Oxford - Crime Death and Debauchery

[cordley]

I am researching Thomas Beesley b 1801 - who was convicted of manslaughter at Wolvercot 1828.

There is a possibility that he is an ancestor - or not.  I have found source "evidence" on both sides.

I now need to visit Kew to check out Assizes records for 1830 - which will have to wait till later on this year.

In the interim I have found Giles Brindley's book (Oxford - Crime Death and Debauchery), published 2006,  and am wondering whether he used those Archives for the article on Thomas Beesley. Pages 28 - 33 cover the case in amazing detail - and I wonder the source of this.  Like everything else I have read about the case no family information is given in this book.

Does anyone know how I could check the sources he had used?  A review is attached below.

Pam
------------------------------

Giles Brindley, Oxford: Crime, Death & Debauchery, Sutton Publishing, Oxfordshire Books
2006. £14.99
This is a breezily-written miscellany of murder, riot, robbery, fraud, suicide, fatal accidents
and other sensational events in and around Oxford, from the thirteenth to the nineteenth
centuries but concentrating on the years between 1630 and 1850. The stories, some only a
line or two long and others several pages, have been culled from Assize, Quarter Session and
University Court records and Jackson's Oxford Journal.
This is not intended to be a serious or academic book and, apart from the bibliography,
no sources have been given for any of the events described. The author has told each story
in his own words, so no useable first-hand documents or extracts have been included. No
attempt has been made to offer any kind of commentary or narrative on the subjects of
crime, punishment, disorder, town-gown conflict or any of the other topics covered. There
is no suggestion of change or development over the years. From the historian's point of view
this is a pity, considering the years spent by the author in the archives, as it renders the book
less useful. Some general readers, however, will find it a racy and entertaining read.
JAMES NASH

[CelticAnnie]

Is the author of the book still alive?  Could you contact them (via their publisher) to ask what the source is for the information you are interested in -- if it is not listed in the book? (Seems odd that it isn't). Is there a bibliography?

CELTICANNIE

[CarolA3]

I've found several interesting bits about my family in Jackson's Oxford Journal, via FindMyPast / British Newspaper Archive (same collection, different search engines).

Carol

[giblet]

Dont know if this is of any help or not.

There is more to the below article but just posted this part. If you would like a copy of the whole article just sent me your email via private message and i will forward it on.

Jackson's Oxford Journal (Oxford, England),
Saturday, July 11, 1829;
The following is a description of the said Thomas Beasey and William Newman.
Thomas Beasey, about 30 years of age, about 5 ft 7 in in height,, middle size, light complexion , rather freckled face, rather dark hair, whiskers a little sandy, has the appearance of a boatman or bargeman, had on a pair of fustain trousers, red plush waist coat with brown fustain sleeves and a pair of half boots, a black leather cap, bound with fur, walks rather stiffly with one leg.
-------------------------------------------
Another article says Beasey has a wife and 2 children and is aged about 30.

[giblet]

The Bath Chronicle (Bath, England),
Thursday, March 11, 1830

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE
OXFORDSHIRE ASSIZES - The assizes for this county commenced on Wednesday morning. Thomas Beasey, one of the men who, it will be recollected, on the 3rd July last, committed a riot in Port Meadow, when they attempted to steal some ducks, and John Barrett, who resisted them was killed., was found guilty of manslaughter, and sentenced to be transported for 14 years.

[giblet]

Others who were sentenced the same day as him were together on a convict ship but no sign of Thomas been on that ship, dont know where he ended up.

[cordley]

Thanks for all that, I haven't seen the Ox Journal article referring to his family, so I will PM you for a copy.  You will see below why his family is of particular importance.

I have traced convict Thomas Beesley(s) via FindMyPast , a <brief> summary is:

Escaped and recaptured, sentenced March 1830 at Oxford Lent Assizes to 14 years transportation.
Transported to Portsmouth Hulk and sent out to Bermuda on 29 April 1830.

Dec 1833 Petition sent by MP Mr Hughes on behalf of father, Samuel, for review of sentence.  Appeal turned down Jan 1834. Other than naming father there is no other family mentioned in the Petition.

Records show Thomas is on-board the hulk Coromandel in Bermuda from 1830 until 1838 when he returns to the hulk Leviathan in Portsmouth Harbour, and is pardoned on 12 Feb 1839.  I have not found any evidence of where he went next, whether he returned to Oxford (and family) or just went missing, perhaps with a new name.

This is where the mystery starts

1841 shows a Thomas Beesley on Fish Row, now Upper Fisher Row, near Hythe Bridge (also known as High Bridge in some docs) with wife Maria, and daughters Ann (15) and Elizabeth (5).  Thomas's age is given as 30 but from other later records this should be 40.  SO Elizabeth born 1836 (while convict Thomas was in Bermuda).  Elizabeth is baptised on 8 Jan 1837 with parents named as Thomas and Maria.  In 1841 another daughter is born, Mary, my ancestor.  There had been another child, Samuel, who had died in 1828. SO in 1830 this Thomas would have had just one child.

1851 shows this Thomas and Maria at Hythe Bridge Wharf with Elizabeth (16) and Mary (9), and also in 1861, just with Mary and grand-dr Sarah, daughter of Ann.

However, also in 1841 there are -

Thomas Beesley (Beseley), Bargeman, 40 married to Anna (of Scotland, Ireland or foreign parts), no children, whom I have been unable to track any further.

and Thomas Beseley (45) married to Mary with 4 children in Oxford St Ebbe, children born during the 1830-39 period.

and Thomas Beesley on 'Boat at the Star' with wife Susan and three children b abt 1837-41.

So, this is why I am trying to find any scrap of evidence about the family of convict Thomas - to see if he is my ancestor - or not.  (There is reference to this case in Mary Prior's excellent book about Fisher Row, but I believe she may have reached the wrong conclusion.)

Pam

[giblet]

Hi Pam, email sent 

[cordley]

Thanks for that. Interesting that it was better reported in a Berkshire paper than the Oxford Journal, but when I look at a map I realise this is just on the Oxford/Berkshire boundary.

I think my mistake has been to assume (I know....) that convict Thomas Beesley was from the Oxford area, and especially St Thomas's Parish.  So I need to look a bit more broadly.

But, as far as I can determine from the St Thomas's Parish records my Thomas and Maria only have one child alive in 1830, but I'll check that again.

Pam