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  • Crimes in your research

    Has anyone found any crimes in their research?

    I expected to find more, so far I have someone that stole pickled pork, and he ended up being sent to VDL. It surprised me that he was sentenced to life for such a crime. I saw a couple of other reports and think maybe this wasn't his first crime!
    Carolyn
    Family Tree site

    Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
    Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

  • #2
    A 19 year old girl (1st cousin 3xR) was accused of disposing of her newborn baby in an earth closet. She claimed she didn't know she was having it until it was too late, although she had already had one illegitimate child. Very, very sad case and I don't suppose they ever really knew the truth.

    My great grandfather was jailed for neglecting his wife and four young daughters, including my granny, and leaving them 'as a charge on the parish' ..... twice!

    Anne

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    • #3
      Grandad's uncle kept a small hotel in Bude in the 1930s, his wife's elderly widowed aunt lived with them. They came back from visiting their son at boarding school to find the bedrooms ransacked, valuables missing and the old lady dead, trussed up on the bed with an eiderdown tied over her head and her apron stuffed in her mouth, and the hotel porter missing. Porter was found, arrested, charged with murder and tried. Jury returned a verdict of manslaughter.

      Comment


      • #4
        I have a few, starting with my father! He was arrested by the German military in 1943 for having a radio in his possession. Whilst this crime could (I believe) attract the death penalty, that didn’t happen but I have not been able to find out (not very interested as he was estranged from my mother). He had gone back to Jersey to live in 1930.
        My sisters husband had an interesting lot of forebears too. They were nicked in Somerset, father and two sons for having around ten pounds of mutton and a ferret in their possession. Their reward for being hungry was trips to Tasmania for 14 years. Tough times.
        Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

        David

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        • #5
          I came across one. I wrote about it for the FTF magazine, so here it is:



          It is one that I need to go back to and update because I have since found USA newspaper articles about him and his background.
          Caroline
          Caroline's Family History Pages
          Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.

          Comment


          • #6
            OH's grandfather was farm bailiff for the Kleiwort merchant banker family, he embezzled a few shillings that should have been a pay rise for a worker. He was arrested and remanded to Lewes prison to await trial, while in jail he made threats to kill his employer (the threat bit is family lore) deemed unfit to plead and committed to Broadmoor where he late died from final stage syphilis. At the time of the embezzlement his wife was weeks away from death from TB. His three children were fostered out rather than being in the workhouse.

            Comment


            • #7
              You might find that you have somebody appearing at the Old Bailey. The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913

              I came across a case where my great grandfather's second wife, Emma Tompkins of Aveley, was a witness at a case there:

              https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/brow...1058#highlight - it is the transcript of the trial so long but very interesting with long descriptions of what they did and how they got there. The original printed text is also there to read.

              Last edited by Caroline; 19-03-20, 07:52. Reason: Added link for searching
              Caroline
              Caroline's Family History Pages
              Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.

              Comment


              • #8
                The newspapers are great for these stories aren't they?

                Originally posted by Anne in Carlisle View Post
                A 19 year old girl (1st cousin 3xR) was accused of disposing of her newborn baby in an earth closet. She claimed she didn't know she was having it until it was too late, although she had already had one illegitimate child. Very, very sad case and I don't suppose they ever really knew the truth.

                My great grandfather was jailed for neglecting his wife and four young daughters, including my granny, and leaving them 'as a charge on the parish' ..... twice!

                Anne
                must have been so stressful having a baby on your own then.

                Interesting that he was jailed, and he did it again.

                Originally posted by Jill on the A272 View Post
                Grandad's uncle kept a small hotel in Bude in the 1930s, his wife's elderly widowed aunt lived with them. They came back from visiting their son at boarding school to find the bedrooms ransacked, valuables missing and the old lady dead, trussed up on the bed with an eiderdown tied over her head and her apron stuffed in her mouth, and the hotel porter missing. Porter was found, arrested, charged with murder and tried. Jury returned a verdict of manslaughter.
                Ooh that is a proper crime story - like we read in books. Must have been traumatising for your uncle at the time, and not so good for business

