CASSIDY

[truey52]

Hi Lesley, thanks for the reply, I saw about William Dixon but forgot to put him in previous post, it states on that register that he was a vagrant from prison and that his parents are respectable! And I love your word of the day!
I also wondered if the four men were in cahoots and it was the same crime, pity about being unable to find trial or crime report. Its one of the reasons I tried to follow up on William Preston. However I will keep looking and hope I can come up with some further information. There is very little info. to be found about Charles Cassidy, he obviously was very shy of officialdom, with some of the children's births registered, no marriage to be found although he states on one childs birth cert that he and the mother were married at Yass NSW in 1848 and on his wifes death cert. he states they were married in SydneyNSW in 1850.and also that she was Jane Smith.
And that raises another conundrum, their children were Charles, no details known, but may have been born about 1850, Mary Ann born 1851, baptised 1853, parents are Charles Cassidy and Jane. Thomas born 1854, no reg. died 1862, son of Charles Cassidy and Mary Jane Brown, Matilda born 1857, don't have her birth cert. Mary Jane born 1860, father Charles Cassidy mother Jane Smith and William born 1862, Charles Cassidy father and Mary Ann Brown, mother. Shirl.

[truey52]

I can access UK Ancestry but don't think I've seen trial registers, maybe I have the subsciption that does not include that one. Burglary-simple, whatever that means, seem an excessive sentence, transportation for life don't you think? I know that the sentencing was very harsh in those days, but imagine being sent to the other side of the world, and never being able to return home. And I wonder if you know this, Charles was granted a ticket of leave in 1846, but would he have had to seek permission to marry, if he did indeed get married?

[Lesley Robertson]

There might be a trial report in the Criminal area of the National Archives site (called Discovery) - it's pay to use. However, looking at the sheer number of people that they got through on that day, it might have been a case of "in, plead guilty and out".. If noone was hurt, it was possibly not sensational enough for the papers. Dixon was apparently a rope maker and his appearance with the others might be a coincidence, but they seem to be mentioned as a set.

[Lesley Robertson]

I can access UK Ancestry but don't think I've seen trial registers, maybe I have the subsciption that does not include that one. Burglary-simple, whatever that means, seem an excessive sentence, transportation for life don't you think? I know that the sentencing was very harsh in those days, but imagine being sent to the other side of the world, and never being able to return home. And I wonder if you know this, Charles was granted a ticket of leave in 1846, but would he have had to seek permission to marry, if he did indeed get married?

Go to Anc's "card index"and put "criminal"in the search box. There's quite a range of hits, I just looked at the "Criminal registers 1791-1892".

I don't know much about the english criminal system (I normally lurk in the scottish areas), I just saw an article about sentences changing when I was looking for a crime report. There were quite a few things that go t the death penalty...

[truey52]

Yes thanks I have found the "criminal Registers 1791-1892. So will be looking tomorrow, am off to bed now, thanks again for all your help. Shirl.

[janbooth]

There is a letter in the Liverpool Mercury dated 20 April 1838 regarding the case of Charles CASSIDY which infers he was somewhat naïve and led astray by other more nefarious beings. Mentions that he was the son of "an honest, hard-working, moral man" but no other details - wouldn't you just know it! Writer of the letter signs as "a lover of mercy and justice".

Janet

[Lesley Robertson]

Interestingly, Preston, Cassidy and Bratley were all listed as "mild and obedient". Dixon didn't get that comment, just the "vagrant with respectable parents" note.
I'm currently fighting the urge to track them all back to see whether they were kids together...

[truey52]

Thanks Janet, and yes it would be typical of most of my research, did I mention that I have been searching for info on this family for more than 20 years? Poor Charles, obviously led astray! Feel sorry for his parents though, I wonder did they ever hear from him again.
Will have to see if I can access that letter, would love to see it.
Thanks again, Shirl.

[truey52]

Hi Lesley, it is a battle, isn't it, too not get too involved, I've thought the same and then I think.........NO, it will probably just muddy the waters, and I'll be even more confused than I am now! Thanks for taking the time to look into this for me. Shirl

[janbooth]

Shirl,

The British Newspaper Archive holds editions of the Liverpool Mercury as does FindmyPast but I think you will probably have to pay to access the letter via their sites. Over here in the UK many of our libraries have free access to various newspapers - don't know if that applies in Australia though.

Janet