Find Ancestors

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

How do I find out about an ancestor who was hung?

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Alison

Alison Report 24 Sep 2009 15:45

Ive just been told that an ancestor was hung in October 1829 for robbery and larceny.His name was Richard Russell Chick, born in 1801 in Portsea, Hampshire. How can I find out details of his trial and punishment? I've also been told that two of his younger brothers were transported to Australia in the late 1820s,William for warehousebreaking and theft, and John for highway robbery.John was apparently sentenced to death for this but it was transmuted to transportation for life. I must say I'm a bit taken aback by all this criminality in what I'd always thought was a respectable family !

Dea

Dea Report 24 Sep 2009 15:49

Old Bailey on-line!!

I will go and take a look

Dea x

FannyByGaslight

FannyByGaslight Report 24 Sep 2009 15:51

This one?

Ancestry here.

England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892
about Richard Chick
Name: Richard Chick
Date of Trial: Sep 1829
Trial Year: 1829
Location of Trial: Middlesex, England
Sentence: Death
Crime: See Image
Date of Execution or Release: See Image


Executed 19th??oct 1829,its hard to read.

FannyByGaslight

FannyByGaslight Report 24 Sep 2009 15:53

Alison

If you send me an email by PM I will send you the image if you like.
Just checking for the transported lot.
viv

Tania

Tania Report 24 Sep 2009 15:57

yeah theres quite a bit on william

FannyByGaslight

FannyByGaslight Report 24 Sep 2009 15:57

Highway robbery

England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892
about John Chick
Name: John Chick
Age: 20
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1806
Date of Trial: Apr 1826
Trial Year: 1826
Location of Trial: Middlesex, England
Sentence: Death
Crime: See Image
Date of Execution or Release: See Image

Dea

Dea Report 24 Sep 2009 15:58

RICHARD CHICK, CHARLES WILLIAM ELLIOTT, MARY CHICK, MARY ELLIOTT, Theft > housebreaking, 10th September 1829.


Reference Number: t18290910-112
Offence: Theft > housebreaking
Verdict: Guilty; Not Guilty; Not Guilty; Not Guilty
Punishment: Death
Related Material: Associated Records
User Wiki: Corrections; Add Information
See original
First London Jury - Before Mr. Recorder.

1643. RICHARD CHICK , MARY (HIS WIFE ) CHARLES WILLIAM ELLIOTT , and MARY (HIS WIFE ) were indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Henry Wilson , on the 13th of July , at St. Botolph Without, Bishopsgate, and stealing therein 205 yards of woollen cloth, value 144l.; 400 yards of kerseymere, value 128l.; 200 yards of serge, value 33l.; 50 yards of silk, value 15l.; 2 yards of stain, value 10s.; 180 yards of ribbon, value 1l. 10s.; 150 yard of ferrett, value 1l. 5s.; 100 yards of galloon, value 8s., and 5lbs. of silk-twist, value 8l., his property .

MR. PHILLIPS conducted the prosecution.

MR. HENRY WILSON. I am a woollen-draper , and live at No. 80, Sun-street, in the parish of St. Botolph Without, Bishopsgate . On Tuesday morning, the 14th of July, at half-past six o'clock, I observed a hole had been cut through the party-wall, dividing my house from the next, which was empty; woollen and silk goods, to the amount of between 300l. and 400l. were missing - on the following

See original Friday I saw about 30l. worth of that property at Worship-street.

Cross-examined by MR. CLARKSON. Q. Have you any other Christian name? A. No, nor any partner - I saw the property safe the night before.

COURT. Q. Did you sleep at home that night? A. Yes - the opening in the wall was made into the shop; I sleep on the second-floor - I heard no alarm in the night.

MR. CLARKSON. Q. Did you give Mrs. Dobson, a witness, 5l.? A. I gave Mrs. Dobson something, for information.

COURT. Q. Was that before the information, or as a reward for it? A. As a reward for information, which she had before given me - I gave her 10l.: she was examined before the Magistrate, and was held to bail - two persons, named Wear and Vaughan, were held to bail.