                Originally posted by grumpy View Post
                I have a few, starting with my father! He was arrested by the German military in 1943 for having a radio in his possession. Whilst this crime could (I believe) attract the death penalty, that didn’t happen but I have not been able to find out (not very interested as he was estranged from my mother). He had gone back to Jersey to live in 1930.
                My sisters husband had an interesting lot of forebears too. They were nicked in Somerset, father and two sons for having around ten pounds of mutton and a ferret in their possession. Their reward for being hungry was trips to Tasmania for 14 years. Tough times.
                It is astonishing the penalties for theft in those times, I can't get my head around it when I imagine it to be a popular crime. Guess that is why they made it a high penalty

                Originally posted by Jill on the A272 View Post
                OH's grandfather was farm bailiff for the Kleiwort merchant banker family, he embezzled a few shillings that should have been a pay rise for a worker. He was arrested and remanded to Lewes prison to await trial, while in jail he made threats to kill his employer (the threat bit is family lore) deemed unfit to plead and committed to Broadmoor where he late died from final stage syphilis. At the time of the embezzlement his wife was weeks away from death from TB. His three children were fostered out rather than being in the workhouse.
                that was a sad story, I guess the syphilis didn't help his mental state

                Carolyn
                Family Tree site

                Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                Comment


                • #9
                  I'm not sure if want to associate with you lot anymore -what a bunch of criminals
                  Kat

                  My avatar is my mother 1921 - 2012

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Being an Australian, it has become almost a badge of honour to possess a convict or two in one's family tree. I have unearthed a few and , like other Forum members have written about them in the Magazine.

                    Uriah Stotter, more properly my cousin's rellie than mine, attempted white collar crime against the Bank of England and the Postal Services. His exploits can be followed here: https://ftfmagazine.lewcock.net/ftfm...er-c1809-1868/

                    My grandmother's grandfather, a Scot, was transported for GBH of a toll collector (previously imprisoned for housebreaking and theft). His tale, likewise, may be found here:https://ftfmagazine.lewcock.net/ftfm...-of-notoriety/

                    I later discovered the notorious life of my grandmother's sister outlined by years of sensational reporting in local newspapers. Disowned by my very straight laced grandma, I had never known of 'Auntie May's' existence until research unearthed a family book with the orphaned siblings birth dates entered and innocently asked my mother about Evalen May.
                    Apparently, she absconded from the convent/orphanage where the children had been placed after their father's death and lived a life of shame and notoriety on the streets of Perth and Fremantle, consorting with Chinese, Afghans and young lads with full pockets, fresh in Town from the Bush, to the horror of the magistrates. My only photo of this enterprising young lady come from a prison photo, or 'mug shot.' When she grew too old for The Game, she continued to appear before the magistrates, shop lifting, vagabonding, using abusive language in public and eventually died in a public park, with a pauper's funeral at the end.

                    If you wish to practice social distancing, Katarzyna, I will quite understand.

                    Beverley



                    Comment


                    • #11
                      LOL Bev. Was only a joke. I too have some wayward ancestors - mainly embezzlers and bankrupts but one 3xgt grandma who had 4 illegitimate children and at least 3 other illegitimate gt gt grandparents. As my signature states "Some of my favourite genealogy treasures are what my ancestors tried to hide!"
                      Kat

                      My avatar is my mother 1921 - 2012

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Macbev View Post
                        Being an Australian, it has become almost a badge of honour to possess a convict or two in one's family tree. I have unearthed a few and , like other Forum members have written about them in the Magazine.

                        Uriah Stotter, more properly my cousin's rellie than mine, attempted white collar crime against the Bank of England and the Postal Services. His exploits can be followed here: https://ftfmagazine.lewcock.net/ftfm...er-c1809-1868/

                        My grandmother's grandfather, a Scot, was transported for GBH of a toll collector (previously imprisoned for housebreaking and theft). His tale, likewise, may be found here:https://ftfmagazine.lewcock.net/ftfm...-of-notoriety/

                        I later discovered the notorious life of my grandmother's sister outlined by years of sensational reporting in local newspapers. Disowned by my very straight laced grandma, I had never known of 'Auntie May's' existence until research unearthed a family book with the orphaned siblings birth dates entered and innocently asked my mother about Evalen May.
                        Apparently, she absconded from the convent/orphanage where the children had been placed after their father's death and lived a life of shame and notoriety on the streets of Perth and Fremantle, consorting with Chinese, Afghans and young lads with full pockets, fresh in Town from the Bush, to the horror of the magistrates. My only photo of this enterprising young lady come from a prison photo, or 'mug shot.' When she grew too old for The Game, she continued to appear before the magistrates, shop lifting, vagabonding, using abusive language in public and eventually died in a public park, with a pauper's funeral at the end.

