119

ENGLISH SCHOOL

Portrait of Sir John Turner Flynn (Flinn)

oil on board
ESSAY

John Turner Flinn, born in Devon, England, in 1791, had five children through marriage to Edwardina Augusta Kent, a lady of misty origins rumoured to be Queen Caroline's illegitimate daughter. Serving 39 years in the regiment of the Royal British Navy, Flinn was widely acknowledged by his peers as a brave and gallant officer, rising to the position of 1st Lieutenant. His active service was eventful; receiving a gunshot wound to the neck during a skirmish with the French, fighting in the Napoleonic wars, and reportedly acting as a covert government agent. Most notably, Flinn entered the service of Queen Caroline during her period of exile from Britain as commander of her yacht around the Mediterranean. His society with the Queen is illustrated in several politicised caricatures (published by George Humphrey for the press during the trial of her alleged adultery). After Queen Caroline's death, Flinn was an agent to Count Ludolph, obtaining foreign prize money and also a prize agent in Britian. His task was hunting down marines who had unclaimed prize money from foreign warfare for a commission of 2%. It was a lucrative and respectable venture for a man of Flinn's status, however the temptation to defraud the system would ultimately lead to his transportation to Australia.

Flinn continued the work as a prize agent even though his official license lapsed in 1835. He had entered into an agreement with William Holgate, a clerk from the Chelsea Hospital (where prize funds were distributed). For a small fee, Holgate would provide Flinn with officers' names and prize amounts owing, giving him an edge above other competing agents. Flinn concocted a scheme to misappropriate a large sum of winnings on behalf of deceased soldier George Langley. Despite Flinn's condition in life and high society, an amount of over 177 pounds was incredibly enticing. A series of cunningly forged letters were all that was required for him to obtain the entire sum. The transaction did not go unnoticed by the authorities, however. Investigations uncovered the deceit and pointed to Flinn as the main perpetrator. On 28th May 1840, the Crown indicted Flinn for forgery at The Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London. The evidence and witness statements were incriminating and Flinn was sentenced to transportation for life. He narrowly escaped capital punishment with the help of several petitions from high-ranking naval officers and consideration of exemplary service to the navy.

At the age of 50, Flinn arrived at Port Arthur aboard the Lord Lyndoch on the 5th February in 1841. The ship's Surgeon reported Flinn's conduct during the voyage as ‘most excellent', endorsing him to the guards and progressing his chances of a conditional pardon. Flinn's naval history provided additional buffering from the harsher elements of convict life. In 1843, the Lieutenant-Governor assigned Flinn the coveted position of Javelin man in Hobart Gaol. Javelin men guarded the prisons around the colony equipped with long poles topped with an axe blade or spike. He had a few stints of hard labour and solitary confinement after drunken disorderly behaviour however kept a relatively clean record otherwise. He assisted with two instances of fires breaking out in the town and received a redeeming review in The Hobart Town Advertiser and The Cornwall Chronicles. Flinn was thus awarded a Ticket-to-leave in 1845 for meritorious conduct. Two of Flinn's sons relocated to Australia from Britain circa 1851 to join him. He eventually received a full pardon on the 26th of March 1861. Four years later Flinn died at age 78 in Melbourne.

This rare portrait of John Turner Flinn presents a unique opportunity for a collector to preserve an intriguing piece of Australian convict history. This painting has survived in the spirit of the sitter, a little weathered but still deserving of restoration to its former splendour.

Sarah Garrecht
23 x 19cm

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28 August 2022 12:00 AEST
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