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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: Smokey807 on Friday 25 November 16 12:34 GMT (UK)
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Im looking for the trial transcripton or any other records about a bogus English "Lord" who was arrested in Maine for fraud. The Report of the Attorney General for the state of Main in their report of 1891 gave " Charles Oscar De Courcy-obtaining money under false pretences-sentenced to 2 years in the state Prison"
The New York Times of February 27,1891 called him a "Bogus Lord" recently arrested for swindling operations in various town in Washington County,Maine and sent to jail in Bangor in default of $1,000 bail to await trial at the April term of court"
The Bangor Daily Whig and Courier Feb 19,1891 has an article about this case but I was not able to read it.
The New York Herald of Thursday Feb 19,1891 stated " A young man who called himself Charles Oscar De Courcy claims to be an English Lord, and who has been living at Machias, was arrested in this city this afternoon at the request of Sheriff Longfellow, of Washington County. He is wanted on the charge of having duped people there to the extent of $700.At his boarding house, after his arrest, he took half an ounce of laudanum with suicidal intent.There is no Lord De Courcy, the title having become extint. Baron De Courcy died in 1828 unmarried and was succeeded by his cousin John Fitzroy, the present Lord Kinsale.
I have been researching Thomas Horatio Howarth, born 1845/1846 Manchester England who was sentenced twice (1868 and 1879) and served time in the Maidstone,Kent Prison. His trial in Madestone in 1870 reported on the frauds he committed in 1870 in Eastbourn under the alias of Lord De Courcy/ Lord Albert De Courcy and others and that he was arrested in Tunbridge Wells, Kent a few weeks later as Thomas Horatio Howarth and identified as the same man using the De Courcy name. After his release from prison his documents said he was going to emigrate to the USA and I have found a passenger record for a Thomas Horatio Howarth departing from Liverpool on the SS NEVADA arriving in New York on January 25,1872 and I am trying to prove that the man who was imprisioned in England is the same man who was arrested in Maine.
The only other information I have, and I don't know if it is relevant is a record for a Charles Oscar De Courcy stated to be born 1864 who married Georgia Hoar at Machias .Washington County, Maine April 24,1889 at Machias. They had two children. One of the newspaper article about the fraud in main stated he wrote to his wife at the time of his arrest and so presumably he was married. As noted above my man in England was born 1845/1846 so that does not match the above birth date of the De Courcy who married Georgia so the only match might just be the name and have noting to do with the man using that name in the Maine fraud case.
Everything I have given above is all the information I have. If you have anything else about this inquiry please reply.
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I should add that the alias used by Thomas Horario Howarth in Eastbour were "Lord De Courcy"/ Lord Alfred de Courcy, and C.A. De Courcy.
I should also clarify that the Charles Oscar De Courcy born 1864 was married at Machias, Washingto Co. Main' that his wife Georgia Hoar was born at Machias and perhaps coincidentaly the man by the same name was arrested for fraud while living in Machias. Are they the same man? If so and if his birth was really 1864 then I would have to say that he is not the same man in England convicted of frauds using the De Courcy name as an alias-any comments?
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A column and a half news article in the Bangor Daily Wig and Courier from 19 Feb 1891 states that he was about 35 years old, 5' 8", stooped shouldered, wild black eyes, high cheek bones, thick lips, straight black hair, and speaks with a Lancashire brogue. Also speculates that he was of French/Indian heritage.
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Thanks for the description of him. The De Coursy/Howarth man imprisoned in England was born 1845/1846 in Manchester Lancashire. The De Coursy you described had a Lancashire accident so good match there even though his year of birth (abt age 35) would make him born 1856....Still a possible match though.
Anything from reports in America that the De Coursey name being used in the USA by that man was an alias and that his real name was Thomas Horatio Howarth?
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Perhaps he "altered" his year of birth when he married Georgia in Maine? I had an ancestor who "forgot" when he was born; family tales suggest that he wanted to be closer in age to his wife. ;)
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I way be way off track, but perhaps worth mentioning? :-\
According to one online tree, Georgia Hoar and Charles Oscar Decourcy had two children
Carl Herbert Decourcy, born 26 April, 1891, Machias, Maine
Lillian Gladys Decourcy, born 21 March 1890, Machias, Maine
Looking at that tree, his name is also recorded as Carl Thaxter
A Carl Herbert Decourcy passed away in 1958 in California; his father's surname was Decourcy.
