Abraham BENTLEY, Born c1845

[BAC3]

Good Afternoon Radcliff and Pennines

Some interesting new territory being opened up........thank you.

The age is approximately correct, although Madras (mother) is a long way from Calcutta and even further from Philadelphia.   The "pear tattoo on back of neck" is according to Chatham Prison "two burns" (artistic licence maybe!!) but as Pennines states he was "Mulatto" and  this does resemble the "Half-caste" of Chatham Prison.   Somewhere along the line all this detail must connect in the same person.......balance of probabilities theory......and I am grateful to you both.

Note for Radcliff:   Could you please identify the references for your last set of details if at all possible.

For now,

BAC3

[Radcliff]

yes Bacs Yorkshire prison records on ancestry
again he is charged in December 1888
alongside another chap,also from Calcutta Abraham is now a scissor grinder
and has described as tow burn marks on the back of his neck and is black,
the other chap is John Dillon
interesting to see there is a mention of a Abraham Bentley being transported to Australia in 1862,perhaps some thing else there for you to follow up

[Radcliff]

think there might be a bit of fibbing going on
as in 1889
Abraham Bentley otherwise Casson is again charged with be drunk and riotuos behavior
and given 14 days in prison,the event was in  Barnsley and he states he is a sailor and aged 37,and born Calcutta
he is described as half caste,two burn scars on neck  two coincidental to ignore

[BAC3]

Hello Radcliff,

Thank you for providing the citations, extremely useful details that, hopefully, will allow me to trace faithfully Abraham BENTLEY's life, which is complicated to say the least.   If the Indian aspects could be explained that would literally be "icing on the cake".

However, there is there is one piece of incorrect information.   Not your fault but that of the Ancestry transcriber.  He was not transported to Western Australia but actually to Gibraltar, which I had already researched.   If you revert to the frontispiece of that particular Register by using the backspacing arrow (left hand side of the image) on BENTLEY's entry you will notice that the convict ship Adelaide sailed for Gibraltar on 28/06/1863.

Once again , my thanks for all your help.

BAC3

[Pennines]

I am wondering if Abraham's alter-ego name of Cossam may have been his birth name and he was Harriet's illegitimate son - I have been looking on Family Search for that name -- no real joy - but have come across the surname of Cassam. There was someone in the Merchant Navy born India - but only a surname was showing!

I don't know why I'm posting this really, as it's a negative result -- couldn't find a Harriet Cassam or variant born in India, nor an Abraham. I have also fruitlessly checked on FIBIS. I'm just hoping the suggestion may give someone else an idea!

[Radcliff]

Bac can I just ask was his first offence in Disington,a 17 year old sailor
given 12 months hard labour,March 1860

[BAC3]

Morning Radcliff,

Yes........he was sentenced at the Cumberland (Carlisle) Assizes on 22/02/1860 to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour, although he had been previously and summarily convicted on 31/10/1859 to imprisonment for 2 calendar months under the Juvenile Offenders Act.

BAC3