                        If you wish to practice social distancing, Katarzyna, I will quite understand.
                        There is something heartwarming that the convicts sent to Aus lived to tell a tale and carry on a life, many crimes seemed to be unfortunate circumstance and desperate times.

                        I will have read of your stories in a while.

                        So the rest of 'Auntie May' family were nothing like then ?

                        Carolyn
                        Family Tree site

                        Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                        Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          OH's great great grandfather was prosecuted for trying to commit suicide, and another great great grandfather was prosecuted for petty larceny and ended up in prison for a month

                          The one that fasicnated me though was in my daughter in law's tree. He was a petty thief, poacher and wasn't adverse to assaulting the police officers who arrested him never mind his wife and after she kicked him out his partner. He was in the police cells awaiting trial the first two times he was meant to marry his wife!
                          Barbara

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I had an accidental Murder if that's possible. A tragic young boy was killed when he jumped over a farm wall and knocked over a loaded shotgun and was killed when it went off. Tragic story and obviously a fair bit online in the newspapers about the story.
                            My Family History Blog Site:

                            https://chiddicksfamilytree.com

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Paulc View Post
                              I had an accidental Murder if that's possible. A tragic young boy was killed when he jumped over a farm wall and knocked over a loaded shotgun and was killed when it went off. Tragic story and obviously a fair bit online in the newspapers about the story.
                              ooh that is a story
                              Carolyn
                              Family Tree site

                              Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                              Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                My GG grandfather a train driver was convicted for stealing 2 turkeys from the load on his train & was sentenced to 8 months hard labour along with his stoker. prior to this he was sent to jail for 3 months for hitting his first wife.A few months after his release his then wife was in court for attacking him in the street. Alas I have not yet found the outcome of that trial. It was around this time that he got together with my GG grandmother although they never married they had 6 children together.

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Seems to me that authorities realised the harshness of punishment for what was really minor crimes, together with the problems of keeping all convicts under lock and key and a large majority of them were released under parole and eventually had their sentences remitted. Both sons lived useful lives afterwards, whilst the father, who was sent to northern NSW and eventually released came to a sticky end when he fell off a river bridge and drowned. Suspect the reason for this was that he had just left from a long session in the local pub.
                                  Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

                                  David

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    My favourite was a chap accused of beating his wife and bound over for the sum of 20 shillings or face imprisonment. He asked to go inside for two months as she would be at him the moment they walked out the court. The court refused his request, they had a blazing row outside the courthouse and he was arrested not 10 foot from the door

                                    In the last couple of weeks I've had a burglar who got ten years for his third offence. The right name not my man in relation to a soldier who was transported, stabbed a guard and was hanged. Last night I found a chap who had an affair with a married woman, after she returned to her husband he arranged to meet her, they went for a walk, he pulled out a razor and slashed her throat then tried to cut his own. He failed on both counts, 3 years for malicious wounding.
                                    http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

                                    Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
                                    My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
                                    My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Carolyn ... I should have mentioned the baby death was in Ampthill in 1868.
                                      Anne

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        I have a distant cousin from a nice middle-class family who started his life of crime at the age of 19 in 1885 . He was basically a conman with a penchant for forging plus petty theft. Upon his release from his time in prison he was banished to Australia by his family. Once there he came out of his shell and for the rest of his life he was in and out of prison, terms ranging from 3 months to 7 years. He used at least 12 aliases (including a doctor and the son of a baronet) and along the way married 7 times, most of them bigamous. He retired when he reached the age of 70 and spent the remaining 17 years in a home for reformed convicts. He can't have been very good at what he did as he seemed to get caught on a regular basis. I think he spent close on 40 years of his life in total in prison.
                                        Linda


                                        My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

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