1910 District 0156, Middle Fork, Lane Co., Oregon Census
Carl H Thaxter, boarder, single, age 19, born in Maine as were parents. He was a time keeper for a railroad camp.
Also living with the same group of people was a
John Decoursey?, boarder, age 57, widowed, born in New York, parents born in Ireland. Foreman, Rail Road
Coincidence? Information is incorrect for your men, but ???
Also
1900 District 0866, Medford Ward 01, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Thaxter, Cannot read first name - typed record shows Firal?, born Aug 1863, age 36, father of 4 children; born Maine as were parents. Occupation Porter
Georgia? (cannot read middle initial); wife (2nd); born Apr 1866, age 34, mother of 4 children; born Maine, father born Eng Canada, mother born Maine
Lillian G, daughter, born Mar 1890, born Maine, father born England, mother born Maine
Carl H., son, born Apr 1890, born Maine, father born England, mother born Maine
Margaret A, born June 1897, born Maine as were parents
Charlotte G?, born Oct 1898, born Maine as were parents
Cushing Street, #50?
Note: I've not proofread the above, hopefully it doesn't contain any errors.
I wonder if John DeCoursey? was just a coincidence? Could he have resurfaced (using another name) after his "time away"? Note: His name on one of the pay sites is typed as "Decowsay" but the image could be Decoursey.
Update: John Decoursey could just be a coincidence. 1880 Census: John Decoursey, born c1854, New York, parents born Ireland.
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Another online tree states Charles/Thomas died during the "Philippine-American War", as per "some correspondence".
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Have you seen the passenger list for
Waesland left Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for Liverpool, England, arriving 3 May 1900
C A De Courcy, Single, Gent, "Foreigner" (not English, Scotch, or Irish), adult male.
Ship: New England, Arrival 13 July 1900, Boston, Massachusetts
List of Saloon Passengers included
Mr. C. A. De Courcy
Update: There was an American judge with the name of Charles A. De Courcy, born September 1857, Massachusetts. The above may be his sailing.
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Thank you all for your investigations and information-very interesting. The key to sorting it all out would be a newspaper article mentioning that the De Coursy who committed the crimes in Maine was an alias and that he was Thomas Horatio Howarth-that would clinch it. If no such article can be found than I would have to conclude they are not the same man and therefore the man in Maine is of no interest to me.
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LISA: I've been looking at the de Courcy/Thaxter link and Georgia T Hoar marries Frank Walter Thaxter in Machias 28 Aug 1896. Obviously, de Courcy is either divorced* or she is a widow by this time. This family migrates to Berkeley, CA and I've been trying to see if Carl's obit mentions his father. His sister, Lillian marries an Edward L Lord and is living on the East coast when Georgia dies in 1934, at the age of 68.
*corrected: should proof-read before submitting
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This family migrates to Berkeley, CA and I've been trying to see if Carl's obit mentions his father. His sister, Lillian marries an Edward L Lord and is living on the East coast when Georgia dies in 1934, at the age of 68.
Carl's DC : http://tinyurl.com/z38mcgo
OR
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9SJ-5L5H?i=1050&wc=SJ5J-DP8%3A285174601%2C285470501&cc=2001287
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http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=759912.0
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LISA: I've been looking at the de Courcy/Thaxter link and Georgia T Hoar marries Frank Walter Thaxter in Machias 28 Aug 1896. Obviously, de Courcy is either deceased or she is a widow by this time. This family migrates to Berkeley, CA and I've been trying to see if Carl's obit mentions his father. His sister, Lillian marries an Edward L Lord and is living on the East coast when Georgia dies in 1934, at the age of 68.
Hi, the original image of the Thaxter/Decourcy marriage shows it is Georgia's second marriage and she is divorced. So potentially the "Lord" is still at large at this time.
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This family migrates to Berkeley, CA and I've been trying to see if Carl's obit mentions his father. His sister, Lillian marries an Edward L Lord and is living on the East coast when Georgia dies in 1934, at the age of 68.
Carl's DC : http://tinyurl.com/z38mcgo
OR
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9SJ-5L5H?i=1050&wc=SJ5J-DP8%3A285174601%2C285470501&cc=2001287
Strangely, the DC posted by RJ137 shows Carl's father to be JOHN DECOURCY born CANADA :-\
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Thank you all for your investigations and information-very interesting. The key to sorting it all out would be a newspaper article mentioning that the De Coursy who committed the crimes in Maine was an alias and that he was Thomas Horatio Howarth-that would clinch it. If no such article can be found than I would have to conclude they are not the same man and therefore the man in Maine is of no interest to me.
