Genealogy Chat

Chica, re searching, you may find less is best. If its a fairly unusual surname bung just that in. Miss out the occupations and stuff as I dont know why but that always messes it up for me. Go for the surname first and then add bits to the search at a time.

If you have no luck with ANY of your names - try just an address or something in the location box which brings up incidents happening near where your ancestors lived. By doing that I found a theft case from my GGFx4 who was a draper in Honey Market, Cheapside. Id entered his rather common name and sighed at the number of results but then went back and just entered the addy on its own just to see what was happening in the area and up came this woman nicking some material from his shop.


Mary - sorry, my apologies and thanks to Shelley and you :)

I also found some time back when doing a blanket search for ancestors on ancestry that they have some court records on there - really early ones. Its amazing - I think it was 14th century I was reading and my gawd, it could be now really. Guy in spittlefields with a shop complained to a kid outside who was selling eels from his basket and chucking the skins on the ground there. Well shop keeper not happy about it and gave him a rollicking. Next thing, kid hops it with the shopkeepers assistant in pursuit and the assistant beats the kid in a local churchyard. Apparently job done he walks off and the kid gets up with his basket of eels starts walking down the road and drops down dead. I mean these are REAL people, not made up stories or people who live for one minute in our mind - but real, flesh and blood.

Steph

Here it is:

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/

happy hunting!

Athena

hi, what is the site id really like to have a look :)

steph

Heather - I've had similar success to you - have found the proceedings for a case involving my 3xGrt grandparents teenage son who was stabbed in the back (survived thankfully) near his home - there are pages of witness testamonies and, like you, I was absolutely thrilled to actually read things that my ancestors had said, in the manner they spoke at that time. It just makes you feel one step closer to them, doesn't it?

That family seemed to attract trouble-makers, though. I found another set of proceedings regarding the grandson of the above 3xgrt grandparents. He was walking home with friends and they were all set upon by a man wielding a poker and some of them ended up hit on the head, knocked unconscious!

Another ancestor (my Grt grandma's brother), also a teenager, was ALSO stabbed in the back outside his home (also survived).

Makes you realise that things were just as tough for youngsters on the streets as it is now (except maybe there weren't as many guns available).

Athena

Found the site facinating, The TIBBLE lot from London are not mine thankfully :) gruesome lot. Have put the site in favorites, very interesting read.

Regards

Amber

My favourite is my 4xGrandfather who was sent to Newgate for 2 months and fined 1 shilling for stealing a pig from Newgate Market.

He later became a Pork Butcher and pillar of the community! There are a further three cases where he is named as the victim of theft from his shop.

Pots and kettles spring to mnd! :))

Chris

Thanks for pointing this out.

I found some more references to my GOATER family - they seem to be boringly good however - all witnesses or victims rather than naughty folk!

Best wishes

Maria

Thank you for this. Have added it to my favourites, so I can find it again.


I've just done a quick search ... don't think any of my people made it from Buckinghamshire, Lancashire, Westmoreland etc .... but I'm ever hopeful! I think they were probably petty criminals and/or poachers!


sylvia

Same here Sue.

But the detail is great, ....build of a person,weight, address,
Habits, eg snuff in a silver box, ....might all be mentioned.

Chica
I''ve just been reading about terrible injuries inflicted on a John BELLCHAMBERS,
....not pleasant reading.

Gwyn

Thank you!

None of my direct ancestors yet but quite a lot from the one name study I'm doing!

Sue

Er, Heather, I didn't think to mention it on FTF, but the information originally came from a thread started by Shelly on here :-)

Thanks Heather. What a great easy to use site this is. None of my names came up, how do I read about them, do I just make up a name? I want to read them!

Fascinating isnt it - gives you a real insight into their lives and you can hear their voices. I still cant believe my GGFx2 of whom I had grown very fond, imagining him as a Norfolk country boy who was upright and steadfast - being a drunk in Stepney. Ah well, life was very tough for them.

Thank you.
There's some more great records there.

I have been reading about someone stealing silver buckles........

Q. How many pair of buckles did you find in his box?

( Answer ). I found thirteen pair of shoes and four of knees


.........good job we know what he meant.

Gwyn

Thanks for letting us know

Linda

Thanks to Mary over on FTF pointing this out I went back to check out my names - my goodness they are everywhere. The most gobsmacking is finding my GGFX2 indicted for murder! It was amazing as he has a rare surname and I dont often find anything for that line on those sort of sites. So brilliant to read his words at the trial - he eventually got 2 months for manslaughter which is a very very lenient sentence in 1844!

Other GGF stabbed twice in 1889 in a fight with 4 spanish sailors who were assaulting a woman.

Other GGF in a case as a victim of fraud in 1909.

And LOTS of others as witnesses.

If you havent checked it out for a while, do go and look again.