William Perrin
Encyclopedia
William Henry Perrin was a convict transported
to Western Australia
, who later became one of the colony
's ex-convict school teachers
.
Born in the United Kingdom
in 1831, Perrin was married with two children, and working as a grocer
's clerk, when he was convicted of rape
and sentenced to fifteen years' transportation. He arrived in Western Australia on board the Palmerston in February 1861, and received his ticket of leave the following year. He was employed by the Dempster family at their Wongamine farm, and later purchased a small block of land on the boundary of their estate.
In 1868, Perrin began teaching a small class of children there. The following year he received a government grant of 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) for a school site, and a small schoolhouse was built. He was officially appointed a government schoolmaster in 1871, and later that year he married Elizabeth Woolhouse. William Perrin ran his school for nearly thirty years, teaching his children and some of his grandchildren there. He eventually retired in 1899 or 1900, and died in 1903.
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, who later became one of the colony
Penal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
's ex-convict school teachers
Ex-convict school teachers in Western Australia
Following Western Australia's convict era, 37 ex-convicts were appointed school teachers in the colony. The appointment of such a large number of ex-convicts to what was considered a respectable government position was highly unusual for a penal colony, as the social stigma of conviction usually...
.
Born in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1831, Perrin was married with two children, and working as a grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
's clerk, when he was convicted of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and sentenced to fifteen years' transportation. He arrived in Western Australia on board the Palmerston in February 1861, and received his ticket of leave the following year. He was employed by the Dempster family at their Wongamine farm, and later purchased a small block of land on the boundary of their estate.
In 1868, Perrin began teaching a small class of children there. The following year he received a government grant of 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) for a school site, and a small schoolhouse was built. He was officially appointed a government schoolmaster in 1871, and later that year he married Elizabeth Woolhouse. William Perrin ran his school for nearly thirty years, teaching his children and some of his grandchildren there. He eventually retired in 1899 or 1900, and died in 1903.