SAMUEL & AARON CRAWCOUR- CONVICTS

[phillip]

Following some detailed research by one of my distant cousins,another researcher and myself we now know more about Samuel and Aaron Crawcour two cousins who were transported. Their lines connect to descendants in Australia.
In the case of Samuel or probably Solomon Crawcour he adopted the alias of 'John Smith' and was initially transported as teenager to Bermuda in 1825 for 7 years commuted to 5 years for theft. He worked on the building of the Bermuda dockyard. He later returned to the UK and by 1840 had already been arrested once and received 6months for theft and in the same year committed another robbery and was sentenced to 15 years transportation to Tasmania. The records of his trials and transportation can be found on the Old Baily and Tasmania Convict indents. He was the son of Isaac Crawcour and Simha Cohen De Lara. Isaac died in 1837 and was a surgeon dentist in London.

Samuel/Solomon alias 'John Smith' married Caroline GANT aka Grant in 1854. This was not a happy marriage and the two children from the marriage were requested to be placed in an orphanage. Caroline was to 're-marry' ( probably never did marry) to John STANLEY and they had 3 more children.

Caroline Gant was born in Ickham Suffolk - her parents William Gant and Lucy and their children- William; Eliza; Caroline;Louisa; Emma; Matilda- the family appear to disappear after the 1851 census. In 1851 Caroline Gant was 15 and the family name appears as Ghent.

Caroline Gant was sentenced to 10 years at Ipswich in Jan 1852 for theft.


What became of Caroline and Samuel is unknown but at least one of the children settled in Victoria.




In the case of Aaron Crawcour he was the son of David Crawcour and Amelia Barnes. Aaron was found guilty of theft in 1853 and possibly transported for 7 years ( the record in the newspapers is confusing at this point) to Western Australia.

However, by 1870 Aaron was to marry Sarah Ann BUSHELL daughter of Peter Bushell and Elizabeth Petley. My distant cousin in Australia has already written about the account of Aaron in 'Crawcour Stories' Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal Vol XV111 2007.

In summary, Sarah Bushell was in the Bridge Union workhouse unmarried age 23 in 1851 census with her 2 year old son Charles Edward Bushell born in the same workhouse.

By Sept 1870 Aaron Crawcour had married Sarah at St' John's church La Trobe Melbourne. Sarah claimed to be a widow and married to Charles Frederick Laurance. In spite of extensive research there was no person of that name married to Sarah in England- myself and other researchers have looked at the GRO Marriage index for Lawrence/Lawrance/Laurance and there is only one record in 1853 Thanet of a Henry Lawrence marrying Sarah Ann Bushell- we are awaiting the GRO record to see if this is the same Sarah.

Intriguingly,Aaron Crawcour called himself Charles Laurance and named two of his children David and Amelia after his parents which was far too coincidental. Sarah is buried in Melbourne Cemetery in 1905 with her father Peter and husband Charles Laurance who interestingly died in 1901 age 83 - the same period of birth for Aaron Crawcour. Given that Charles was supposed to be dead by 1870 it is interesting to note that he died in 1901- somewhat of an improbability! His death certificate gives his parents names as David Lawrence and Amelia- again very co-incidental when matched to Aaron's parents David and Amelia Crawcour

It is possible that Aaron called himself Charles Laurance because his brother Isaac and other relatives were already established in Melbourne and other parts of Victoria as were his Hart relatives.

So, for my Crawcour relatives please note that there are other relatives in Australia and who we knew nothing about.

Phillip
Descended from David Crawcour and Amelia Barnes my 4x great grandparents

[Foad Family Tree]

Hello There
No relation but hooping this may help. Henry Stephen Lawrence married Sarah Ann Bushell
10 April 1853. Both of full age. Henry's father was a Labourer John Lawrence and Sarah's father was Peter Bushell also a Labourer. They married at St Peter's Broadstairs.
Witnesses John Marshall & Jane Lawrence
Suzannah

[Nicolina]

Hi Phillip,
Was Isaac CRAWCOUR of Daylesford, Victoria one of yours? In 1865 he is listed in Government Gazettes, Victoria ubder "Shareholders Confluence Gold Mining Co".

[phillip]

Brilliant Nicolina,
You have resolved the Sarah Ann Bushell/Henry Lawrence issue and why Sarah used the Lawrence surnmae. Can I ask where you found this data?

Yes again, you are right the Crawcour's are all related via Samuel Crawcour 1748-1816.

Very many thanks for your help.
Phillip

[phillip]

Very many thanks to you Susannah for resolving the issue of Lawrence- can you please let me know the source of the data.

I wonder if Susan and Henry Lawrence left for Australia where she either left him/he left her/ he died hence her claiming to be a widow when she re- married Aaron Crawcour. I also wonder why Susan said her husband was Charles and not Henry Lawrence?

Any further suggestions/help greatly appreciated.
Phillip

[Nicolina]

I foud it on FMP. They are adding loads of new records including some from OZ.

[phillip]

The original records of several assizes are now online and show that Solomon Crawcour known as Samuel and later 'John Smith' was tried before he was 13 years old. The Middlesex Assizes records that Samuel Crawcour age 13 was found not guilty - No Bill- In Newgate before. The term' No Bill' means that there was insufficient evidence to present before a judge and jury. Samuel had been in Newgate before and the trial at age 13 was for theft. Following the early trial he was to be found guilty of further theft on at least 3 occasions and sentenced to two periods of transportation as previously described in postings.
For those researchers looking for original assize records the online records are an excellent resource because they sometimes include brief descriptions of the indivual plus their age and previous convictions or trials.

Solomon/Samuel/John Smith is one of the Crawcour relatives also indicated in previous Crawcour listings.
Phillip

[Kerrywood]

The original records of several assizes are now online

It's good (in a way ) to hear you've found ancestors in these records.

But just to clarify for others, these are not actually records of the assize courts, nor of any other court. They are simply centralised Criminal Registers (HO 26 and HO 27), listing the names and brief details of those charged with crimes in England and Wales between 1791 and 1892.

The original registers are held at Kew (HO 26 and HO 27). The earlier volumes (especially pre-1800) include rather more personal detail than the later ones. For an idea of their content, check out this TNA Research Guide.

The Middlesex Assizes records that Samuel Crawcour age 13 was found not guilty ...

Unlike other counties, Middlesex was not covered by any of the assize circuits. Cases that called for a higher court than the Quarter Sessions would normally go to the Old Bailey (known after 1834 as the Central Criminal Court). It should be clear from the register-page, or from preceding pages, if the cases listed were heard at the Old Bailey.

Records of county assizes outside Middlesex are also at Kew, in the series ASSI. This other TNA Research Guide has useful information on assize courts in general.

Hope that clarifies

Kerrywood

[phillip]

The England and Wales Criminal Registers 1791-1892 show 2 records for Samuel Crawcour/Solomon alias John Smith- the first is for April 1821 Middx and gives a dob approx 1808 and the other b abt 1804 -6 April 1840. The records are available for access via the Ancestry site.
Phillip