Joseph Henry Keens

1798–1875

Born: 1798 · Caddington, Bedfordshire, England

Died: 11 Mar 1875 · Moorwatha, New South Wales, Australia

Family

Father: James Keens
Mother: Martha Preston
Spouse: Susannah Charlotte Shones
Children: James sibWilliam g3 Keen regd Kane

Biography

Convict and settler. Bedfordshire Gaol Register evidence identifies Joseph Keens as an 18-year-old from Toddington, Bedfordshire, committed in 1816 for stealing a green coat and sentenced at Epiphany 1817 to transportation for seven years. Transport/certificate records connect him with the Lord Eldon and a certificate of freedom dated 22 July 1824. He married Susannah Charlotte Shons at Scots Church, Elizabeth Street, Sydney, on 17 October 1834.

Sources & Records

Foley Family Tree match

Bedfordshire Gaol Register detail for Joseph Keens

State Records NSW certificate of freedom order/index

Joseph Keens and Susannah Charlotte Shons marriage certificate

Lord Eldon / Newcastle transport fragments for Joseph Keens

Photos

Documents & Records

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875 (ship)

✅ Genuine document — State Records NSW payment confirmation

Transcription

Key facts

Ship: Lord Eldon, arrived 1817
Certificate of Freedom: 22 July 1824 (CFNo 080/2355)
Item: 4/4423, Reel: 601, TL 173/398

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875

Duplicate/stale manifest row for joseph_henry_keens_1798_joseph_convict_keens_1796_1875_2.jpg. The canonical reviewed row is the generic Bedford Town Gaol context screenshot, not a Joseph-specific record.

Transcription

Victorian Crime & Punishment. Home > Goals - Buildings > Bedford Town Goal > Bedford Town Goal. Image 1 of 1. [Illustration caption visible beneath building:] Town Gaol.

Key facts

Context image of Bedford Town Gaol only; no Joseph-specific facts.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875 (sentence)

Duplicate/stale manifest row for joseph_henry_keens_1798_joseph_convict_keens_1796_1875_sentence.jpg. The same sentence-register image is already present and transcribed in the canonical row.

Transcription

Lord Eldon. April 1817. Header columns visible: Name; Where convicted; When; Term. Visible entries include: Robert Robinson; Bedford; 13 January 1817; 7 years. Samuel Hopkins and Joseph Keens are bracketed together on following lines, with ditto marks in the conviction-place/date columns and term shown as 7 years. Several other entries below show Sydney/Liverpool/other places and one-year/two-year terms, but Joseph’s relevant line is the Bedford 13 January 1817, 7 years grouping.

Key facts

Joseph Keens appears under Lord Eldon in an April 1817 sentence/transport register image.
Joseph is bracketed with Samuel Hopkins, using ditto marks from a Bedford conviction and 13 January 1817 date.
The term shown for the grouping is 7 years.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875 (settler)

Cropped convict/transport register row. Relevant original-source fragment linking Joseph Keens to the Lord Eldon, Surrey, and a January 1817 date; the left-hand column is cropped, so context must be taken from companion transport records.

Transcription

Visible cropped row: [forename obscured/partly cropped] Keens, Joseph. Date: Sept. 1817. Ship: Lord Eldon. Native place: Surrey. [Rightmost visible date/column:] Jan. 1817. A neighbouring line above reads Knight, Edward; Sept. 1817; Lord Eldon; Lambeth; Surrey; Jan. 1817.

Key facts

Joseph Keens appears in a cropped convict/transport register fragment associated with the Lord Eldon.
The fragment shows a September 1817 entry and a January 1817 date in a right-hand column.
Native place appears as Surrey in this cropped row, which conflicts with the Bedfordshire/Toddington gaol evidence and should be treated cautiously.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875

Cropped convict indents/transport row. Relevant original-source fragment showing Joseph Keens as transported on the Lord Eldon with a 7-year sentence and Newcastle notation; handwriting and crop leave some headings uncertain.

Transcription

Visible cropped row: [No.] 15?; [term] 7; [trade/occupation?] Ploughman; [place/road?] ... Road; [name] Joseph Keans/Keens; [ship/entry ditto marks from line above]; [sentence/place column] 7 years Newcastle. The surname is visually Keans/Keens; the rightmost phrase appears to read “7 years Newcastle.”

Key facts

Joseph Keens/Keans appears in a convict transport/indent row.
The visible term is 7 years.
The row includes a Newcastle notation, matching the separate prisoner-list context for transport to Newcastle.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875 (ship)

State Records NSW payment confirmation/index for Joseph Keens certificate of freedom. Relevant source lead for ship and certificate details.

Transcription

State Records NSW. Payment Confirmation. Date of Order: 12/12/2009. Order No. 00016490. Records ordered - Index to Certificates of Freedom. Surname: KEENS. Firstname: Joseph. Vessel: Lord Eldon. Year: 1817. CFNo: 080/2355. Date: 22 Jul 1824. Item: 4/4423. Reel: 601. Remarks: TL 173/398. Total paid: ($AUD) 25.

Key facts

Joseph Keens arrived/was indexed on vessel Lord Eldon, year 1817.
Certificate of Freedom number 080/2355 dated 22 July 1824.
State Records NSW item 4/4423, reel 601.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875

Generic Victorian Crime & Punishment page showing Bedford Town Gaol artwork. Historic context only; not evidence about Joseph personally.

Transcription

Victorian Crime & Punishment. Home > Goals - Buildings > Bedford Town Goal > Bedford Town Goal. Image 1 of 1. [Illustration caption visible beneath building:] Town Gaol.

