Tracking A Convict

[Guest Sandra Aust]

Hi everyone,

This is my first posting and I am looking for some assistance tracking my GG Grandfather. His name was James Rowley and he was convicted at Sheffield on 12 September 1845 for theft of pigeons and sentenced to transportation to Van Diemen's Land for 7 years.

I have plenty of information from his convict record but can't find anything of his whereabouts in England. His record states that his native place was Sheffield and that he had been married 3 months prior to trial so presumably around June 1845. The problem is that I can't find anyone who seems to meet that criteria. He is likely to have been born between 1823 and 1826 per different ages given on his various records.

His record also indicates that his mother OR wife was called Jane, and that he had a brother George and a sister Harriet. I had hoped to find them all on the 1841 census but no luck. His record also states something at Worksop but I don't know if that was the marriage (not found) or where the theft he was convicted of took place.

Does anyone know if I can access the original court records which might have more information? Any ideas at all?

Looking forward to hearing from someone!

Thanks,

Sandra

[bonnie]

Hi.

The Criminal Registers Database at Ancestry give the following information

West Riding Sessions, Sheffield 12th Sept 1845.

James ROWLEY aged 22 charged with Felony, 7 Years transportation.

The West Riding QS were held at Wakefield...and the West Yorkshire archives at Wakefield hold the Indictment books which are indexed for that period. See http://www.wyjs.org.uk/default.asp

Reference Indictment book, with index QS4/74 Oct 1844-Feb 1846 Former reference: A000006/2/4/74

There may be more information here.

It would appear that he was held at York Castle. The following appeared in the York Herald Issue number 3808 October 1845

"CONVICTS: Wednesday, the following convicts were sent from York Castle to the Millbank prison, London in pursuance of their sentences of transportation.

For seven years. Thos: Wilkinson, Thos: Drewry, Wm.Robinson, Thomas Couner, James Rowley, Margaret Savage and Mary Ann Grant.

[Guest Sandra Aust]

Hi.

The Criminal Registers Database at Ancestry give the following information

West Riding Sessions, Sheffield 12th Sept 1845.

James ROWLEY aged 22 charged with Felony, 7 Years transportation.

The West Riding QS were held at Wakefield...and the West Yorkshire archives at Wakefield hold the Indictment books which are indexed for that period. See http://www.wyjs.org.uk/default.asp

Reference Indictment book, with index QS4/74 Oct 1844-Feb 1846 Former reference: A000006/2/4/74

There may be more information here.

It would appear that he was held at York Castle. The following appeared in the York Herald Issue number 3808 October 1845

"CONVICTS: Wednesday, the following convicts were sent from York Castle to the Millbank prison, London in pursuance of their sentences of transportation.

For seven years. Thos: Wilkinson, Thos: Drewry, Wm.Robinson, Thomas Couner, James Rowley, Margaret Savage and Mary Ann Grant.

Hello Bonnie,

Thank you for such an informative reply which I'll add to my data. I'm really not that great with computers so couldn't find the records you mentioned at the archives office. Are they actually online or is it simply the name of the collection that then need to be physically viewed? I got as far as finding it in their list but that was all.

Does the newspaper have an online archive that I can view?

Thanks again,

Sandra

[bonnie]

Hello Sandra.

If you contact the West Yorkshire archives...they will check for you.

I searched the online newspapers which are available using my Derbyshire library card and the information I posted is the only hit I got.

You can access them at http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs/ I think there is a charge for this.

The other alternative is to check the Sheffield newspapers at the Library...as you have a date for the trial any article should not take too much finding.

I have also checked my baptism indexes for Sheffield St Peter & Paul (the Sheffield parish church) but cannot find him baptised there.

I looked at his records on the Tasmanian convict site and I'm not sure what the referral to Worksop is...it is not clear at all.

Angela (Bonnie)

[RichardB]

1843, James Rowley, 20, imprisoned for "Stealing of fixtures", 3 months

Trial date 1 Jun 1843 (Sheffield)

[RichardB]

James Rowley and he was convicted at Sheffield on 12 September 1845

[bonnie]

Hi Richard.

So that appears to be his first offence....the age seems to imply that he was born in 1823 then.

Rihard.

You can also track him here. http://www.archives.tas.gov.au/nameindexes

I think Sandra has all the information from the other end though.

Angela

[RichardB]

His name was James Rowley and he was convicted at Sheffield on 12 September 1845 for theft of pigeons and sentenced to transportation to Van Diemen's Land for 7 years.

