This is the fifth installment in our on-going series about Robert Austin Shearn - A Criminal in the Family.
In Part One - Troubled: A Criminal in the Family we provided a short introduction to Robert Austin Shearn (1877-1940). He lived a troubled life and got into quite a bit of mischief. In that post, I wrote that Robert’s mother, Arabella Cowley, was Robert’s father, Charles Hall Shearn’s, first wife. She was Charles’ second wife. His first wife, Matilda Hart, gave Charles two sons, Charles James Hall Shearn (1858-1933) and James Parfitt Shearn (1862-1877).* Matilda died in early 1875. Charles and Arabella married on 27 April 1876.
For Part Two - 1877: A Fateful Year we looked in-depth at the year 1877 when Robert was born, his mother died, and his brother died.
For Part Three - British Army Service we examined Robert's British Army Service record.
For Part Four - Leaving the UK we discussed Robert’s relationships with his father and his deceased mother’s family, his aunts and uncles as well as the passenger list for the ship that he left the U.K. on, the Ophir.
Part Five - Timeline and ANZ
In this fifth installment we will present a timeline of Robert’s life including his escapades Down Under. He did get back to Europe briefly, but he generally spent the rest of his days in New Zealand and Australia where he died and is buried.
Immigration records show he arrived in Sydney, New South Wales aboard the Ophir. He did not stay long.
Timeline
- 1877 - April 29: Birth at St. Georges, Hanover Square, London, England
- 1877 - May 14: Death of his mother Arabella Shearn (née Cowley) from complications of child birth
- 1877 - November 5: Baptism (Church of England) at Fairford, Gloucestershire, England
- 1881 Census: Resident at St. Georges, Hanover Square, London, England
- 1891 Census: Resident at Bampton, Oxfordshire, England
- 1896 - September 30: Military enlistment London, England
- 1897 - June 17: Military discharge London, England
- 1897 - October 16: Emigration/departure from Plymouth, England to Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia aboard ship Ophir
- 1897 - 20 December: Immigration/arrival aboard Ophir in Sydney, NSW, Australia
- 1897/8: Removed to Melbourne, Victoria (VIC), Australia
- 1898 - November: Departure from Melbourne to Adelaide/Albany/Fremantle, South Australia (SA) aboard the Adelaide I
- 1903 - November 4: Arrest and incarceration in Parkside Lunatic Asylum Renmark, SA, Australia
- 1905 - April 4: Bicycle theft Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- 1905 - April 7: Arrested in Castlemaine, VIC for Break, Enter, & Theft of Humber Bicycle at Dunolly, VIC, Australia
- 1905 - April 14: Court appearance for theft of bicycle valued at 16 pounds. Verdict: Guilty. Sentence: four months hard labor
- 1905 - October 13: Admitted to Kew Lunacy Asylum Kew, VIC
- 1906 - February 3: Released from Kew Lunacy Asylum Kew, VIC
- 1907 - May 15: Married to Maud Rachel Tanner (1886-1969) at Collingwood, VIC
- 1907 - October 1: Court: Melbourne General Sessions, Melbourne, VIC. Charge: Larceny. Verdict: Guilty. Sentence: six months hard labor
- 1907 - October 17: Prison: Transferred to Pentridge Prison in Coburg, VIC.
- 1908 - March 25: Released from Pentridge Prison in Coburg, VIC. Freed by remissions. Warrants discharge
- 1912 - June 24: Court: Melbourne, VIC. Charge: Larceny. Verdict: Guilty. Sentence: 24 hours
- 1912: Resident at Gipps, Melbourne, VIC. Occupation: journalist
- 1913: Resident at Urana, Corowa, NSW. Occupation: blacksmith’s striker
- 1914 - July: Resident at Gipps, Melbourne, VIC. Occupation: journalist
- 1914 - August 17: Court: Melbourne Supreme Court Melbourne, VIC. Charge: Stealing in a dwelling (2 counts) Verdict: Guilty. Sentence: three months hard labor each count served concurrently. Occupation: electrical engineer
- 1914 - December 11: Military: enlisted Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Forces (AN&MEF) (2nd Tropical Force) as Robert McFarlane
- 1915 - January: Military: Discharged from AN&MEF prior to embarkation. Medically unfit. Liverpool, NSW
- 1915 - March 31: Police Report: Two bicycle frames stolen from 203 Rundle Street, Adelaide, SA. Frames were found April 1915. Adelaide, SA.
- 1915 - August 6: Military: Enlisted Australian Army (Service Number 3230). Adelaide, SA
- 1916 - March 27: Military: Disembarked for active service. Assignment: 7/27 Reinforcements. Marseille, France
- 1916 - June 29: Military: Wounded in action. France
- 1917 - May 4: Military: Embarked for return to Australia aboard H.T. Runic. To be discharged as medically unfit
- 1917 - August 1: Military: Discharged as medically unfit (mania/neurasthenia [like chronic fatigue syndrome]]). Rank: Private.
- 1917 - November 16: Court: Ballarat General Sessions Charge: Larceny. Verdict: Guilty Sentence: six months hard labor. Ballarat, VIC
- 1918 - April 18: Released from prison. Freedom by remission. Ballarat, VIC
- 1918 - April 23: Warrants discharged. Ballarat, VIC
- 1919: Resident at Gertrude, Batman, VIC
- 1920 - June 23: Arrested. Charge: Larceny. Verdict: Dismissed as “Mental Defection” Sentence: Commitment to Parkside Lunatic Asylum in Adelaide, SA
- 1921 - September 2: Court: Redfern Court in Redfern, NSW. Charge: Break, Enter, & Theft. Bail granted.
- 1921 - October 24: Court: Redfern Court in Redfern, NSW. Charge: Break, Enter, & Theft. Verdict: Guilty. Sentence: 50 pound fine and “to appear for sentence if called upon within two years.” Good behavior bond.
- 1923 - November 14: Resident at Vaucluse, Sydney, NSW
- 1923 - December 21: Military: British War Medal and Victory Medal from active service in World War I
- 1924 - December 4: Resident at Latrobe, Melbourne, VIC. Victoria Police Gazette reported that he found a gentleman’s gold mounted umbrella.
- 1925 - May 1: Court: Wellington, New Zealand. Charge: Theft, Idle, & Disorderly Verdict: Guilty Sentence: five months and seven days
- 1925 - November 25: Court: Wellington, New Zealand Charge: Break, Enter, & Theft Verdict: Guilty Sentence: two years reformative detention
- 1927 - November 25: Court: Released from prison Wellington, New Zealand
- 1928 - August 24: Court: Palmerston North Magistrates Court, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand Charge: Theft Verdict: Guilty Sentence: two pound fine
- 1928: Resident at Palmerston North Magistrates Court, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand Occupation: painter
- 1930: Resident at Liverpool, Parramatta, NSW
- 1933: Resident at Liverpool Mental Asylum Liverpool, NSW
- 1934: Resident at Liverpool Mental Asylum Liverpool, NSW
- 1935: Resident at Liverpool Mental Asylum Liverpool, NSW
- 1936: Resident at Liverpool Mental Asylum Liverpool, NSW
- 1937: Resident at Liverpool Mental Asylum Liverpool, NSW
- 1937: Released from Liverpool Mental Asylum Liverpool, NSW
- 1937: Resident at Albion St, Glenmore, East Sydney, NSWNSW
- 1940 - March 2: Death: St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, NSW
- 1940: Burial at Rookwood, Cumberland Council, NSW
One redeeming feature of Robert’s tough life is that we as genealogists and ancestors have all of this information from court, hospital, military, police, newspapers, and other records. We will explore much of this timeline in the future.
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