Welcome, Guest. Please login or register for free.
Did you miss your activation email?
Saturday 30 August 08 14:24 BST (UK)
Welcome Home Help Shop Search Calendar Login Register
Search Images 

Online
 
  First Name(s)

Last Name

 
News: Ad: View the 1891 England Census

+  RootsChat.Com
|-+  England (Counties as in 1851-1901)
| |-+  England - General
| | |-+  Berkshire
| | | |-+  Berkshire Lookup Requests
| | | | |-+  James WESTALL born c1829
« previous next »
Pages: [1] Print
Author Topic: James WESTALL born c1829  (Read 226 times)
dee-jay
RootsChat Senior
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 299



James WESTALL born c1829
« on: Tuesday 01 April 08 13:08 BST (UK) »

My last sighting of James WESTALL was in a 1993 Hampshire Chronicle news clipping under the heading '150 Years Ago' for Monday, April 24, 1843:
'Newbury - The borough sessions were held on Tuesday, when Mary Ann Snuff was convicted of stealing a quantity of bacon and sentenced to 10 years transportation.  John Fisher, for stealing a quantity of cloth and other property of his employer, 15 months imprisonment.  Sambo, a man of colour, from Bombay, for stealing a duck and a fowl, one month.  James Smith, James WESTALL, Edmund Mills and Thos. Wilkins, each only 14 years of age, for stealing a pair of shoes, three weeks hard labour, the last three days solitary, and to be well whipped.'

In 1841 the four boys appear to have lived in close proximity to each other [Mills and Wilkins in Bartholomew Street, Smith in Chapel Yard and Westall in Cheap Street] but I don't know if James WESTALL survived the punishment, or whether he embarked on a life of crime.  He is untraced in 1851, when his supposed mother, Sarah, and supposed elder brother William were resident in Drapers Yard, Chapelry of Greenham.  Sarah WESTALL emigrated to USA in 1853, in the wake of her married daughter, Mary Ann CANNING, after she had seen sons Francis and William settled into marriage.

I'd be extremely grateful if SKS could please locate a Newbury newspaper report of the relevant Borough Sessions, in case there are further details  of the case [parentage, complainant etc.].  At this stage in their history, gleaned from PR entries and GRO certs, these WESTALLs appear to have been evolving from bargework to the building trades [plumbing/bricklaying/painting & decorating], but the 1851 Census administrator or enumerator saw fit to return to their schedule and insert 'Ag' in front of the original 'Labourer' entries.
Logged

SOM/Chard/Combe St Nicholas:  Dean[e]/Doble/Jeffery/Burt;  DEV/Yarcombe:  Dean/Gill/Every; 
BRK/Newbury:  Westall/Green/Lewis/Canning;  WIL/Allcannings:  Hiscock/Amor;  HAM/Kingsclere:  Martin/Hiscock/Westall;  WAR/Marton/Bubbenhall:  Glenn/Holmes;  STS/Yoxall/Hamstall Ridware/Barton-u-Needwood:  Holmes/Dainty;  STS/Brewood/Codsall/Penkridge/Hatherton:  Dean[e]; GLA/Aberdare:  Dean/Dane

Census information: Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
newburychap
RootsChat Veteran
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 503



Re: James WESTALL born c1829
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 03 April 08 12:17 BST (UK) »

I'm afraid there was no Newbury newspaper in the 1840s. The next best is the Reading Mercury or Chronicle but the level of coverage of minor crimes is pretty low. You should perhaps look for a copy of the original article in the Hampshire Chronicle (at least you are certain it exists) - it may have a little more information than the 1993 rehash.
Logged

Currently researching:
HEADs in west Berkshire (the Peasemore/Leckhampstead line).
Newbury almshouses & many other aspects of the history of the area.
dee-jay
RootsChat Senior
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 299



Re: James WESTALL born c1829
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 30 July 08 00:51 BST (UK) »

Good advice, Newburychap.   It was well worth the eye-strain!