And on the 18th December we wave goodbye to James aboard the vessel Joseph Somes

[RichardB]

Transportation on the "Joseph Somes"

Different year, but same Vessel.

[RichardB]

Joseph Somes

[Guest Sandra Aust]

Hi Angela and Richard,

Thank you so much to both if you for that wonderful information which I'll be printing and adding to my "archives".

I've emailed the Archives office as suggested and hope that they can gather the court information for me. Being in Australia with all my ancestors born mostly in England has made it really difficult for me to collect information. But I've subscribed to everything I can afford and are taking it from there.

What I hadn't mentioned was that when James finally received his pardon, he met with a "free" girl, Elizabeth Salvin, that had travelled with her parents and younger brother from Gedling, Notts in 1850. Her father was a Military Pensioner and they travelled on the Blenheim. James and Elizabeth had 4 chidren in Tasmania (as it was called by that stage) before moving to New Zealand and having another 2. One of those was my Great Grandmother Harriet. James was constantly in and out of trouble from the newspaper articles I've seen of him. Unbelievably he was even a policeman in Australia and NZ! He eventually left NZ around 1873 and moved to Victoria where he died in 1890. His "wife" - well she wasn't really because they hadn't legally married as apparently he already had a wife left behind in Sheffield, anyway she had hooked up with a much younger man and it all got very sordid and messy. Quite a funny story 130 years after those events although it would have been considered disgraceful at the time.

It's such a pity we can't find his christening as I was really hoping to track his parents and siblings.

Now to wait to see what the archives office can find for me. I'll certainly keep you updated on anything they find.

Thanks again,

Sandra

[bonnie]

Hello Sandra.

Thanks for the update.

By the way do you have his marriage or death certificate....I thought that the Aussie certificates gave both parents names and were they originated from.

Angela

[Guest Sandra Aust]

Hello Sandra.

Thanks for the update.

By the way do you have his marriage or death certificate....I thought that the Aussie certificates gave both parents names and were they originated from.

Angela

Hi Angela,

Yes our certificates normally do contain all that information. Unfortunately James and Elizabeth didn't legally marry, but the children took his surname. His death certificate simply states parents unknown but at least the informant knew he was from Sheffield which confirmed the info on his convict record. If they had married legally it would have been great because at least I would have seen the parents names and it would have quoted his age at the time - which has varied by a couple of years on each record I've seen for him, hence the 1823-1826 dates given.

Sandra

[ceegee]

From The York Herald, and General Advertiser (York, England), Saturday, October 04, 1845; Issue 3808. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.

[Guest Sandra Aust]

From The York Herald, and General Advertiser (York, England), Saturday, October 04, 1845; Issue 3808. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.

Hi ceegee,

Thank you for the newspaper article. I guess that's the same one Angela mentioned that I couldn't access. It's about to be added to my collection of James paraphernalia!

Regards,

Sandra

[Guest Sandra Aust]

Hello all,

I've received the following reply from Wakefield Archives in regard to James' court records.

I was able to locate a little more information on James Rowley via the records of the former West Riding of Yorkshire Quarter Sessions.

James was convicted at the Sheffield Intermediate Sessions, held on the 12th September 1845 (ref QS4/74 pg 215). He was a Labourer, and was convicted of the theft of 80 Pigeons (to the value of £3), the property of George Nicholson. The theft took place on the 18 June 1845 at Letwell [near Rotherham]. You will already doubtless be aware of the nature of his subsequent transportation. The entry also lists a previous conviction in force at the time which may have had a bearing on his sentence.

This took place on the 1st June 1843 (ref QS4/72 pg 93). Here, he was convicted on the theft of 5lb of lead, the property of Samuel North. He was sentenced to 3 months hard labour in the House of Correction.

Sadly I do not think we would be able to help you much further in regards to James Rowley's family - although Sheffield was part of the former West Riding, records for the area are held by our colleagues at Sheffield Archives. Further details of their services can be found on their website at http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/archives.

As they have suggested I've now contacted Sheffield Archives to see if they can provide any additional information.

Will update again when I hear from Sheffield Archives.

Sandra

[bonnie]

Hi Sandra.

Thankyou for posting the details from the record office.

I'm not sure what Sheffield archives will be able to find, they also charge £10.50 per half hour for research.

If we could locate him on the 1841 census it would help.

Angela