The tide of change had just started in English law, and William, like many others, had his sentence transmuted from hanging to 14 years transportation.
He was taken from Taunton on the 29 Mar 1823 (after being tried at the Somerset Lent sessions) to the prison hulk Justica moored off Woolwich, later to be taken to Van Diemen's Land on the Prison Ship Asia.
150 convicts were on board the Asia as she made her 4 month trip across to the other side of the world.
There is a very good blog post here which goes into detail (using properly referenced sources and sound research) about the conditions aboard a Convict Ship in the same time-frame as William's transportation.
Port Arthur Convict Prison
Meanwhile in 'Merry Olde England' in 1823 George IV was on the throne. Two major things happened to benefit the public, firstly, The Royal Academy of Music opened its doors, and the game of rugby was invented.
William Trapnell died in 1860, his age of death was given as 85 (although he would have probably been 82), He died a pauper in the Brickworks Invalids Depot of influenza on July 14th.
The following text was taken from the Hobart Mercury on Saturday 30 May 1874 some 14 years after William's death, this shows the conditions he spent the last days (if not years) of his life in... (It is quite badly transcribed)
THE BRICKFIELDS INVALID DEPOT.
The Brickfields Pauper establishment for males
is one of those peculiar institutions which seldom or
never challenges public attention or inquiry It is
essentially associated with the most repulsive "ills
that flesh is heir to;" and hence it comes to be
regarded as a refuge for the aged and the destitute --
a kind of local hospital for incurables. Its entire
internal management is handed over to a board, and
the general public is relieved of the bother of
Inquiry. A recent visit to the institution, however,
convinced us not only that it is properly and
efficiently managed, but also that a certain amount
of information of a public nature was to be picked
up. Having intimated the object of our visit to
Mr J Withrington, the superintendent, that gen-
tleman kindly undertook the task of guiding us over
the entire establishment. The number of inmates
on the day of our visit was 248, which were classified
as follows :- Church of England, 188 , Church of
Rome, 41 , Presbyterians, 13 , and Wesleyians,
6. The number of inmates free to the colony
only amounted to 25, while those who were
not free numbered 223. The yearly cost of each
inmate has been computed at £12 1s 7 1/2d, or
rather less than 8d, per diem, including all expenses.
Of the 248 inmates, 40 were able to perform hard
labour, and, viewed from a reproductive stand-
point, the labour is much better utilised than that
performed by criminals in the gaol or House of
Correction. The labour, which is voluntary, not
compulsory, consists in the cultivation of the
grounds belonging to the institution (about nine
acres), road making, &c. These pauper labourers
have just completed a very fine piece of road,
embracing a stiff cutting, at the far end ot Upper
Argyle street, and leading towards the New Town
toll- gate , they have also formed footpaths in
Stoke street, much to the convenience of the resi-
dents in that locality The only remuneration the
men receive for this labour is three quarters of an
ounce of tobacco per man in addition to the weekly
allowance of one ounce per man. 'The works have
been well and permanently executed, the only draw-
back being an insufficient supply of road metal. But
it appears that neither broken metal nor stone in the
lump can be procured. If the last-named article
were obtainable there are men in tho depot who
have expressed willingness to break it. Beside the
outdoor labourers, there are several men employed
in various capacities inside, such as that of cook,
barber, washman, &c. These men are invariably selec-
ted in consequence of good conduct, and they receive
money value for their labour, some of them being
able to earn as much as 15s per month. To a casual
observer this system of employing labour might
appear objectionable, and be regarded as wasteless
expenditure. Such, however, is not the case. By
employing inmates in tho various capacities referred
to, the board of management save a considerable
sum per annum; if the paupers did not perform the
duties at a minimum sum, the several posts would
have to be filled by tradesmen from without, at much
more advanced rates. The present system has been
found to work well and has given general satis-
faction. Hie daily routiuo of the establishment
is us follows - The inmates rise at six o'clock
am in summer, and soven m winter, bleak
fast at ondit, duiner at ouo , toa at half past five
m summer, and fiv o m winter, and all lights must
bo extinguished and silence obsoi ved throughout the
institution at nine o'clock p m lu summer, and
eight in winter lho die tai y scale pel niau, per
eliem, is as follow s -lib of bread, lib of meat, lib
ofvcgotablcs, jon of toa, líoz sugar, ¡o/ liarloj, W
salt, and Jo' soap, besides loz of tobacco weekly
Iheie aie soven latgo dounitorics, ouch of which is
kept scrupulously clean One of theso rooms con
tamed no loss than bG beds, each of wlnoh was
doubled up, with rug and blankets folded after
military fashion Hie doi mitones ure spacious and
appincntly well ventilated, but notwithstanding
theso pi «.cautions against sioknesa.theio was a fetid,
oppicsaivo smell in euch of thurn Hie (lining hall
is a noble room, containing -8 tables, ench table
accommodating 12 mon Hie mon aro supplied with
knives, folks, spoons, and every enuvoinonco for
" getting through a substantial meal At the head
of the hall is situated a leading desk, which is used
tortho puiposo of saying giaeo mid lotuining thanks
befoic and aftci meals, and also foi lopeating prayer
during week days In this room conceits and otliei
descriptions of entoitainincnts nie held Hie iliiinif,
tablcB, which aro not fixtures, ai o placed closely
togethoi, and form au admit able stnLO and by
means of au excellent sounding botud ovuihuad,
o\oiy sound is distinctly convoved to every piut of
tho spacious hull Hieae untoi taiuiuunts are always
anxiously jlooked foi ward to by the unfortunate
inmates , they come liku a fitful flush of sunlight