THOMAS SAPWELL . I am a constable of St. Botolph. I went to the prosecutor's premises on Tuesday, the 14th of July, at a quarter past seven o'clock in the morning - the adjoining house was empty; I examined and found an opening in the wall, so that a boy or man could get through - the partition had been bored by a centre-bit, in the first instance; there were about three holes made in the wooden part of the partition, and then I think it must have been cut by a knife - I think I could get through the hole myself; the wall was first cut away, and then this wooden partition bored and cut with a knife - I found there a small jemmy, a gimblet, a chisel, centre-bit, and stock; knife, a dark lantern, an old key, and an apron - they a were on a shelf in the empty house, over the hole, which was quite large enought to get the property through.

Cross-examined. Q. I take it for granted you made diligent inquiries in the neighbourhood to discover the thieves? A. I made no inquiries - I did not find a man named Vaughan in the empty house; I only know he was at Worship-street - I believe he was charged with stealing the fixtures of the empty house, but I do not think I heard the charge; I was in another room - I heard him examined on suspicion of being a swindler; I did not examine to see if the fixtures of the empty house had been taken away - I know Vaughan and Wear had taken that empty house before, but only from information- I do not know of their being charged with this robbery; I was not in the office - I was in the room, but do not know what the charge was; I was only called to give evidence of what I found, and know nothing of others being charged with the robbery.

WILLIAM STEVENS . I am a watchman of St. Botolph. Mr. Wilson's premises are on my beat; I was on duty early on the morning of the 14th of July - I know the prisoner Chick, and saw him that morning, between half-past four and five o'clock, standing with his back towards Mr. Wilson's premises, and near it there is a gateway within one house, and he was near the gateway, as near as I can say fifty paces distance; I suppose he was within three or four yards of Wilson's premises; I did not see him do any thing, he was standing still when I first saw him, and at other times walking he walked towards me - when I saw him start for walking: he passed quite close to me - we passed each other; the gas was not alight, it was quite daylight, a bright morning between half-past four and five o'clock; I have not the least doubt he is the man I saw.
............................

I will have to continue this on next post as it is too long to fit!

Dea x

FannyByGaslight

FannyByGaslight Report 24 Sep 2009 15:59

Warehouse robbery,transported for life!

England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892
about William Chick
Name: William Chick
Age: 24
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1803
Date of Trial: Sep 1827
Trial Year: 1827
Location of Trial: Middlesex, England
Sentence: Transportation
Crime: See Image
Date of Execution or Release: See Image


Dea

Dea Report 24 Sep 2009 16:03

Hi again,

It is TOOOOO long to post - here is the link so that you can read the whole transcript:

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t18290910-112-defend1105&div=t18290910-112#highlight

Dea x

WayneTracey

WayneTracey Report 24 Sep 2009 16:05

There is also references to him here..

The Times, Wednesday, Jan 15, 1817; pg. 3; Issue 10045; col E Police. Category: Law

In fact there are several articles on him..

If you goto Lancs Library online you can join for free, they will give you a temp reg no, and you can surf The Times online for free!!

Tracey x

WayneTracey

WayneTracey Report 24 Sep 2009 16:07

If it's the same Richard Chick, he's been a naughty boy for quite a while lol...

There are numerous articles on someone of that name...

Tracey x

FannyByGaslight

FannyByGaslight Report 24 Sep 2009 16:11

Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868
about William Chick
Name: William Chick
Vessel: William Miles
Convicted Date: 13 Sep 1827
Voyage Date: 15 Mar 1828
Colony: Van Dieman's Land
Piece: HO 11/6
Place of Conviction: London, England

Dea

Dea Report 24 Sep 2009 16:12

OOOOerrrr!! Alison,

What a 'wicked' past you have!!!!!!!!

Don't take it to heart - I am sure you are quite innocent!!

Interesting family history though!

