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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: MasonT78 on Wednesday 11 January 17 09:59 GMT (UK)
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Hi,
I was wondering if anyone might be able to help me with any information.
Im looking for information on the Kent Gaol Delivery, where my 3x great grandfather Robert Mason was sentenced for forgery in 1833 at Maidstone.
Where was the building and does it still exisit?
Are there any records relating to the gaol or to the trial.
He was a Carpenter - are they any records that might be able to give me any further info on where he might have worked?
He was transported to NSW onboard the Henry Tanner and then to Tasmania on the Lady Franklin (I have all these records), at the time he was married with 1 child. His wife was Anne Morrison, who later followed him to Tasmania. I have tried everything I can think of to find their marriage but have had no luck. Robert was born in Yarmouth, Norfolk about 1802 and Anne around 1818 in Scotland (according to her death certificate, which has no other info)
Anyone who can help or can offer any suggestions would be great
(Note - It appears there was two Robert Mason's in Maidstone at the same time)
Cheers
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I don't think it means a Gaol called Delivery. It appears to be a kind of Court Session
http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=14532&inst_id=118
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/jail+delivery
There were also Sessions of Oyer and Terminer.
I've not heard of this before. Someone else may be along with a better explanation . :)
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Thanks for that. His convict Indent record as where tried as "Kent Gaol Delivery". Might be why im having trouble finding anything.
Cheers
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He's mentioned a couple of times in the newspapers. The Kentish Gazette on 19 March 1833 says "Robert Mason was convicted of uttering a forged bill of exchange for £30, at Greenwich." So it's possible he worked in Greenwich. Between 26 March and 2 April various newspapers list him as one of the prisoners sentenced for transportation for life who were removed from the County gaol and put on board the Retribution Hulk at Sheerness.
Drosybont
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Great thanks for that, thats definitely him. Thats the first mention ive seen of Greenwich, so Ill look into that.
Is the Gazette available online and is there a cost?
Thanks again
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Those were on British Newspaper Archives, which is a subscription site. Nothing more in those reports, but there might be something earlier, perhaps a hearing by the magistrates before the case went to the assizes.
Drosybont
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I wonder, despite what some records seem to say, that rather than there being two criminal Robert Masons in Maidstone at the same time, the seeming double record comes about because Henry Tanner was not originally the vessel he was due to go on. There was only one Robert Mason convicted at the Lent Assizes in Kent on 11 March 1833 for uttering a forged bill of exchange for £30. The date and offence are consistently the same in records of Robert Mason in 1833 and 1834. The Prison hulk registers and the convict ship sailings tell the following story:
He was initially sent, from Maidstone jail to the hulk “Retribution” at Sheerness (this hulk was at Woolwich and Sheerness at various times hence the newspaper report) which records him being received from Maidstone jail on 25 March 1833. The disposed of column, written before it happened, says that he is due to go to NSW 23 May 1833.
He then appears on the list of convicts on the Lord Lynedoch sailing 30 May 1833 for NSW.
The register for the hulk “Retribution” at Woolwich then notes him being received from “Lord Lynedoch” Bay Ship 31 May 1933. Disposed of says “Fortitude” 31 Mar 1834.
The hulk “Fortitude”at Chatham says received from “Retribution” 1 Apr 1834 and disposed of NSW 27 Jun 1834
He is then on the list of convicts on Henry Tanner sailing 27 Jun 1834 This is the record that says "Kent gaol delivery" but perhaps should have said "from Retribution".
It may be that the master of the Lord Lynedoch didn't want him aboard for some reason or another and before leaving UK waters, sent him back to the prison hulk system.
See my next post.
Doesn't answer your query but thought it might be of interest.
maxD
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What MaxD says sounds to me quite possible as an explanation for the variation in details. If you haven't seen it yet, there's quite a lot in the HO 17 Criminal Petitions file on him on Find My Past. There is family information there as well as information about the circumstances of the crime, well worth you taking a look. Seems although the forgery was in Greenwich, he was living in Woolwich at the time, yet he still had strong enough connections to Great Yarmouth for people there to petition for clemency for him. The material covers quite a long period - sadly by the time his son asked about him getting a pardon, he had died. Petition files can be a bit random sometimes, this one has one document in it relating to someone else altogether!
Drosybont
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Good spot Drosybont. In fact the official letter dated 30 May 1833 ordering that he be re-landed from the Lord Lynedoch and taken aboard the Retribution is to be found in the files.
Just to pre-empt a query. At least one record I have seen from Australia lists him on the Lord Lyndoch as an arrival on that vessel in Oct 1833. The various registers don't always distinguish an intended date from an actual date but close inspection usually clarifies things. In this case, it would seem that the first piece of information which is him embarking on the Lord Lyndoch on 30 May 1833 has been accepted without further research as proof of his arrival. (I am aware that MasonT78 knows he arrived on the Henry Tanner, eventually!)
maxD
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Thank you both for all that extra information. Certainly wasn't aware of the Lord Lyndoch connection. Lost more things to research now.
FYI - I was convicted for forgery twice more in Australia - once in NSW for forging a conditional Pardon and then again in Tasmania for money (against another one of my Grandfathers on another line of my family). Certainly an interesting character.
Thanks again
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Certainly some interesting reading with the Petition file. Im now thinking that his wife Mary Ann (My grandmother was known as Anne or Annie nee Morrison) did not come to Australia and he has infact remarried.
I can find no info on their marriage or her arrival in Australia.
Roberts Son, Robert H Mason appears to have his mother living with them on the 1871 Census.
When Anne died in 1910, her death certificate states she had 6 children, 2 female and 4 male. I can only trace 3 of the children 2 girls (One my 2x grandmother) and the some who died at 4 months old.
Interesting how a small piece of information leads to lots more questions and mysteries.
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There is a possible marriage which you might want to consider, also on FindMyPast, 23 July 1839, Robert Mason to Ann Morison at Jerrabombera NSW.
Drosybont
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Thanks for that.
That definitely appears to be them.
Cheers