MARTIN family Blewbury

[dfss]

Hard times indeed...

Thanks very much for letting me know what happened to the Annetts.

Where did you find the information ? I looked myself but had no luck.

Regards,
dfss

[dfss]

Sorry KN,

I forgot to ask, was Thomas Stanbrook transported for life as well ?

dfss

[LizzieL]

There was quite a lot of details of the Annetts, Blissetts and Stanbrooks trial in newspapers at the time. I'm not sure what happened to Thomas, his older brother Joseph Stanbrook was transported for 10 years.

[dfss]

Thanks LizzieL

I'll try a bit harder !

dfss

[LizzieL]

Berks Chronicle 23rd Feb 1839 lists the calender for trials at the Lent Assize. It mentions Thomas Stanbrook charged with stealing a pocket book containing a sovereign, half a crown and a sixpence from the person of Abijah Martin. The same list has Sarah Annetts (nee Stanbrook) and Maria Blissett (nee Annetts) for setting fire to ricks belonging to T T Morland (connected to the Abingdon brewing family.
Berks Chronicle 2nd March 1839 has an account of the trial of Sarah Annetts and Maria Blissett. They were found not guilty of the charge of burning the ricks, but Sarah was found guilty of two other instances of rick burning (not involving Maria) and transported for life.
Reading Mercury 15 Dec 1838 has more details of the case of Thomas Stanbrook. This was the preliminary examination before comittal for trial at the assize the following spring.

[LizzieL]

Just found the Thomas Stanbrook trial reported in the Reading Mercury of 2nd March 1839. Thomas was found not guilty, because he had witnesses to testify he was elsewhere at the time the two boys were robbed. The principal witness was Joseph Annetts, his brother in law (my  2 x great grandfather's brother) who said Thomas had supper with him then they went to Joseph mother's house (Mary Annetts nee Broad - my 3 x great grandmother) and afterwards went on to the pub.
Don't know whether I entirely believe it all. 

[dfss]

Thanks for sharing this LizzieL.

Not sure that I quite believe in Thomas' innocence either !

Interesting to note that, assuming the transportations were to Australia, that is where Silas Martin's (one of the boys robbed) descendent Paul now lives. He has posted a few contributions to this thread.

Thanks once again,
dfss

[LizzieL]

The 1843 transportations (Joseph Annetts, Joseph Blissett, Joseph Stanbrook and Richard Wallis - probably another rellie of mine) were sent to Tasmania.

http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/gilmore/1843

Sarah Annetts was transported to NSW in 1839.

Maria Blissett was found not guilty and doesn't seem to have been involved in anything criminal again. She remarried after Joseph had been gone 7 years.