Convicted & Transported to Australia 1825-26

[wozcav]

Phillip GOULD aged 16 b.1809 a 'Carter' was sentenced to Life 1 APR 1825 at SOMERSET ASSIZES and was Transported, eventually landing from the Marquis of Hastings Ship 3 Jan 1826. An Australian Cousin has these details from their Records but, hopes a kindly Soul could look up the Court details here in UK if possible please where they have time in visit? She has reasonable details of his life after arrival. Grateful any assistance here!

[Peter Goodey]

Phillip GOULD...was sentenced to Life

The only man of that name I spotted in the online Criminal Registers being convicted in 1825 in Somerset was actually sentenced to death. Are we talking about the same man?

It was of course not unusual at that time for death sentences to be commuted to transportation.

[Kerrywood]

The criminal register HO 27/30 shows that Philip GOULD was convicted of 'Larceny &c in a dwelling house'. He received a death sentence, which was later respited, and he was then transported for life.

Assizes records are at the National Archives, Kew, and I'm afraid they're not necessarily a quick lookup. There don't appear to be any depositions for the Western Circuit for this period. There are Crown Minute Books (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=3&CATID=831&SearchInit=4&SearchType=6&CATREF=ASSI+21), in ASSI 21/49 (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=454761&CATLN=6&accessmethod=5), but these are often very summary and won't give you much detail about each case.

The surgeon's medical journal in ADM 101/50/2 shows that Philip GOULD was taken ill on the voyage (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=5038804&CATLN=6&Highlight=%2CPHILIP%2CGOULD%2CPHILIP%2CGOULD&accessmethod=0), twice. The catalogue description gives his age as 15, in case you're not already aware of that. Those records may be worth a look too.

If you can't get to Kew yourself, you may have to get research done, either by TNA's search service
www.
nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/criminal-records.pdf

or by an independent researcher (usually cheaper).

[wozcav]

Thanks Peter, Cousin just received your note and valued for write up! This is he, as the Death was later commuted to Transportation now verified/documented in another reply just in for us. Well done!

[wozcav]

Thanks Kerrywood, FWD of this to Cousin is read and valued greatly for her writeups and reference followups too. I have viewed a few of these myself on receipt and they are confirmed as very useful to content and overview of the man in the greater picture. She visits the Archives of her locale today to gain more from the OZ side of records regarding him so, well done we're grateful for your time and consideration!