Did you miss my reply (No.19) in your other thread on the subject?
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Did you miss my reply (No.19) in your other thread on the subject?
This one?
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=759912.18
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Thank you all for your replies-most interesting.
Yes I saw reply 19 on the other thread but the name he gave as his "real" name may have been another alias. What would resolve it is an article or other document stating that De Coursy in Main was using the name Thomas Horatio Howarth. If the Howarth name does not show up in any Maine records then they most likely are not the same man.
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Have you tried Lancashire OPC ? It is the best resource for Lancashire Parish Records
http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/
I have a had a quick look and between 1841 and 1870 there are hundreds of baptisms for a Thomas Haworth/Howorth across the county of Lancashire. Unfortunately it isn't an unusual name in the area.
If he really was born in "Manchester", these are the Parish areas on the site that would be classed as the city.
Ancoats
Ardwick
Blackley
Cheetham
Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Chorlton-on-Medlock
Collyhurst
Crumpsall
Didsbury
Flixton
Gorton
Harpurhey
Heaton Norris
Hulme
Manchester
Miles Platting
Newton Heath
Old Trafford
Rusholme
Stretford
Urmston
Withington
It does seem a coincidence that the two men have the same alias as a surname and are committing the same type of crime. I sympathise with you because we had a swindler, as well as other crimes, in our family tree and she used an alias. She was convicted under her "real" registered birth name but went by, and was mostly convicted under, her mothers maiden surname. The problem is that lying is their trade and so it is hard to know what to believe about any name or age.
I would look for other criminal records and also maybe some other criminals in the family. Maybe he was born Horatio and Thomas was a name he used day to day? I would think he is most likely English/British, as the name was likely inspired by Horatio Nelson. If he had a "Lancashire accent", then the Lancashire OPC is your best bet for Parish Records. It is a great website for anyone researching the county.
Added -
Hadn't noticed the other topic.
This one?
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=759912.18
Thanks aghadowey
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A column and a half news article in the Bangor Daily Wig and Courier from 19 Feb 1891 states that he was about 35 years old, 5' 8", stooped shouldered, wild black eyes, high cheek bones, thick lips, straight black hair, and speaks with a Lancashire brogue. Also speculates that he was of French/Indian heritage.
Yet another DeCourcey to add:
Sing Sing Prison Admission Register, February 1882
John DeCourcey, age 24
This man stated that he was born in Ireland and was a bricklayer; was Catholic and Single
Had gray eyes, bald, 5'9", 160 weight
Could read and write
Upon his arrest resided: 225 W 60th Street, NYC
Right after the address it looks like "Uncle Dennis DeCourcey" then it was written "Deputy Sheriff" and an address
In the description of John, he had several scars on his face, scowled badly, had lost "nearly all the hair off his head from disease" (could it have grown back later?), had full mouth and thick lips, his eyebrows were "straight and come together on the nose", his "head and face long and features large".
He had a large scar on the inside of his left arm near the shoulder, apparently from a burn. He had a blue anchor on his back and on the inside of his right forearm he had a small red cross.
Could one man have claimed that he was John DeCourcey, Oscar De Courcy, Thomas Howarth? Could he have told different stories about his life: he was born in England, New York, Canada, possibly of French/Indian heritage and now Ireland? Could he have changed his age at different times in his life? Was DeCourcy a name that was somewhat unusual, or was it a somewhat common name? :-\
Update: If this was one man, he could have been on the move and could have learned how to mimic different accents, if need be. Or, he could have remained in one area for many years and could have picked up a slight accent.
Update, again. The above report appears to have been the one time that it could have had real facts, as Dennis appears to have been a Deputy Sheriff at the time (and one would think this would be the time to be honest). Dennis is in the 1884 New York Directory as dep. sheriff County C.H.
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I think you need to get a look at the Maine court records. You might be able to get someone to look them up for you here:
http://www.maine.gov/portal/online_services/categories/history.html
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Thank you for the interesting replies.
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Charles Oscar DeCOURCY or DeCOURSEY is my Great-Grandfather. He married Georgia "Georgie" Theresa Hoar in Machias, Maine, and had two children, Lilian (my Grandmother) and Carl. Georgie later divorced him, and married Frank Walter Thaxter.
Very little is known about him. I have seen several publications that he went to prison to fraud; also, some speculation that he later served in the Spanish American War. I do know, howver, that he was average height and had very blue eyes, as I have a photograph of him.