Key facts

Context image of Bedford Town Gaol only; no Joseph-specific facts.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875

Generic Victorian Crime & Punishment page showing Bedford County Gaol artwork. Historic context only; not evidence about Joseph personally.

Transcription

Victorian Crime & Punishment. Home > Goals - Buildings > Bedford County Gaol > Bedford County Gaol. Image 1 of 19. [Image shows Bedford County Gaol exterior.]

Key facts

Context image of Bedford County Gaol only; no Joseph-specific facts.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875 (sentence)

Original/near-original sentence register image under Lord Eldon. Closer read supports Joseph Keens appearing in the same 13 January 1817 Bedford conviction grouping as Samuel Hopkins, with a 7-year term.

Transcription

Key facts

Joseph Keens appears under Lord Eldon in an April 1817 sentence/transport register image.
Joseph is bracketed with Samuel Hopkins, using ditto marks from a Bedford conviction and 13 January 1817 date.
The term shown for the grouping is 7 years.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875 (marriage)

NSW marriage certificate extract for Joseph Keens and Susannah Charlotte Shons. Strong source for marriage date/place, denomination, witnesses, and status.

Transcription

New South Wales. Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995. Presbyterian. MARRIAGES. Number 2757 Vol 74A. Groom: Joseph KEENS, Farmer; of Richmond; marital status Bachelor. Bride: Susannah Charlotte SHONS; of Sydney; marital status Spinster. When married: 17 October 1834. Where married: Parish of Scots Church, Elizabeth Street, in the County of Cumberland. By: Banns. Consent: Not Stated. Minister: Rev. John McGarvie, Minister of 2nd Scots Church. Witnesses: Henry Morton of Sydney; Mary Dean.

Key facts

Joseph Keens married Susannah Charlotte Shons on 17 October 1834.
Marriage place: Scots Church, Elizabeth Street, County of Cumberland.
Joseph was a farmer of Richmond and a bachelor; Susannah was of Sydney and a spinster.
Minister: Rev. John McGarvie; witnesses Henry Morton and Mary Dean.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875 (prisoner)

Original prisoner-list style image for prisoners transported to Newcastle on the Brig Lady Nelson, extracting data from ship indents. Closer read confirms Joseph Keens in a Lord Eldon row, but the crop obscures some original-place/sentence fields.

Transcription

Header: List of names of Prisoners transported to Newcastle on Board of the Brig Lady Nelson with their respective sentences annexed thereto, and also their original Places & Times of Trial, and Sentences Extracted from the Dead rolls or Indents of the respective Ships or Vessels by which they arrived in this Colony. Sydney N.S. Wales, 5 Jan. 1820. Visible rows include Richard Bates (ship Canada), Thomas Duggatt? (ship Surry), James Mills (ship Liverpool), Andrew Breman? (ship Sydney), Peter Stephens, Edwin Rogan?, John Ricar?, and Joseph Keens. Joseph Keens row: name Joseph Keens; [trade/description?] partly cropped; where convicted appears Bedford; when appears 13 Jan. 1817; ship appears Lord Eldon. Some columns after the ship name are cropped/unclear.

Key facts

Joseph Keens appears on a prisoner list for transport to Newcastle aboard the Brig Lady Nelson.
The list header says it extracts original places/times of trial and sentences from ship indents/dead rolls.
Joseph’s row visibly links him with Bedford, 13 January 1817, and the Lord Eldon.
The document is dated Sydney, New South Wales, 5 January 1820.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875 (goal)

Bedfordshire Gaol Register detail page for Joseph Keens. Strong typed/transcribed source for offence, appearance, sentence, and behaviour.

Transcription

Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service. Bedfordshire Gaol Register. Gaol Record Detail For: Joseph Keens. Record ID: 1666. Committal Year: 1816. Reference Doc: BLARS QGV10/1. ID in Reference Doc: 43. Age: 18. Gender: Male. Height: 5 feet 8 inches. Hair Colour: Brown. Complexion: Fresh. Residence (town/village): Toddington. Residence (county): Bedfordshire. Offence: Stealing a Green Coat. Committed By: Edward Tanqueray, Clerk. When Committed: 13/11/1816. Trial Session: Epiphany 1817. Type of Gaol: Bedford Gaol. Sentence: Transportation 7 years. General Remarks on Prisoner: Orderly and well behaved.

Key facts

Joseph Keens was committed in 1816, aged 18, from Toddington, Bedfordshire.
Offence: stealing a green coat.
Sentence: transportation for 7 years at Epiphany 1817.
Description: 5 feet 8 inches, brown hair, fresh complexion.
Gaol remarks: orderly and well behaved.

Joseph (convict) Keens* 1796-1875

Victorian Crime & Punishment prisoner-record page for Joseph Keens. This is a useful typed derivative of the Bedford gaol record, but the Bedfordshire Gaol Register detail page is the stronger citation.

Transcription

Victorian Crime & Punishment. Prisoner record from Bedford. Name: Joseph Keens. Age: 18. Date of Offence: 13th November 1816. Offence: Stealing a Green Coat. Sentence: Transportation 7 years. Personal details: Height: 5 ft 8 inches. Hair colour: Brown. Complexion: Fresh. Identifying marks: [blank]. Number of children: Unknown. Residence details: Residence town: Toddington. Residence county: Bedfordshire.

Key facts

Derivative prisoner record repeats Joseph Keens’s age, offence date, offence, sentence, physical description, and Toddington/Bedfordshire residence.
Useful as a readable companion to the gaol register, but not preferred over the register itself.