across the di eui y and chequuiuil existence of tho
despised pnupei, assisting lum foi ii transient period
to forget that
Still caring, despairing
Must be his bitter doom;
His woes here, will close ne'er,
But with the closing tomb
A aide door at the head of tho hall, loads into the
reading roomaud "picturegulley," 'Hie room is
well supplied with periodicals, magazines, and
numerous volumes of light reading The " gallery "
consists of a collection of plain and coloured
diawings dipt from \auous illustrated jonrnals, and
fastened against the walls Iho inmates arc allowed
fice access to the reading room at all hours of the
day, a pnvilege which they thoroughl) appreciate
M"U) of the men cannot le-ul, but at certain times,
when an undue thirst for knowledge or lions lins
been created by the appearance of a now periodical
01 newspaper, one moio learned than his fellows
acts as leader, and he generally is surioun led by a
gaping and silent audience Ihcy are also allowed
to take a book or paper from the room, so as to
enjoy a read in the bunshino thioughout the
grounds A number of these periodicals and
books aro regularly foi warded by His Excellency
the Governor , and Mi Isaac Wright, of the New
Whaif, forwards a regular quantity every month
Newspapers are more eagerly sought aftei than
books In one corner of the reading room is placed
an excellent piano, which does duty whenever
an entei tamment is held The piano, sounding
board in tho dining hall, and the gas fittings
throughout the buildings, w ere all raised by public
subscription On passing out into a passage a door
on the opposite side leads into the sick ward At
the time we entere I the room there wore nine beds
occupied, principally by very old men As the
medical olhcer had just am ved and was about to
visit the several patients we withdrew, feeling more
than usually grateful for being afforded opportunity
of escaping such an unhealthy atmosphere Again
entering the passage already referí ed to, we found
oursel\ es in a spacious quadrangular exercise yard,
covered by verandahs on two sides Almost all the
inmates were assembled in this yard, a fact to be
partly accounted for by the approaching hour of
dinner Many of the men were engaged in playing
drafts-both boards and men being of rude con
struction, several w ero reoding aloud for the evident
edification of attentive circles , others were enjoying
the luxury of a silent perusal of some well thumbed
book , a few were pacing up and down the yard at a
speed commeiisiuate with age or infirmity , while
hero and there might be detected solitary old
veterans innocently passing away the time m caress
nig cats, or talking to a Hock of pigeons, the birds
hardly deigning to get out of the w ay of any passer
by " Pussy " ia quite at home in these qunrtors ,
she is a gonoial pet, and hor presence mav bo
detected m every cornor of the buildings Many
of the inmates are sorely m need of the depot
clothing at the present time The regular uniform
consists of grey tweed trousers, serge jumper,
flannel, and drawers-all of excellent quality,
each article being duly branded with the
letters "BID" and the "broadarrow" Not
withstanding the fact that all these articles of
l clothing could bo manufactured m Victoria-either
in Melbourne or Geelong-they hitherto have
| been sent from England The last consignment
of clothing for the depot was shipped m the
Alchymist, a vessel whose fate still remains a
matter of uncertainty Perhaps this state of affairs
will be altered as soon as the woollen mills at Lauu
cestón and Hobart Town aie in full working order
On the northern sido of the yard is situated a con
v descent ward, which is generally occupied by men
suffering from bad legs or other injuries of tho body
There were only three or foul occupants of tho
room On the north eastern Bide is situated the
Roman Catholic Chapel-a small, cleanly arranged
room, with white washed walls, and several iowa of
founs There is no pretensión of display in any
sense of the word Ibero is no altar, but surmount
mg the mantle piece-for there are fire places m
oveiy room throughout the building-is suspended
a painting of the Vu gin Mai y Hie room was
formerly used for othor pin poses, but m order to
prevent any clashing of religious opinions among
the inmates, it was subsequently com erted into a
chapel On the west side is situated the cooking
and washing houses , all the washing belonging to
the institution being pei foi mod by two men with
the assistance of a machine The cookhouse is well
provided with stoves andboileis of various dimen
sums, every article belonging to the cutline shining
with lesplcndent bul nish Dinner was in com se of
preparation, and the soup was being ladled into tm
buckets, to be cal ried into the dining hall and there
distubuted It was of excellent consistency and
w is plentifully seasoned w lth v cgetables-ncaily all
the vegetables, with the exception of onions, being
grown on the giounds sun minding the depot The
other departments cont unod in the yard, consisted
of a jil ovision store, amply supplied, and a boot
and clothes store Taeh article of clothing is of
excellent quality, but the shelves weio almost
emptied It is to bo hoped tho day is at hand when
the Go\ eminent will not so stupidly depend upon the
supplies ot a foreign ni irket, or the chances of ship
wieek, foi a supply of ntielcs which vi ill foi in a
staple Inial maimfactuie So fal as regalds the
¿rounds sun ounduig the depot, all that can bo saul,
is that a lal go extent is mulei cultivation, the
principal pioducts being vegetables of dille lent
vat lettes
If tho educ itional and chant ible institutions of
any community bo a test of its social progress-no
mattet vvhothei such institutions be supported by
public subscription 01 diavv then lesouiees from tho
Stato Trcasuiy-the Invalid Depot, as at present
manured, is no disgiaee to Hobart lovvn It allouls
au asylum foi thedceiepid and cast aw i),who know
not where to lay their heads Many of the inmates,
at one portion of their careers, made acquaintance
with a diflcrent kind of institution , but the very
fact of their being long standing inmates of the
depot goes f ir to pi ove that the knowledge of being
provided with a final i eating place, acts as a
prev entivo to crime
