby Ranges and stuck-up some stores in the village of Moonby (near Tamworth); one 35-ish, one 40-ish, no suggestion that one was Thunderbolt; suggestion that these were same men as the Curriwillinghi robbers (see 6 Oct) but this almost certainly incorrect; man named Bellinger arrested a couple of weeks later[55]
1868 Oct 6 Affray with police near Curriwillinghi (near Goodoga) involving two men, one believed to be Thunderbolt (but called by his companion “Frank” and later proved to be Frank Pearson alias Dr Pearson alias Captain Starlight) and the other Charles Rutherford (alias William Bedford, etc); Rutherford shot Senior Constable McCabe who eventually died from his injuries; the pair separated early in Dec 1868; Pearson was captured by Bourke police late Dec 1868, tried at the Bathurst Circuit Court on 26 Apr 1869 and sentenced to death although sentence later commuted to life imprisonment; Rutherford continued to commit crimes until 5 Sep 1869 when he accidentally shot himself during a hold up and died the following day[56]
1868 Oct mid A man named Bellinger, supposed to be one of Thunderbolt’s gang, captured near Bendemeer[57]
1868 Oct 14 Thunderbolt & Monckton stuck up Mr Maund’s store at Wellingrove[58]
1868 Oct/Nov Report that Thunderbolt visited Wilcannia during races there and robbing Mr Collins; later report said Mr Collins knew nothing about it and intimated that the whole claim was incorrect (which is likely as no other references suggest that Thunderbolt travelled as far west[59]
1868 Nov 2 Horse stolen from Jacob Muller, Toowoomba carrier, near Whetstone station on the McIntyre River near Yetman, supposedly by Thunderbolt[60]
1868 Nov 13 Thunderbolt reportedly robbed the northern mail travelling between Yetman on the McIntyre and Goondiwindi in Queensland; later report said it wasn’t Thunderbolt[61]
1868 Dec 2 Thunderbolt robbed Chinamen at Oban diggings; one report said the boy was with him, another that he wasn’t; this is the last reference to Thunderbolt and Monckton together[62]
1868 Dec Late November or early December 1868 Monckton left Thunderbolt; Monckton stated that he left Ward about 5 weeks prior to his apprehension on 6 January 1869[63]
1868 Dec 18 Thunderbolt robs northern mailman (Bowden) between Bingara and Warialda, some four miles from Bingara[64]
? FW mentions to a man he had just stuck up that he used to live with a gentleman squatter and that in one season they had run in and branded 700 head of cattle which they all knew to be “nuggets”[65]
1868 Dec 24 Reward for apprehension of Frederick Ward raised to £400 after request by Inspector General of Police dated 1 Dec[66]
1868 Dec 30 Letter sent by Colonial Secretary, Sydney, to Colonial Secretary, Brisbane, requesting their co-operation with a view to capturing Thunderbolt; reply 6 Jan 1869[67]
1869 Jan 6 Thunderbolt’s mate, William Monckton, captured at Wellingrove and lodged in the Glen Innes lock-up[68]
Sources:
[1] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.1 (1 Jan 1868) p.3, No.8 (19 Feb 1868) p.59, No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.102, No.17 (22 Apr 1868) p.126, 1874 No.25 (24 Jun 1874); CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under Secretary, 22 Jul 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/3914]
[2] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.1 (1 Jan 1868) p.3, No.8 (19 Feb 1868) p.59, No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.102, No.17 (22 Apr 1868) p.126, 1874 No.25 (24 Jun 1874); CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under Secretary, 22 Jul 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/3914]; “Reminiscences of Mrs Susan Bundarra Young (formerly Mrs James Buchanan) of Bundarra” in Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society Vol.8 (1923) pp.394-407; Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.2, 8 Feb p.2, 11 Apr p.2 (trials of Simmonds etc.); constables responsible for Simmond’s apprehension receive reward Armidale Express 5 Sep 1868 p.2
[3] Empire 17 Jan 1868 p.2 (from Armidale Telegraph 11 Jan); Maitland Mercury 14 Jan 1868 p.3; NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.1 (1 Jan 1868) p.3, No.8 (19 Feb 1868) p.59, No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.102, No.17 (22 Apr 1868) p.126, 1874 No.25 (24 Jun 1874); CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under Secretary, 22 Jul 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/3914]; “Reminiscences of Mrs Susan Bundarra Young (formerly Mrs James Buchanan) of Bundarra” in Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society Vol.8 (1923) pp.394-407; Williams, A Ghost called Thunderbolt, pp.106-9
