BARR George

51st Regimental Badge
[Burridge Collection]
Governor’s Warrant advertised for four weeks in November 1846 in the West Australian

Summary of employment as a Warder [BARK p.11]
NAME George BARRName variations: None encountered.
Birth Date and Placec. 1815, Ireland [deduced].
Baptism Date and Place
Marriage Date and Place25 Oct 1860 Fremantle, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.1514].
SpouseSarah (Jane) KENNEDY [WABDM Reg.1514].
ChildrenJames b. 1861 Rottnest Island, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.5964].
OccupationsWarder, Rottnest Island, Western Australia – see sidebar [BARK p.11].
Land Acquisition in WAPerth Town Lot V75 purchased for £16 on 5 Oct 1864 [Perth Gazette 7 Oct 1864].
“swamp allotments back of Perth” – details unknown [BARK p11]. This may or may not
refer to the above Town Lot.
Death Date and Place22 Aug 1876 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.9042].
Cause of Death: Cancer [EPCEM].
Burial Date and PlaceAugust 1876 East Perth Cemetery, Western Australia [EPCEM].
Exhumed and re-buried Karrakatta Cemetery, Western Australia,
Area: Wesleyan. Section: FC. Gravesite: 0011 [METCEM].
Death, Funeral, Obituary NoticesNone.
Will and ProbateNone.
BRITISH ARMY
Regiment51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding, The Kings Own Light Infantry) Regiment.
Soldier No. and Rank#1106 Private [WO12-6200-112].
Enlistment Date and Place31 Jul 1837 Belfast District. Age 22 years.
Bounty paid to recruit £2 10s. 0d. [WO12-6200-112].
First Muster at Chatham Depot [WO12-6200-140].
Physical DescriptionHeight:  5 ft. 11¼ ins. [WO12-6200-112].
Promotions or ReductionsPrivate to Corporal 1 Jul 1842 [WO12-6204].
Corporal to Private 30 Aug 1843 [WO12-6205].
Medals, Clasps and Badges
Arrival Van Diemen’s Land: Ship and DateMinerva. Embarked 17 May 1838, paid to 23 Sep 1838 [WO12-6200-233].
Arr. 28 Sep 1838 from Sheerness, England dep. 28 May 1838 [DPS].
Arrival Western Australia: Ship and DateRunnymede 25 Jun 1840 from Hobart [TROVE].
Regimental Courts MartialAugust 1843 and August 1845 [ERRI].
Military Postings within Western AustraliaAugusta (Jul 1840). Perth HQ (Apr 1843). Garrison Duty (Jun 1843). Garrison Duty (Oct 1843). On Command (Jan 1845). York (Mar 1845). Pinjarra (Oct 1845). On Command (Mar 1846). Garrison Duty (Jul-Sep 1846) [WO12-6202 to 6208].
Discharge Date and Placec. 1847 [deduced].
Age at Discharge32 years [deduced].
Length of Servicec. 9 years 8 months [deduced].

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

George Barr was in confinement for 14 days for a military offence, crime unknown [WO12-6205-221].
During July 1845, he was in hospital and in the following month, he was placed in the Guard Room in confinement for 32 days from 29 Aug to 30 Sep 1845 for a military offence, crime unknown [WO12-6208-47].
He was in confinement for a civil offence from 2-7 Oct 1846 for a felony relating to house breaking and the theft, from a Mrs Okely, of a piece of calico. He initially received a sentence of seven years’ transportation. This was commuted to three years hard labour in Fremantle Gaol (the Roundhouse), the time calculated from 7 Oct 1846. By April 1849 he was transferred to Perth Gaol where his sentence was again commuted by six months. It was suggested in the newspapers that he may have committed the crime to avoid being sent to India with his regiment [WO12-6208-165,170 & TROVE].
On 5 Jan 1853 at the Quarter Sessions, he was charged and tried for stealing a blanket from Henry Towton’s public house. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour in Perth Gaol [TROVE].