Found in an old newspaper - crime and punishment

I’ve been using the British Newspaper Archive a lot for my research recently. (If you haven’t seen it and you’re looking for British or Irish ancestors, there’s a special offer on until Sunday, 20 July – a month’s subscription to the BNA for £1.)

Wondering if the Old Bailey trial of my 2x great grandfather, James Thomas Richards, had been reported in one of the digitised papers, I searched for his name and 1835, the year he was sentenced to transportation to New South Wales. Could I find him?

The Morning Chronicle, April 15, 1835

Well, yes and no. No report of the trial, but his sentence was recorded. There he was, at the bottom of a long list of others. Looking at the list, and remembering that it represented only a tiny number of the convicts who would be sailing for Australia, got me thinking.

They were all going to be thrown back in prison, or crammed into a hulk (a ship which wasn’t seaworthy, but could be used to relieve the overcrowding in prisons). There they would wait until the next ship was ready to leave on the months-long journey to the other side of the world, where they would be put to work for seven years, or 14, or the rest of their lives.

It’s true that many convicts, like James Thomas Richards, would end up having a good life in their adopted country. And most would have much better lives than they could have hoped for if they hadn’t been caught and sent to Australia. But the men and women waiting for the next ship couldn’t know that. And yes, some people did try to get transported because they believed anything would be better than the poverty and hunger they suffered in city slums or in the countryside.

But what faced them wasn’t just a dangerous sea voyage and hard work. It was exile. It was being on the other side of the world from your family, your friends, your sweetheart, and all but your youngest children. With no way to contact them – remember, it was quite normal not to be able to read or write if your work didn’t call for it and you’d had little or no education.

blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/WAGMU_W1178/

And yet many would be deeply relieved, because the alternative sentence for their crimes was worse. Although the death penalty had been removed for crimes such as stealing goods worth a shilling (5p), theft of a sheep or a rabbit or damaging Westminster Bridge by the time James was sentenced in 1835, you could be strung up in public for crimes like forgery and coining, arson, burglary, theft from a dwelling house, rape and attempted murder as well as murder and treason.

In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the British penal system wasn’t geared towards imprisonment as a punishment (except for debtors). Prison was mostly the place where you waited for trial and for your sentence to be carried out. And for 220 different crimes, the penalty was death. Many judges and juries weren’t willing to sentence men, women and children to death for stealing a pocket handkerchief (for example) and so they would find them guilty of a lesser, non-capital offence. Or a death sentence would not be carried out and the convicted person might be transported, or even reprieved. But still, that threat hanging over many criminals must have been terrifying.

As the descendant of four convicts myself, I’m very glad that they ended up in Australia.

Further reading:

Australia.gov.au: Convicts and the British colonies in Australia

Old Bailey Online: Punishments at the Old Bailey
Port Cities London: Prison hulks on the River Thames (has a good short history of transportation)
Timeline of Capital Punishment in Britain

 

Hi from Another Aussie Blogger

Hi all, firstly I would like to thank Julie Goucher and  Jill Ball for drawing my attention to, and inviting me to join the Worldwide Genealogy collaboration. I don't know about you, but I continue to be amazed at how the world of genealogy and family history research is advancing. Every day, new and innovative programs, social media  and access to more and more records and information becomes available. One of the keys to this advancement is the collaboration and sharing of information and ideas, so I am really thrilled to be involved in this new venture.

A little about me. I live in Sydney, NSW, Australia and work at The University of Technology, Sydney. Yes, another Aussie! I think I have been interested in our family history ever since I was a little girl! when my father used to entertain me with colourful stories of our family history as passed down from older generations. Stories of life on the gold fields, working in the timber industry, driving bullock trains and bushrangers! A collection of elements made to ignite the curiosity of a young girl.

 

 In my early twenties (such a long time ago) I began to seriously research our family history, collecting photos, stories, old letters, newspaper clippings, writing to extended family, searching cemeteries and visiting elderly relatives. The luxury of Internet research wasn't even thought of at this time.

For me the fascination of family research is more than the dates of significant events in family member's lives. I want to know what they thought, if they went to school, what work did they do, what significant social events affected their lives, why did they immigrate, how did they contribute to their community and so on! I believe it is this approach to family history that has led me to take up blogging. It provides me with a platform to share stories, discover connections and in my small way preserve some of our family history.

 

I started my first blog, Family Stories:Photographs and Memories, about two years ago, not really knowing where it would take me. It has been an interesting journey, with my interests, experiences and connections expanding continually. The realisation that most of the family stories that had been passed on to me were about my great grandfathers and great uncles led me to start a second blog, The Other Half of My Tree - stories of my female ancestors. I view both these blogs as a learning process and an opportunity to connect and share with those who are researching similar themes. I also have to admit that I often procrastinate, have so many stories to tell but as yet haven't put pen to paper.

As others have mentioned access to family research and genealogy is accelerating with amazing developments in new programs, social media and the opportunity to share and collaborate with others.  Let me share a couple of sites and tools that I have found useful. 

Evernote: I have found Evernote to be an extremely helpful tool for collecting all my family tree bits and pieces. You are able to tag and file articles, pictures and websites with appropriate family connections for further use and reference. On my recent trip to the UK I used Evernote to tag and file photos (taken with my IPad) of gravestones, church and street signs, family homes as well as interesting articles, maps and pages of books discovered while researching in the local library.

Pinterest: Besides being lots of fun, this visual tool is a great way to collect photos and links to articles and blogs on "boards". I have found Pinterest a rewarding method to share blogs and to link with other people interested in genealogy and family tree research.

Two web sites that are definitely among my favourite are TROVE and The British News Paper Archives. These web sites which are being continually updated, hold collections of newspapers from Australia  (TROVE) and the United Kingdom (British Newspaper Archives). Both of these sites have not only provided me with many clues in solving family tree links, but also allowed me to learn more about the times and events surrounding the lives of my ancestors.

Though I am an amateur genealogist come family tree researcher I am only too happy to share or assist others with their family tree discoveries if I am able. Looking forward to future interaction and collaboration!