[4] Armidale Express 8 Feb 1868 p.3; Maitland Mercury 21 Jan 1868 p.2, 25 Jan 1868 p.4, 11 Feb 1868 p.2 (from Armidale Telegraph 8 Feb)
[5] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.1 (1 Jan 1868) p.3, No.8 (19 Feb 1868) p.59, No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.102, No.17 (22 Apr 1868) p.126, 1874 No.25 (24 Jun 1874); CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under Secretary, 22 Jul 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/3914]; “Reminiscences of Mrs Susan Bundarra Young (formerly Mrs James Buchanan) of Bundarra” in Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society Vol.8 (1923) pp.394-407; Williams, A Ghost called Thunderbolt, pp.106-9
[6] Maitland Mercury 21 Jan 1868 p.2
[7] Armidale Express 8 Feb 1868 p.3; Maitland Mercury 21 Jan 1868 p.2, 25 Jan 1868 p.4, 11 Feb 1868 p.2 (from Armidale Telegraph 8 Feb)
[8] Maitland Mercury 21 Jan 1868 p.3
[9] Brisbane Courier 25 Mar 1868 p.2 (from Warwick Times 21 Mar 1868)
[10] Maitland Mercury 4 Feb 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Express 1 Feb 1868 – article p.2 damaged); Empire 6 Feb 1868 (from Armidale Telegraph)
[11] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.6 (5 Feb 1868) p.38; Maitland Mercury 4 Feb 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Express 1 Feb 1868 – article p.2 damaged); Empire 6 Feb 1868 p.3
[12] Armidale Express 8 Feb 1868 p.2
[13] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.7 (12 Feb 1868) p.46; Brisbane Courier 8 Feb 1868 p.4; Armidale Express 8 Feb 1868 p.2; Maitland Mercury 8 Feb 1868 p.5, 11 Feb 1868 p.2 (from Armidale Telegraph 8 Feb)
[14] Empire 13 Feb 1868 p.3 (from Braidwood Dispatch)
[15] Maitland Mercury 18 Feb 1868 p.3 (x2)
[16] Armidale Express 15 Feb 1868 p.2
[17] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.9 (26 Feb 1868) p.62; Maitland Mercury 27 Feb 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 22 Feb)
[18] Empire 12 Mar 1868 p.2
[19] Empire 19 Feb 1868 p.3
[20] Maitland Mercury 7 Mar 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Express 29 Feb 1868)
[21] Empire 2 Mar 1868 p.3
[22] Maitland Mercury 29 Feb 1868 p.3
[23] Armidale Express 29 Feb 1868 p.2
[24] Empire 11 Mar 1868 p.2, 13 Mar p.3; Maitland Mercury 12 Mar 1868 p.3 (from Armidale papers)
[25] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.13 (25 Mar 1868) p.92; Brisbane Courier 21 Mar 1868 p.4, 25 Mar p.2 (from Warwick Times 21 Mar); Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.3
[26] Brisbane Courier 21 Mar 1868 p.4, 25 Mar 1868 p.2 (from Warwick Times 21 Mar); Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.3; Monckton Three Years with Thunderbolt, Chapter VII; Wirth, Philip The Life of Philip Wirth, Coogee (NSW), c1935
[27] Clarence & Richmond Examiner 31 Mar 1868 p.3 (from their own Tenterfield correspondent)
[28] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.14 (1 Apr 1868) p.100; Brisbane Courier 21 Mar 1868 p.4, 25 Mar 1868 p.2 (from Warwick Times 21 Mar); Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.3
[29] Armidale Express 28 Mar 1868 p.3
[30] CSIL: Re Frederick Ward at Deepwater [SRNSW 4/624 No.68/2145]; Clarence & Richmond Examiner 31 Mar 1868 p.3
[31] Maitland Mercury 18 Apr 1868 p.6
[32] Brisbane Courier 11 May 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Telegraph)
[33] Armidale Express 2 May 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 25 Apr); Sydney Morning Herald 12 May 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner)
[34] Maitland Mercury 12 May 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Express 9 May)
[35] CSIL: Re Thunderbolt’s expected visit at inn at Carlisle Gully near Bendemeer [SRNSW ref: 4/649 No. 69/1193]; see also William Monckton’s Three Years with Thunderbolt, Chapter 9
[36] Sydney Morning Herald 20 May 1868 p.5 (from Newcastle Chronicle)
[37] Armidale Express 6 Jun 1868 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 29 May)
[38] Maitland Mercury 30 May 1868 p.2
[39] Brisbane Courier 19 Jun 1868 p.3
