JAMES MORGAN

James Morgan's criminal record shows that he was recognised as an absconder, from Van Diemen's Land. His real name was James Gavagan who was born in Birmingham, England, in 1829. He had been transported to Van Diemen's Land for seven years, arriving on the 'Asia 4' in 1836. He was tried in Melbourne in about 1845 and sentenced to 15 years. He was sent back to Van Diemen's Land per the 'Flying Fish' but absconded and made his way back to Victoria.

Morgan was one of those arrested over the gold robbery from the ship Nelson in 1852 (for details see John James). Having been sentenced to fifteen years on the roads, the first three in irons for this crime, Morgan seemed determined to cause as much trouble as possible. And during the time he spent on the prison hulks and in Melbourne Gaol, he was consistently brought before the authorities on one offence or another. Some of his offences included, 'insolent, obscene, and threatening language to the Chief Warder', 'exciting a disturbance', 'fighting', 'being disorderly', 'talking', and heaps more of 'abusive and improper language'. Sentences for these crimes ranged from three days solitary confinement to six months hard labour in irons.

On 27 November 1860 he was granted a ticket-of-leave for the district of Melbourne, and there is no doubt the authorities would have been glad to see the last of him.