Dea x

FannyByGaslight

FannyByGaslight Report 24 Sep 2009 16:14

Transported for life.
My ,,,this was a law abiding family,not!


Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868
about John Chick
Name: John Chick
Vessel: Albion
Convicted Date: 6 Apr 1826
Voyage Date: 21 Sep 1826
Colony: New South Wales
Piece: HO 11/6
Place of Conviction: Middlesex, England

FannyByGaslight

FannyByGaslight Report 24 Sep 2009 16:28

You may find marriages and deaths for them here

http://www.coraweb.com.au/bdmau.htm

Alison

Alison Report 24 Sep 2009 16:32

To everyone who has helped,many,many thanks. It's going to take me quite some time to follow up on all the information,and I feel a bit as though my life has turned upside down. Especial thanks to Vivienne for the images.

Dea

Dea Report 24 Sep 2009 16:41

Alison,

I sense you are feeling a bit 'troubled' by all this info!

Just remember what I said before - Don't take it 'to heart'.

These are your Ancestors - sometimes we have bad ones, sometimes we have good ones - whatever they are, it does not mean we will be the same so we should not feel any guilt.

Hope this makes sense!

Dea x

Katherine

Katherine Report 24 Sep 2009 22:17

Hi Alison,
There are two John Chick s who came as convicts to Australia.
John Chick on the Minerva in 1821 to Hobart Tasmania and John Chick on the Albion in 1827 (from Convict Connections.org.au) contact [email protected]. Or Descendants of Convicts P.O. Box 115 Flinders Lane Melbourne Victoria 8009 Australia.
William Miles Chick also had descendants -he is the father of John Chick
John Chick Date of Birth 19June1843
Place of Residence Launceston Tasmania Australia
Spouses Name 1. Sarah Rouse; 2. Ada Emily Davis
Childrens Names 1. Elizabeth, Lilian, Alice, Mervyn, Arthur & Isabel; 2. Harold, Edith, Ada, Harry, Miriam, Hilda, Myra, Alice & Marion

John Chick was born in Launceston to William Chick and his wife Elizabeth Watts. He was christened at St John's Anglican Church on 12 Jul 1843. His father William was a bootmaker and bridle cutter and had a shop in Bacchus Street, Hoxton, London. He was married with two children when he was convicted of "breaking into a warehouse" and was transported to Van Diemen's Land on the William Miles in 1828. His wife came out to join him and they had several more children in Launceston. John is remarkably similar to his father's description.

John was a hay and corn merchant and was popular as a violinist, with his services often in demand. He played the violin in the Exhibition Orchestra in 1891-92. He was also a member of the St John's Church choir for a long period. John first married on 3 Mar 1870 to Sarah Rouse at St John's. They had six children between 1870 and 1878; all except Arthur John (1877-1927) died when young. His wife Sarah died aged 31 on 4 Jan 1879.

John married 21 year old Ada Emily Davis on 29 Mar 1880 at St John's Church. They had nine children between 1881 and 1901, with six daughters surviving to adulthood. John died at his residence 80 Balfour Street, Launceston, on 3 Aug 1925 aged 82. Ada died on 1 Sep 1940 aged 81 and was buried next to her husband at the Carr Villa Cemetery in Section B9 No 208.

Of John's 15 children, eight died young. There was a marble headstone in the Cypress Street Cemetery in memory of his first wife and all those children under the text "We shall meet to part no more".
Marion Sargent Jan 2009

Regards Katherine

LadyKira

LadyKira Report 24 Sep 2009 22:25

http://www.netspeed.com.au/dryandra1/pvmiles%20html/fam/fam03881.html

I think this may give you some details about siblings

Alison

Alison Report 25 Sep 2009 14:17

Most sincere thanks to everybody who has helped me with this, with useful information, pointers for where to go next, copies of criminal records and kind sympathetic messages. I have subsequently found that Richard Chick was publicly executed by hanging at Newgate Prison in October 1829,the hangman was William Calcraft. Gruesome !