Convict

[Mable]

Hi,
  Looking for a James Sills Conviction 1856 from Nottingham England.


Mabel

[majm]

Was he the James SILLS sentenced to ten years, at the Nottingham General Quarter Sessions, and who arrived in Western Australia in June 1858, per the vessel Lord Raglan?

ADD,  above chap was convict number 5017, a bricklayer, sentenced for Larceny.  Received a Ticket of Leave 4 June 1861, and a conditional Pardon  4 July 1865.  He was noted on the Fremantle Prison Database as died of dysentery 20 November 1868,  Vasse, unmarried.

JM.

[hanes teulu]

Derbyshire Courier, 1 Dec 1849
MANSFIELD POLICE OFFICE, Sat Nov 24 (before Major Coke) - Thomas Caunt, of Calverton and James Sills, of Sutton in Ashfield, who were committed for trial at the next sessions, charged with stealing fowls from Mr Wm Wass, of Skegby and Mrs Bagshaw of Teversall.

FindMyPast Prison Record
Nottingham Epiphany Quarter Sessions, 31 Dec 1849, James Sills, Larceny 2 convs, imprisoned 6 weeks

Derbyshire Courier, 13 Sep 1851
James Sills, of Sutton in Ashfield, charged with stealing fowls belonging to Mr Charles Beastall, was committed for trial at the ensuing Nottingham Sessions

FindMyPast Prison Records (summary)
James Sills, 19 Framework knitter, Crime Fowlstealing, convicted 13 Oct 1851 Nottingham, 7 years imprisonment, next of kin - father, residence Sutton, Notts
To Wakefield Prison 10 Apr 1852; to Portsmouth Prison 28 Dec 1852; licensed 27 Mar 1855

"Licensed" meant early release under new legislation (Penal Servitude Act, Oct 1853) which created "ticket of leave" men based on the Australian system.

Derbyshire Courier, 9 Aug 1856
TICKET OF LEAVE MEN - James Sills, a ticket of leave convict was arrested on Tuesday charged with entering the Surgery of Mr P Scott, Belvidere Street, Mansfield and stealing from a desk a purse containing a quantity of silver.

FindMyPast has a number of prison registers which include -
James Sills, Framework Knitter, 24, st'g purse and money from the person, 13 Oct 1856, 10 yrs imprisonment, to Dartmoor Prison 25 Sep 1857, Class 2 - "W Australia, P. Works(?), Lord Raglan, 1 Mar 1858"
 

[hanes teulu]

Is this James "Sills" - next of kin described as "Father, Sutton, Notts"

1841 (ref HO107  861  6  43)
Address - Upper Green, Sutton in Ashfield, Mansfield
John Sills, 32, FWK
Lydia Sills, 29,
James 10, Stephen 8, Alice 6, Sarah 5, Elizabeth 3, John 1

Family on the 1851 Census without James - John is a Frame Work Knitter

Cannot find a baptisms for James - only Stephen Valantine Sills 1833, Alice Mary Sills 1834 and Sarah Ann Sills 1836 (FindMyPast transcripts only)

Marriage (FindMyPast transcript only)
John Sills and Lydia Wheatley, 23 Jan 1831, Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sutton in Ashfield

Baptism (FindMyPast transcript only)
James Wheatley, 26 Sep 1830, Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sutton in Ashfield, mother Lydia Wheatley - father not named/recorded in transcript.

[hanes teulu]

Is this James in 1851?

1851 Census (HO107  2123  574  10)
Address Mansfield (Hucknall)
James Sills, No Relat**, Unm, age 23, FWK, born Sutton, Notts

Other Census entries show "No Relation"

[Mable]

Hi,
  James Sills was from Sutton in Ashfield and a FWK
There is another James Sills in Nottingham who was a Bricklayer not the one I was looking for.
 
Thank you all for the information Mabel

[hanes teulu]

Just found an FindMyPast prison record which didn't come up on earlier searches. Under "Residence of Convict's Family or Next of Kin" it reads -
"His father John Sills is a FWK and lives Sutton in Ashfield, Notts".

[Mable]

Thank you Mabel.