Somerset newspapers, 1834

[Lenore]

Hello folks,

I am hoping to find a newspaper account of the trial of my ancestor, which took place at Wells on 30 Dec 1833. Having had a good hunt round for Somerset newspapers, the most likely paper available at the time seems to be the Bridgewater and Somerset Advertiser. Paul Mansfield's indexes of that paper covering Jan 1831 to 30 Dec 1833 (by sod's law stopping at the issue before my ancestor's case was most likely reported) shows that court cases were regularly reported in that paper.

(And may I say 'Well done' to Paul Mansfield, as an aside?)

So, can someone advise me of the best source for a copy of any newspaper article for the courtcase, please?

And also whether there is another newspaper that might do the same job?

With thanks,

Lenore

[Procat]

Hi Lenore,

depending on what the trial was for it may have rated a mention in The Times. The online version can be accessed from the State Library of Victoria (and I suspect from the Essendon Library) or you can log on from home once you have been set up by the SLV.

I have found this an invaluable resource and think it is an admirable use of my taxes.

If you don't already have this yourself let me know the name of the miscreant and I can do a check for you.

[Lenore]

Hi Doug,

No good, I'm afraid, I did check, but I wouldn't expect the Times to be reporting a provincial courtcase involving a milliner and a box of gold sovereigns, as interesting as it is to me.

Thanks for the thought.

Best wishes,

Lenore

[Lenore]

Hello folks,

While I was sleeping, the good folk of Somerset were hard at it. Late last night, my time, I sent am email to Somerset Council and asked them if they could advise me where copies of the Bridgwater and Somerset Advertiser could be got. They passed my question to the Local Studies Librarian who immediately responded with the answer that the Advertiser had ceased at the end of 1833, but the Taunton Courier reported on the Ephiphany Sessions, and attached two short scans of the entry I was seeking. There in my inbox when I got to it this morning!

I had originally been seeking out a library, but couldn't find what I wanted in the catalogues, and couldn't find a direct library email address, which is why I thought I'd try BG Forums first. After having another look at the Somerset Council website, I thought I'd just take a punt on it.

I included the name and date I was seeking - I do find that libraries will often do quick lookups if there is a specific reference and date with a request.

Best wishes,

Lenore

[get2BJ]

but the Taunton Courier reported on the Ephiphany Sessions, and attached two short scans of the entry I was seeking. There in my inbox when I got to it this morning!

Lenore

Hi Lenore,

Was it anything interesting? Are you going to share it with us? Pretty please?

Brenda

[Lenore]

Hi Lenore,

Was it anything interesting? Are you going to share it with us? Pretty please?

Brenda

I will quote it, just so you know just how slight some of these reports were:
From the Taunton Courier, 1 Jan 1834:

"Ann Ball, stealing 36 sovereigns, from the dwelling house of Ann Jones, her mistress."

Taunton Courier, 8 Jan 1834

"FOURTEEN YEARS..... Ann Ball, stealing thirty-six sovereigns from the dwelling house of Ann Jones, her mistress."

I knew this information, but the crime was put in perspective by the other cases and sentences that were accompanied by these items. I thought fourteen years was a bit harsh for a first offence, but it seems to have had something to do with the number of sovs taken. A fellow who only stole 4 sovereigns got only 7 years.

[get2BJ]

Thanks for satisfying my curiosity! We take two weeks every summer not far from Wells in Rodney Stoke, hence my interest.

I'm all for making the punishment fit the crime, but it does seem very harsh though (unless she was a persistent offender), especially when she probably didn't ransack the place or cause injury to anyone in order to carry out the crime. And they probably would have recovered all or most of the money. I think in those days they valued the hard labour that convicts would have been subjected to.

How times have changed. It seems that these days sentencing depends on how many prison places there are - some who truely deserve a prison sentence are often spared because the prisons are overflowing!

Brenda

[Lenore]

I'm all for making the punishment fit the crime, but it does seem very harsh though (unless she was a persistent offender), especially when she probably didn't ransack the place or cause injury to anyone in order to carry out the crime. And they probably would have recovered all or most of the money. I think in those days they valued the hard labour that convicts would have been subjected to.
Brenda

As far as I know it was a first offence, but I realise I forgot to mention that in some vain effort to hide the crime she set fire to her mistress's bed and the deal box formerly containing the sovereigns (perhaps hoping they'd think the coins melted away!). But they soon caught up with her, and she duly had to show them where the coins were hidden. It struck me as a particularly inept crime - probably one of opportunity. It doesn't seem as if she had a plan, because she hid the coins on the property. She'd have been better off if she'd just grabbed the stash and scarpered, which I think the more experienced villain would have done. I don't think they really needed to convict people to get them to work for next to nothing. They were already working for next to nothing. I had a bit of a look at how milliners and seamstresses were treated, and they could do a very lengthy apprenticeship (say five or seven years, I forget which) for no pay at all, and in fact the family had to pay for the privilege of their children being taught a trade. Those 36 gold sovereigns were probably the only money she'd ever seen.

But she did ok in Tasmania. She got off the boat and went to work for a wealthy pastoralist, doing the usual domestic stuff that women workers did, married another convict and had a family of eight, I think. They had a good home, were well-fed and on the whole had a good life.

Best wishes,

Lenore