He wasn't much of a criminal. 

Despite the common belief that many convicts were transported because they were poachers, according to Robert Hughes in The Fatal Shore, the actual number was tiny. 

Regardless of the fact that he couldn't come up with a plausible story to save himself, John Ingersole did distinguish himself by being one of the very small percentage of convicts who were transported because they were poachers. 

The trial of John Ingersole

15th July 1828 committed in Court at Chelmsford, Essex.

Gaol Calendar:- Convicted of misdemeanour under 57th Geo. 3rd C.90.

John Ingersole transported beyond the seas to such a place as His Majesty with the advice of his Privy Council shall appoint pursuant to the Statute for the term of seven years.

County Court -

extract from the Chelmsford Chronicle of 25th July 1828

John Ingersole was charged with having been found on the night of the 23rd January last, in a wood in the occupation of Lord Petre called Dame Helen's Wood, armed with a gun contrary to the Statute.

It appeared from the evidence of William Valentine, one of Lord Petre's keepers, that between six and seven o'clock on the night of the above mentioned, the witness and William Burls being upon the watch saw the prisoner with a single barrelled gun, with which he shot a pheasant and then laid the gun upon the ground.

The witness and Burls then made up to him when the prisoner picked up the gun and cocked it. He the took hold of it by the barrel apparently with the intention of striking the witness with the butt end, but the witness struck him (the prisoner) on the head with a stick, who took to his heels.

The prisoner, however, had no chance of escape from these men of the woods, who outran him. The prisoner had been in the employ of the late Mr. Winn who looked after the game. Witness did not know if he ranked as keeper. William Burls corroborated Valentine's evidence.

The prisoner's defence was that whilst he was gamekeeper to Mr Winn he had left the gun found on him in the wood and that he went on the night in question to fetch it. He did not go for the purpose of killing game. A pheasant accidentally presented itself on a tree and he shot it.

The Jury found the prisoner guilty and in consequence of its appearing he had been two or three times before convicted of the like offence the Chairman sentenced him to seven years transportation.

John Ingersole was transported on the ship Lord Melville II, (Captain Brown, Surgeon George S Rutherford).  The Lord Melville II was built at Quebec in 1825. She is listed as a schooner of 425 tons, class A1.

The ship sailed from London, England January 5, 1829, arriving in Sydney, Australia on May 6, 1829 after 121 days at sea.  170 male convicts were embarked and 170 male convicts were landed - there were no convict deaths en route.

John Ingersole received his Ticket of Leave: 32/1065 dated 15 December 1832 and Certificate of Freedom: 35/848 dated 10 August 1835.

Click on the Certificate of Freedom to view an enlarged copy