Norwich Assizes 28 march 1864 Arthur Rallison

[carolmc]

I have a record for Arthur that states "no true bill" in the acquitted/discharged column. I believe this means there was insufficient evidence for trial.

The column for offence has a B--y, could this be blasphamy, burglery or bigamy? Burglery doesn't appear, but larcenary does.

The 3 people above Arthur in the list are John Cushing, Charles Copeman and Robert Dix, all accused of manslaughter, but again "no true bill"

Does anyone know if there would have been newspaper reports of possible crimes?
Anyone have any ideas where to go next with this one?

Arthur went on to marry Ruth Eagle in 1866 and have 6 children and lived in the sporle area.

any help appreciated
Carolmc

[Milliepede]

How strange they didn't write the word 

Maybe it was something inappropriate they couldn't put down.

[kaysii]

In the newspaper reports they say that he was charged of committing a felony, but no details of what that was. It also said that he and the others were dismissed as the Grand Jury had ignored the bills against them.

With regards to the b.......y it could also stand for a sexual crime.

[GrahamSimons]

From the National Archives guide,
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/assizes-criminal-1559-1971.htm:

From 1559 assize judges mainly dealt with the more serious criminal offences such as
homicide
infanticide
theft (stolen goods were often under-valued as worth less than 12d to avoid making it a capital offence)
highway robbery
rape
assault
coining
forgery
witchcraft
trespass
vagrancy
recusancy

Burglary is a possibility therefore; bastardy wouldn't be as not a criminal matter and dealt with in lower courts. Well worth considering a sexual offence as a possibility, though, as suggested.

[kaysii]

Arthur Rallinson was also mentioned at a later date of committing several acts of arson in 1869 in Sporle, although there was not enough evidence to convict him.

[Poppy Rose]

The Lynn Advertiser 1864 2 Apr. Page 4
NORFOLK ASSIZES. – CRIMINAL BUSINESS.
   BILLS IGNORED.
   Arthur Rallison (18), labourer, charged with having committed felony at Sporle-with-Palgrave, on the 17th December, 1863.

Ruth Eagle, a daughter of Rose Eagle, was a relative of mine. It looks as if Ruth and Arthur went up the Yorkshire sometime after 1873 and before 1876 and I think I found him dying there in 1880.
 
Are you working on the Rallison or on the Eagle side of this family?

 

[carolmc]

Hi everyone
Big thank you for replying. I'm researching the Rallisons, who generally speaking couldn't spell their name or quite get their facts right! all of which makes it hard to research.

I have Arthur dead in Stockton on Tees aged 34, leaving a widow with 7 children, the last one, Robert William  appearing in 1881 3 months old!

I would be interested to know where the arson report came from if that's possible. Assuming the Lynn Advertiser is from Kings Lynn, are there any other newpapers I should look at please?

I try to collect all the info I can before visiting Norwich, I've been once, but it's 400 miles and we have to combine it with a holiday!

regards Carol

[Poppy Rose]

The Lynn Advertiser and The Lynn News and County Press both cover Sporle and are on microfilm in King's Lynn Library.

The Norfolk Chronicle and The Norfolk News also have some Sporle reports. There are a couple of websites that have got both newspapers but they are pay to view. They are also at the Norwich Library.

The fires took place in November 1869. First a wheat stack belonging to farmer Thomas Lindsey, then one of Charles Palmer, farmer, next a thatched cottage roof occupied by Rawling and Ann Green and then a stack belonging to the Misses Matthews, farmers.

Arthur, along with William Bensley, was arrested on suspicion of setting fire to the last stack.

Arthur worked for the two Misses Matthews at the time of the fires. Rose Eagle, mother of Ruth, went on to marry James Green. Rawling and Ann Green were James's parents. The cottage stood in Sporle Street but is no longer there.

There was another stack fire in Sporle two years later but no arrests this time.

 

[carolmc]

Hi
Thanks again, the social picture is building. I have 2 families, Rallisons and Normans in Sporle, both have young men committing crime, which suggests poverty. Crimes were smashing a threshing machine 7 years transportation to bermuda, stealing oats and barley 7 years van diemans land. The agricultural scene was changing, my fathers Watts family from North Elmham, moved to the Co.Durham after 3xgt grandfather committed suicide in 1861. One of my Watts grandfathers is reputed to have operated a traction engine which was part of the cause of the decline of ag.labs.
My Watts's all went on to be engineers, first in the coal mines, then patternmaking, my brother being the last. Now history is repeating itself, as patternmaking is mostly done in China.

It would be interesting to know how Arthur aged 34 died...........

Regards Carol