[40] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.26 (24 Jun 1868) p.190; Brisbane Courier 19 Jun 1868 p.2; Argus 19 Jun 1868 p.5; Armidale Express 4 Jul 1868 p.4
[41] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.27 (1 Jul 1868) p.196; Armidale Express 11 Jul 1868 p.3 (from Tamworth Examiner 4 Jul); Sydney Morning Herald 8 Jul 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner); Empire 15 Jul 1868 p.3
[42] Armidale Express 27 Jun 1868 p.2
[43] Hobart Mercury 20 Oct 1868 p.3
[44] Clarence & Richmond Examiner 14 Jul 1868 p.2
[45] Maitland Mercury 25 Jul 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 25 Jul); Armidale Express 1 Aug 1868 p.3
[46] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.31 (29 Jul 1868) p.224; Armidale Express 25 Jul 1868 p.2; Empire 1 Aug 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Telegraph); Maitland Mercury 28 Jul 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 25 Jul); Empire 1 Aug 1868 p.3
[47] Maitland Mercury 30 Jul 1868 p.4
[48] Maitland Mercury 6 Aug 1868 p.4, 13 Aug 1868 p.3 (from Armidale papers, 1 Aug)
[49] Empire 12 Aug 1868 p.3
[50] Maitland Mercury 27 Aug 1868 p.3 (from Armidale Telegraph 22 Aug)
[51] Maitland Mercury 29 Aug 1868 p.6
[52] Birth Certificate: Frederick Wordsworth Baker [RBDM 1868/0016881]; Baptism: Frederick Wordsworth Ward [SRNSW 5/4036 Part 51, p.13; Reel 4519]; Death Certificate: Frederick Wordsworth Burrows [RBDM 1937//0016011]
[53] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.38 (16 Sep 1868) p.272; Sydney Morning Herald 9 Sep 1868 p.9, 14 Sep 1868 p.5; Maitland Mercury 15 Sep 1868 p.4 (from Tamworth Examiner 12 Sep)
[54] Armidale Express 17 Oct 1868 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 10 Oct)
[55] Brisbane Courier 20 Oct 1868 p.2, 4 Nov 1868 p.6 (from Tamworth Examiner 3 Oct 1868); Sydney Morning Herald 15 Oct 1868 p.5, 19 Oct 1868 p.5; Armidale Express 17 Oct 1868 p.2 (from Tamworth Examiner 10 Oct)
[56] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.21 (20 May 1868) p.154, No.43 (21 Oct 1868) p.312, No.49 (2 Dec 1868) p.350, 1869 No.1 (6 Jan 1869) pp.2 & 6, No.2 (13 Jan 1869) p.8, No.19 (12 May 1869) p.145, No.38 (15 Sep 1869) p.295 (plus numerous additional references to crimes committed by one or both within this period); Brisbane Courier 20 Oct 1868 p2., 24 Oct 1868 p.6 (from Dubbo Dispatch), 27 Oct 1868 p.3, 4 Nov 1868 p.2, 2 Dec 1868 p.2; Hobart Mercury 31 Oct 1868 p.4 (from Maitland Mercury), 11 Nov 1868 p.3; Argus 19 Nov 1868 p.7 (from Sydney Morning Herald 12 Nov 1868); CSIL: Senior Sergeant Andrew Cleary to Supt of Police, Bathurst [SRNSW 4/649 No.69/938]; see Online Newspapers for further information
[57] Brisbane Courier 16 Oct 1868 p.2
[58] Armidale Express 24 Oct 1868 p.4; Sydney Morning Herald 29 Oct 1868 p.5; Clerk of Peace depositions – Armidale Circuit: R. vs Monckton [SRNSW 9/6522 No.174/8]; Monckton Three Years with Thunderbolt, Chapter VII
[59] Empire 19 Nov 1868 p.3; Argus 17 Nov 1868 p.5
[60] QLD PG Vol. V No.12 (2 Dec 1868) p.94; Maitland Mercury 19 Nov 1868 p.4
[61] Argus 28 Nov 1868 p.5; Sydney Morning Herald 25 Nov 1868 p.5 (from Tamworth Examiner); Maitland Mercury 26 Nov 1868 p.4; Empire 14 Dec 1868 p.3
[62] Armidale Express 12 Dec 1868 p.2; Hobart Mercury 18 Dec 1868 p.2; Sydney Morning Herald 23 Dec 1868 p.4
[63] Clerk of Peace depositions – Armidale Circuit: R vs Monckton [SRNSW 9/6522 No.174/8]
[64] NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.52 (23 Dec 1868) p.370; CSIL: Telegram from Supt Garland, Tamworth, to Inspector General of Police, 21 Dec 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278]; Empire 30 Dec 1868 p.2 & Maitland Mercury 29 Dec 1868 p.3 (both from Tamworth Examiner 26 Dec); Sydney Morning Herald 30 Dec 1868 p.5
[65] Argus 19 Nov 1868 p.5
[66] CSIL: Inspector General of Police to Principal Under-Secretary, 1 Dec 1868 [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 No.68/6742]; NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.53 (30 Dec 1868) p.376; Maitland Mercury 29 Dec 1868 p.3; NSW Government Gazette 1868 p.4617
[67] CSIL: Re co-operation of Queensland authorities with a view to capturing Thunderbolt [SRNSW 4/646 Item 69/278 Nos.68/6742 & 69/278]; NSW Police Gazette 1868 No.53 (30 Dec 1868) p.376; Argus 8 Jan 1869 p.5
[68] SMH 8 Jan 1869 p.5, 13 Jan 1869 p.4; Maitland Mercury 9 Jan 1869 p.2