Victoria (Ballarat): James Adolphus WORTH

[BAC3]

Hello,

The Ballarat Star reported on the 26/06/1868 that on the previous day at the Ballarat General Sessions James Adolphus WORTH had been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for embezzlement.

Could someone confirm if he was imprisoned in Ballarat Gaol and the dates.

I have checked PROV and he does not appear in the on-line records for the local Melbourne prisons.

Thank you

BAC3

[judb]

Hi Tony

Can't see any gaol records for him.

However he appears to have fathered a child born in 1869 -
Name   Joseph Tasman Worth
Birth Date   Abt 1869 at Spring Creek, Victoria
Registration Year   1869, Place   Victoria, Australia
Parents: James Adolphus Worth. Annie Hearne
Registration Number   11822

Other children, registered in Victoria

18067 / 1860
WORTH, Thomas Henry
Place of event: CARL, Australia
Parents:  Anne HEARNS, James Adolphus

22278 / 1862
WORTH, James Adolphus
Place of event: CARL, Australia
Parents: Anne HERNES,  James Adolphus Worth

13438 / 1863
WORTH, Arthur Begbie
Place of event: FITZ, Australia
Parents: Christina BEGBIE,  James Adolphus Worth
Fitzroy and Carlton are Melbourne suburbs

Victoria Government Gazette shows  James A Worth, resident Ballarat, listed as a shareholder in the COURIER Al UNITED GOLD MINE dated 20 May 186

Is this the same man?  Seems possible given the nature of the crimes - however, the ship is wrong (I assume from other info), and your man seems to have been in Victoria.

From Ancestry:
Tried at Sydney Supreme Criminal Court, 10 November1875
James Adolphus WORTH, aged 40; ship: Bolton; for Uttering a forged order for advertisements; Guilty; two years labour.

Newspaper mention of this
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13371131? 

Cheers, Judith

[BAC3]

Thank you Judith,

James Adolphus WORTH was a "scoundrel".   Likeable or not is a matter of personal choice!!
To help you in this regard an email with a comprehensive narrative will be winging its way "down under".   Enjoy!!!

Take care,

Tony

[judb]

I do love your naughty boys!  Interesting to see that some manage to succeed and some.............

[sparrett]

Hello,

The Ballarat Star reported on the 26/06/1868 that on the previous day at the Ballarat General Sessions James Adolphus WORTH had been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for embezzlement.

Could someone confirm if he was imprisoned in Ballarat Gaol and the dates.

I have checked PROV and he does not appear in the on-line records for the local Melbourne prisons.

Thank you

BAC3

When I read an account of the case, published 26/6/1868, Ballarat Star, the last line  states
that  the jury  returned within 45 minutes with a verdict of Not Guilty.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113845249

Sue

[judb]

Well found, Sue 

[sparrett]

I think also James had good reason to leave for Sydney to continue his "career"

It looks as if he had married in Tasmania and  left.

Had a couple of children with Annie HEARNE in Victoria up to 1862
Then had child Arthur with Christina Margaret BEGBIE in 1863.
He then married Christina BEGBIE in 1867
Then he  is recorded as having a child with Annie HEARNE in 1869.

What a paternity tangle 

Sue

[judb]

Interesting to note that Christina's Death Notice uses the surname WORTH.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/193981530
Melbourne Age, 3 March 1896
WORTH.— On the 2nd March, at 22 Longmore-street,  Middle Park, Christina Margaret Begbie, the dearly beloved mother of Arthur B. Worth, aged 52 years.  Deeply regretted.
Buried at Melbourne General with her son as the organiser of the funeral.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/193971190

Judith

[BAC3]

Good Afternoon Judith and Sue,

The "Not Guilty" referred to the second count of embezzlement for which he was tried.   On the day before at the same Ballarat General Sessions he had been found "Guilty" on the first count with the actual sentence of three years imprisonment being brought down on the second day as reported.

Incidentally, in 1878 he was sentenced to two years in Darlinghurst Gaol for forgery.

For the moment

Tony