Thank you Radcliff, Barry's and Jools for your posts. I am not at home at the moment but I think Michael may be the Sydney one by his age of I am not mistaken. I know he appears in the 1841 census in Newgate Street, in Morpeth with his family members who were also implicated in the crime plus an older sister called Elizabeth. There is also someone called Jane Anderson. Pure speculation but I think she may have went on to be the Mother of Isabella Miller who married James and Elizabeth's youngest son Thomas.
Many thanks for the link Jools as I had no idea this existed. It was very kind of you to let me know about this. Also, thanks for the link you sent too Barryd much appreciated.
I did not think Michael would have been allowed to come back. A while back I wondered if my ancestors might have felt angry with Michael when they heard of his and his family's later crimes which might make most people suspect him if the murder crime. If my ancestors had suspected him you would think they would be very angry that this man had nearly got them hanged and made their children orphans. My great grandfather would have only been aged four at the time. However, as they called their next child Michael who was born a year after the trial I take it that they did not suspect him. I can't imagine that they would have called their next child Michael if they thought Michael Allen guilty.
It could be that Michael later turned to crime out of desperation of course. In the newspapers it was reported that people would no longer but the wares of the Allens/Andersons.
It came out at the trial that my ancestor James had loaned Dorothy money at one point, so I think he knew she had no money. The Allens alias Anderson's may not have known this.
Dorothy was not buried until 1856. I found her burial a while back at the Newcastle library. I have it written down somewhere at home.
I think my ancestors were written about in quite a disparaging way in the press and goodness knows how they managed to get through their jail time in Morpeth and Newcastle and carry on after the trial. I do believe that they were not guilty. I can't imagine that they would have been that angry with Dorothy to commit such a dreadful crime. You would think they would have known they would automatically become suspects and they would have risked leaving their children orphans.
I thank God for the Quaker QC who helped them in their trial. If not for him then perhaps I might not have been here today if my Great Grandfather had lost his parents and had to try to possibly survive in a workhouse regime.
I have never been able to find out what happened to the children during the trial. Although, I have read that the baby who was still breastfeeding went to court with them. This would have been their son John who was born on 17th March 1855.
I am sorry that Dorothy's killers have never been discovered. She did not deserve what happened to her.
