The life and times of John PITTS 
(I am deeply indebted to Joan Proud for the information regarding John's time in Gibraltar and Australia)

1823 Baptised 12th April (Pirton PR) son of Edward and Mary

1838 Married on 2nd November age 19 to Mary Ann WILSHIRE (Pirton PR says John son of Edward) (Registered December Q Hitchin 6/949)

1841 Pirton census (age 20) Ag Lab with wife Mary (25), George (4) & Eliza (2) (probably the Eliza birth registered Sept Q 1838 Hitchin 6/506)

1843 age 22 sentenced at Hertford Lent Assize (1st March) to 15 yrs for robbery with Thomas DAVIS. Within a few weeks he was sent to the WARRIOR HULK at Woolwich.  He was given the number 2190, and recorded as present on the Warrior Hulk in the HO 8 Quarterly Returns for March, June and September 1843.
 He left the Warrior Hulk on 13th July 1843 aboard the ship "Lady of the Lake" for Gibraltar. No date is given for the arrival of the "Lady of the Lake" at Gibraltar.  However it had arrived by the end of September 1843.

TNA ref.   PCOM 2/137     Hulk Register, Gibraltar       (AJCP Reel No. 5988)
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  Received From        Rec'd from Warror hulk.
  Number                  265.
  Name      John Pitts    Age      22.        Offence     Highway robbery.          Convicted When        1 March 1843.       Where        Hertford.
  Sentence      15 yrs.
  Gaoler's Report          Once in prison for poachg.         Character very bad.
  Where Born      Pirton Herts.          Hair     Dk Bro.           Eyes         Haz.        Eyebrows & lashes      Dk.           Nose     Com.             Mouth     Com.
  Complexion        Swa.                    Visage       Oval.         Make      Stout.        Married or Single         Wife  2 child.               Height       5ft  8½.
  Read & Write     Neither                Trade or Occupation       Labourer.
  Remarks        Scar left side head & right side nose,  & a shot(?) in forehead, wort right shoulder, scar right finger & thumb & breast.
  Res. of Pris. Rels. or Friends    Parents 2 bros 2 sisters & 2 uncles & cousin at Pirton.
  How Disposed of        Discharged & sent to England    30 June 1850.

In the HO 8 Quarterly Returns for Sept 1843, JOHN PITTS is recorded as No 265 on the hulk OWEN GLENDOWER at Gibraltar.
He remained there until 30 June 1850 when he was discharged, to be sent back to England.  The name of the ship was not given in the HO 8 Quarterly Return for June 1850, nor in his entry in the PCOM 2 Hulk Register for Gibraltar.
It is probable that he was sent back on a convenient merchant or naval ship that was bound for England.  

1851 Pirton census age 31 living at Burgend with Mary Ann (34), George (14) and Eliza (12)

1851 10th August daughter Emma is baptised at Pirton (Pirton PR says daughter of John & Marianne)

1853 24th July daughter Lavinia born (Pirton PR) she is baptised on 18-10-1854 (Pirton PR says daughter of John & Mary Ann)

1855 Sentenced at Hertford Epiphany Quarter Sessions (19th Feb) to 14 yrs for stealing from his employer, William Sworder, 10 bushels of wheat, value £4, and 10 bushels of beans, value £3. He was transported on the convict ship William Hammond, which departed on 5-1-1856 bound for Western Australia where it arrived on 29-3-1856. His physical description is given as 5ft 8 ins, grey hair, dark brown eyes, round face, dark complexion, stout build and with a scar on the right side of his nose. (source: Western Australia Convicts web site)

1855 4th July daughter Elizabeth Mary Ann baptised (Pirton PR says daughter of John & Mary Ann)

I am currently trying to trace what happened to John after his arrival in Australia

1858 5th July given Ticket of Leave

(There is a John PITTS who marries a Hannah WELSH in Perth in 1869 and they have 3 children, James (1871 Perth), John (1873 Guildford) and Michael (1875  Swan).  There is a death recorded in 1900 of a John Pitts age 80 ( Reg no. 2182) but no proof that these records refer to the John Pitts above!

Rest of family

1861 census not found any of the family in Pirton (possibly living in Ickleford ?)

1867 27th August Emma buried (age 16 Pirton PR) (Registered September Q Hitchin 3a/189)

1871 Pirton census, (nr Church) Mary Ann (54), Lavinia (17) & Elizabeth (15)

1876 23rd December Elizabeth Mary Ann (21) (Pirton PR says daughter of John) marries Arthur MARLOW (19) labourer from Offley (registered December Q Hitchin 3a/489)

1879 21st December Lavinia (26) (Pirton PR says daughter of John) marries Samuel DAWSON (25) (registered December Q Hitchin 3a/525)

1881 Offley census Mary Ann (64) living with Arthur & Elizabeth MARLOW

1897 9th August Mary Ann buried age 81 (Pirton PR says died in workhouse) (Registered September Q Hitchin 3a/351)