Prisoner Sussex Assizes

[liza99]

Hi

I have a missing John Slater on 1871 census foll.

There is a record for Sussex Assizes 14/3/1870 for a John Slater, convicted of churchbreaking and larceny which might be him. It says he was imprisoned, but gives no personal details about him such as age and place of birth.

Is there any way of finding out where he might have been imprisoned which might give more info?

Thanks
Liza

[KGarrad]

Looks to me like the punishment was 7 years Penal Servitude, rather than imprisonment?

[stanmapstone]

In the 1871 census John Slater age 28, born Bolton Lancashire was a prisoner in the Male Convict Prison, Chatham, Kent. RG10; Piece: 914; Folio: 46; Page: 2;

Stan

[stanmapstone]

Chatham was a public-works prison. After Transportation ceased in 1867, penal servitude became the sole long-term punishment. Under the provisions of the Penal Servitude Act 1857 a convict serving more than three years was allowed to earn remission amounting to a quarter of his sentence. Marks were awarded for good behaviour and the amount of remission depended on the number of marks earned.
 
Stan

[liza99]

Thank you very much for your replies.

Sadly the John Slater born Bolton Lancs is not my man. Mine I believe to have been born 1838 Hartfield or Maresfield Sussex. He was a shoeing smith/blacksmith. He was abroad in Royal Artillery in 1861, discharged in 1869.

The record I looked at on Ancestry said sentence 'imprisonment' on the header part. In the document image John Slater was at the top of a page and it looked like "7 years police supervision" which did not seem like imprisonment. A little further down the page it said "2 years" by another chap, so I wondered if this applied to the ones above as well. Rather confusing.

I am now wondering if I misread 'penal servitude' as 'police supervision'. I haven't the right level of subscription to recheck this at home (checked it at a library). Another time I could note the names of the chaps listed after him (convicted of same offence) and try to find them in 1871.

If anyone can access the Assizes record opinions would be welcome.

Thanks
Liza

[stanmapstone]

It says 7? Years Penal Servitude & 7 years Police Supervision.

Stan

[stanmapstone]

 The Habitual Criminals Act of 1869 required that any person convicted of a felony and not sentenced to penal servitude, be subject to police supervision for seven years to ensure that he (or she) was making an honest living.  http://www.rootschat.com/links/0pyv/

Stan

[liza99]

Hi Stan

Thanks for this info and the scan of the document.

I think it does read 7 years penal servitude (I had thought the red cross meant it had been crossed out). I think it also said he had a former conviction of felony, so this would explain him getting police supervision as well, which would follow completion of sentence.

Would Chatham have been the prison this John Slater was sent to? I am beginning to think this is not my man, but is possibly the one from Bolton Lancs.

Mine was known to have been on Jersey July 1869, and prior to early 1869 in Royal Artillery. Although I believe him to have been born in Sussex, this does not seem to allow time for him to have incurred a prior conviction. He joined the RA when he was 17.

Looks like I am back to the drawing board.

Thanks again for your help.

Liza

[josey]

Have you dismissed this 1871 entry? RG10 piece 825 folio 41 page 5
John Slater, stepson of Henry Edwards, aged 31, unmarried, blacksmith, living in Smithbrook Hambledon Surrey born Sussex ?Kirkford?
Henry's wife Eliza aged 32 was also born in the same Sussex place.

I wonder if you had found this reference from the 1861 Worldwide Army Index [perhaps this is how you found his army service in the first place!]:

John Slater Number:819 Rank:Shoeing Smith Unit:12th Brigade R.A. Regiment
Stationed at:St.Helena; Mauritius; New Zealand; Canton; Hong Kong; Colombo (Ceylon); Cape of Good Hope
National Archives reference:WO10 / 2635

Josey