Joseph Russell

Joseph (Joe) Russell entry in 'Convict Records' states:

Joseph Russell was born to parents William & Mary Russell on 18 November 1818 and baptised a week later in St Mary’s Church Nottingham.  His mother worked with lace makers in Nottingham.  His father had served on HMS Revenge at Trafalgar under Lord Nelson.

Joseph fell in with a bad crowd and started stealing.  He was imprisoned in January 1836 for four months hard labour for stealing a handkerchief worth 5/- in Nottingham.

Again in April 1837, Joe was before for the courts for stealing various items with other people. He was sentenced to Life, and to be transported to Australia.

Joe Russell was transported after arriving in New South Wales in October 1837, to Moreton Bay, (Queensland) to be imprisoned with all the other “hardened criminals” as this was his second offence in two years. He became well known for his tracking, and as a convict served on many surveying expeditions in Queensland.

He was issued with a Ticket-of-Leave in 1846 and eventually a Conditional Pardon in 1848. (Never to return home.)

Joe married in 1851 to an Irish lass Catherine Geary (GERY) at Drayton, Darling Downs.  (The marriage was registered in 1854.) They had four children; three boys & 1 girl.

Joe & Catherine settled at Pine Mountain near Ipswich, in Queensland where he worked as a timber-getter and farmer.

Joseph “Joe” Russell died 21 September 1900 at Pine Mountain, Queensland, and was buried the following day in St Peter’s Anglican Cemetery, Pine Mountain, Queensland.

An article in the Queensland Times on 9 January 1897 titled Glimpses of Early Residents featured Joseph Russell. It stated that Joseph arrived in Moreton Bay (Brisbane) on 14 May 1837, having sailed from Port Jackson in the schooner Isabelle.

He had early links with Limestone (Ipswich) being one of Andrew Petrie's boat crew who rowed George Thorn and his family to Limestone where George Thorn was to be in charge of the Government Station. Joseph was also one of the crew who brought Dr. Dorsey to Limestone.