It transpired that:
Mary Ann Snuff's bacon was the property of Mrs Rolfe.  A former conviction having been proved against her, she was sentenced to 10 years transportation.  [I had considered 10 years a bit steep for a first offence!]  Roll Eyes

Sambo's duck and fowl were the property of R.E. Dibley.

The shoes that the 4 boys stole were the property of Sarah Rapson.

AND there were two further miscreants, omitted after John Fisher:
John Brown, for stealing cloth, the property of William Keens, and Thomas Jones, for receiving a quantity of boots and shoes, belonging to Richard Barratt, knowing them to be stolen, 12 months.
Logged

SOM/Chard/Combe St Nicholas:  Dean[e]/Doble/Jeffery/Burt;  DEV/Yarcombe:  Dean/Gill/Every; 
BRK/Newbury:  Westall/Green/Lewis/Canning;  WIL/Allcannings:  Hiscock/Amor;  HAM/Kingsclere:  Martin/Hiscock/Westall;  WAR/Marton/Bubbenhall:  Glenn/Holmes;  STS/Yoxall/Hamstall Ridware/Barton-u-Needwood:  Holmes/Dainty;  STS/Brewood/Codsall/Penkridge/Hatherton:  Dean[e]; GLA/Aberdare:  Dean/Dane

Census information: Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
newburychap
RootsChat Veteran
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 503



Re: James WESTALL born c1829
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 30 July 08 23:49 BST (UK) »

The 'xx years ago' snippets are often interesting and every now and then come up with something great for your research - but it is always worth checking back as you usually get more of the story. Glad it worked out for you.
Logged

Currently researching:
HEADs in west Berkshire (the Peasemore/Leckhampstead line).
Newbury almshouses & many other aspects of the history of the area.
dee-jay
RootsChat Senior
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 299



Re: James WESTALL born c1829
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 31 July 08 00:30 BST (UK) »

Would they have served their sentences in Reading Gaol and, if so, are there likely to be Calendars of Prisoners available somewhere as only a few dating from 1849 appear to be held at BRO?

If Reading Gaol was being rebuilt between 1841-1844, were prisoners accommodated elsewhere during that period?

Any experts on Reading Gaol out there?
Logged

SOM/Chard/Combe St Nicholas:  Dean[e]/Doble/Jeffery/Burt;  DEV/Yarcombe:  Dean/Gill/Every; 
BRK/Newbury:  Westall/Green/Lewis/Canning;  WIL/Allcannings:  Hiscock/Amor;  HAM/Kingsclere:  Martin/Hiscock/Westall;  WAR/Marton/Bubbenhall:  Glenn/Holmes;  STS/Yoxall/Hamstall Ridware/Barton-u-Needwood:  Holmes/Dainty;  STS/Brewood/Codsall/Penkridge/Hatherton:  Dean[e]; GLA/Aberdare:  Dean/Dane

Census information: Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
newburychap
RootsChat Veteran
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 503



Re: James WESTALL born c1829
« Reply #5 on: Friday 01 August 08 01:14 BST (UK) »

Would they have served their sentences in Reading Gaol and, if so, are there likely to be Calendars of Prisoners available somewhere as only a few dating from 1849 appear to be held at BRO?

There are calendars of prisoners in the sessions rolls at the BRO. I think they will cover the 1840s I certainly saw one from 1823 today. They include a huge amount of information - witness statements, charges etc.  You need a lot of patience to go through them as they may have not been unolled for a hundred years or so and are a bit of a mess. It seems that the system changed in 1849 - from then they kept the calendars together in a file.
Logged

Currently researching:
HEADs in west Berkshire (the Peasemore/Leckhampstead line).
Newbury almshouses & many other aspects of the history of the area.
Pages: [1] Print 
« previous next »


[Copyright] [Free RootsChat Webspace] [Your Surname Interests] [Shrink Link] [About Us] [Terms of Use]
All Census Lookups are Crown Copyright, National Archives for academic and non-commercial research purposes only
RootsChat.com cannot be held responsible directly or indirectly for the messages or content posted by others. Inline images in messages are the copyright of the respective linked sites.
RootsChat.com, Europa House, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 5BT
20.189:23