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  1. #11
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    Hi Jane
    Degree of Instruction is the first one. Some have Imp in that column, others which I see as Well
    Maliciously cutting with intent but I don't see the little mark after this and after To remain as ditto marks. To me they look completely different to the other capital D they used for ditto. I have no idea what it is though.
    If the first one is a ditto then it would be Maliciously cutting with intent larceny.

  2. #12
    spison
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    Thanks for looking Christanel.

    Hopefully someone else will be able to shed light on the dittos (or whatever), 'Will', 'Well' or 'Imp' mean. Some of those sentenced alternatively have an 'N' in the Degree of Instruction column.

    Jane

  3. #13
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
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    Quote Originally Posted by spison View Post
    the dittos (or whatever)
    Not a ditto, but a scrawled &c, meaning etc.

    Quote Originally Posted by spison View Post
    'Will', 'Well' or 'Imp'
    The Degree of Instruction column indicates whether the person could read/write ...

    Well
    Imp(erfectly)
    N(o)

  4. #14
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
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    Quote Originally Posted by spison View Post
    Name: James Surdifield; Degree of ??????tion: Will; Age: 49; Session etc: County Assizes etc; Offence: Maliciously(?) Cutting(?) with intent to Ditto (larceny?); Sentence: Acquitted insane To remain ditto (Not guilty?).

    Much appreciated. I've tried enlarging it but it all goes blurry.Jane
    Jane I see: James Surdifield 49 (ditto to County assizes 10th March) Well- ditto to (mal'y cutting with intent a/c)..Aquittals,:Aquitted to remain -G.J. (I think). Not positive on the initials
    Happy Families
    Wendy
    Count your Blessings, they'll all add up in the end.

  5. #15
    spison
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    Thanks Waitabit and Kerrywood. So he could read and write well!

    Well! Well! How interesting is this!? He is almost without doubt my g-g-g-g-grandfather. The certificates and some more census searching will hopefully completely round it out.

    Quote Originally Posted by gasser View Post
    There are two references to James Sirdefield in the Morning Post 1836 and The Standard 1854, source 19th century British Library Newpapers. The latter confirms he was resident at Bethlem hospital.
    For anyone in Australia who is wondering - the 19th Century newspapers are accessible from home provided you hold a National Library of Australia Readers Card. Gasser's references have given me this background and hopefully Bethlem Archives will have some original documents.

    James stabbed his wife, Mary, in Darlaston in November 1836. Her evidence was that he was insane and the case was stopped. The 1854 article is very long with a huge amount of background info. He sued one David Kidd and was awarded damages. He was released from Bethel in 1853. It will be interesting to see exactly what date in 1853, Mary Sirdefield died. Once out he went to his children in Dolston, Staffordshire. I don't yet know which children but it doesn't appear to be Benjamin or Isaac.

    Thanks for everyone who helped point me in the right direction.

    Jane

  6. #16
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
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    Quote Originally Posted by gasser View Post
    There are two references to James Sirdefield in the Morning Post 1836 and The Standard 1854, source 19th century British Library Newpapers.
    Jane, did you also see the report of the court hearing published in The Examiner on Sunday, March 26, 1837?

    It contains some rather graphic details of the circumstances of the offence, and refers briefly to other members of the family.

  7. #17
    gasser
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    Jane, did you also see the report of the court hearing published in The Examiner on Sunday, March 26, 1837?
    Apologies Jane (and thanks Kerrywood) .......I had missed that one. I only found it with just his surname entered in search box where as the other two references were found in conjunction with his christian name.

  8. #18
    spison
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kerrywood View Post
    The Examiner on Sunday, March 26, 1837? It contains some rather graphic details of the circumstances of the offence, and refers briefly to other members of the family.
    Thanks Kerrywood. I'd missed it but using the various spellings of Sirdefield and no James gets a few more. I haven't yet found a more detailed article. (19th c. newspapers is my new - albeit temporary - favourite site as I've also found the date of the elusive first marriage of another ancestor which has shed a whole new light on his date of arrival in Oz!) James's 'insanity' puts a whole new perspective on this line of the family. His granddaughter, Jane, also ended her days in a mental hospital although we do know what triggered this admission.

    Jane (who is now reconsidering the use of one of her favourite sayings viz. "This is driving me ")

  9. #19
    Geoffers
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    Many thanks for the update and confirming that this chap is related. It may not be what you hoped for in your ancestry; but I feel that asking the question and getting a successful answer is the most important thing. I wonder what is was that affected his state of mind to attack his wife?

  10. #20
    spison
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    Thanks Geoffers and I totally agree with you.

    I'm actually pretty excited about this find and mum (who was the original family researcher) has also been pretty resigned to it. I warned her last night that she may not like what I'd found but this morning when I asked her if she really wanted to know and we discussed the events and read the article she still maintains she feels better than when we found an abandoned wife in the poorhouse for another family member.

    According to the last article found by Kerrywood, James's wife put his insanity down to losing money during the sale of his house BUT Mary also said that his father (also James if the 1854 IGI marriage is him - and I think it is) was "off his head" and his brother and an uncle had died demented. James had a tendency to be an abusive husband, even before he snapped in November 1836, which wasn't all that uncommon at the time (or even now?).

    Such a potential for records here. TNA here I come!

    Jane
    Last edited by spison; 05-01-2011 at 11:45 PM. Reason: added a smart comment

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