Lookup RUSSELL please

[Rozzy]

Henry Edward RUSSELL, AKA William PORTER,  was sent to Parkhurst Prison in 1840, then on to Western Australia in 1843.  He was Aged 13 when sentenced at Surrey Sessions (Newington) 26 Oct 1840, so was born around 1826/28.

His father, William RUSSELL, was a glazier, according to Henry's marriage
certificate in Western Australia in 1849.  No mother's name unfortunately.

Could someone please lookup to see if William and/or Henry Edward
are on the Census 1831, or if there is a baptism for Henry, or marriage
for William? 

Thanks very much

Rozzy

[Rozzy]

This is certainly proving to be a brick wall!!

Is there anything around the 1820's/ 1830's for my William RUSSELL
please?

Thanks!!

Rozzy

[Valda]

The first national surviving census is 1841 which lists all names of people in a household, whether they were born in or out of the county and gives ages (anyone over 15 usually has their age rounded down to the nearest 5) and occupations.
Previous censuses to 1841 have only survived in parts. They give the name of the head of household and count the other people giving ages to the nearest 5 and whether they were male or female - no names.

Newington though then in Surrey was at its furthest tip to the north and would now be considered as part of inner south London boardering on to the Thames river. So though William Russell's crime took place in Surrey or he would not have been tried in a Surrey court that doesn't guarantee he came originally from Surrey, since London acted as a magnate for people arriving from all over the country to find work.

If William Russell was still alive at the time of the 1841 census and lived locally then he could be one of the 65 William Russells in Surrey, or the 119 in adjacent Kent and just across the river Thames in Middlesex there were 107. Not all of course would be the right age but what age was William Russell and with so many there might very well be more than one who was a glazier.

Henry Russell was probably this entry on the 1841 census

HO107 405/17 folio 6
Parkhurst Prison Carisbrooke Isle of Wight Hampshire
William Porter 13 prisoner not born Hampshire

Many parish registers have no coverage on the IGI (Family History Search) particularly parishes in the Southwark (Newington) area.

Have you exhausted all the records you can in Australia?
Henry's death certificate for instance - what information does that give? His convict records. I have not researched Western Australian convict records but I do know Tasmania records can be very informative.

Regards

Valda

[Rozzy]

Thanks Valda, you're a mine of wonderful information!!:)

Yes, I understand the problems of the census, and not knowing where
Henry was born etc., and was hoping for less hits on the William Russell name 

"William Porter" was the alias for Henry, so that's him in Parkhurst. 
Unfortunately, the "Parkhurst Boys" were a defacto convict group that
does not have the extensive information that the 'real' convicts have in
Western Australia.  I'm still tracking down his employer when he was
apprenticed to see if that provides any information.  I was hoping that
there would be more information on Henry at 'your' end...

Henry Russell's death certificate does not provide any parent info. The
occupation of William was on the marriage certificate, which in itself was
extremely difficult to discover, as it was originally in the name of Porter
and Henry had been sneaky at maintaining his alias until then! He wasn't
recorded as Russell anywhere until he married.  I found it by chance..  isn't that always the way??

Another 'convict' record had the Dad William Russell as a glazier/painter, but
that doesn't really add any new information.

Oh well, looks like I've got all I can get at this time!!

Thanks again Valda,

Rozzy

[Valda]

There are surviving registers for Parkhurst prison in The National Archives. What you really wanted was the series PCOM2/59 but they date between 1853-1863. They would definitely give a place of birth and next of kin amongst other information.
What survives for the period you are interested in is HO24/15 Parkhurst prison registers and returns 1838-1863.
That record will give when arrived and from what gaol, name, age, crime, where and when convicted, sentence, married or single, ability to read or write, trade, character from gaoler's report, when and where discharge.
In the example I am looking at the prisoner arrived from Millbank gaol which would mean the possibility of searching Millbank prison records for more information. Your prisoner came from Surrey and was tried at quarter sessions so he will have been held in a Surrey gaol. It depends on which whether there are further surviving records for that prison that early.
Surrey Record Office will hold any surviving calendars of prisoners but those sorts of records don't give you personal information. but will state information such as where the crime was committed.

The National Archives research guide will give you further information

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=347

but to research the sorts of records they hold really means to visit TNA. The majority of any records he will appear in will not give personal information such as a place of birth.

Regards

Valda

[Rozzy]

Hi Valda

Thanks very much for your information.  I'll attempt to follow that up
in a couple of weeks when I return from holidays.

Regards,

Rozzy

[BAC3]

Rozzy,


I know this thread is now 8 years old BUT if this message does get to you I have a very extensive Biography for William PORTER otherwise Henry Edward RUSSELL that you may like a copy of...........send me a PM with your email address.

For now BAC3