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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: Wack on Friday 12 January 07 15:51 GMT (UK)

Title: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Friday 12 January 07 15:51 GMT (UK)
I am trying to find information about William Stone b 1828 in Fleetwood UK
He was murdered on the 17th October 1877 at his Gold Mine at Cold Canyon Nr Howland Flat, Sierra County, California
A chinese man was later hung for his murder. Later William Stone's brother erected a large monument to him in what we presume is Howland Flat. This was at the height of The California Goldrush and Howland Flat was one of the richest seams in North Yuba
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: dinkey on Sunday 14 January 07 08:47 GMT (UK)
Do you mean Fleetwood Lancashire? If so then William could not have been born 1828 as Fleetwood did not come into being before 1836.

Where do you get the date of birth from?

Have you found him on any census record?

What were his parents names?
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Sunday 14 January 07 09:14 GMT (UK)
Interesting. I'll ask the family again
Thanks Dinkey
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Valda on Sunday 14 January 07 10:08 GMT (UK)
1870 census Table Rock Township Sierra County California
Wm Stone 40 male white miner, value of real estate 3200, value of personal estate 15000  born England

1860 census Pine Grove Township Sierra County California
William Stone 29 male miner, value of personal estate 200 born England

It may not be the same man or the man you are interested in. The name William Stone is quite common.

'FLEETWOOD, a town and a chapelry in Poulton-le-Fylde parish, Lancashire. The town stands on the river Wyre, within 2 miles of the open sea, and 18 NW of Preston. Its site, so late as 1836, was a mere rabbit warren; but was observed by its proprietor, Sir P. H. Fleetwood, to be situated so advantageously for inter-communication between the great marts of England and the seaports of the Isle of Man and the North of Ireland, that he determined to make it a seat of commerce.'

No Stones on the 1851 census for England born Fleetwood or Poulton le Fylde.

Regards

Valda
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Sunday 14 January 07 10:19 GMT (UK)
Thanks Valda
This could be him. Howland Flat is in Table Rock isn't it. We knew he had a goldmine and have a ring made from a gold nugget with the initials AES on it
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Valda on Sunday 14 January 07 10:45 GMT (UK)
http://www.ghosttownexplorers.org/california/pw2hf/pw2hf.htm

Shows photographs of the area.

Other than the W which I presume stands for William, what do A and E stand for?

Regards

Valda
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Sunday 14 January 07 11:10 GMT (UK)
Hi Again Valda
Here are some Photographs
1 The memorial erected by his William Stone's Brother James and his friend Alex McNee (he could be interesting)
2 A view of what is presumed to be William on his wagon transporting mining supplies
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Sunday 14 January 07 11:11 GMT (UK)
Two more pictures
1 The Wanted Poster
2 William on his wagon
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Sunday 14 January 07 11:48 GMT (UK)
Sorry Valda The Initials on the ring are AES (I had a late night)
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Valda on Sunday 14 January 07 12:21 GMT (UK)
1870 census Table Rock Township Sierra County California
Alex McNee 36 male white miner, value of real estate 1100 born Canada

Your only real way of finding William Stone's origins and therefore potential emigration date, is to track your own direct Stone line in England. How far have you got with that?

For further information on William's life and death in California the Sierra County genealogy website may be a useful starting point.

http://cagenweb.com/sierra/

Regards

Valda
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: KathMc on Sunday 14 January 07 16:01 GMT (UK)
Wack,

What amazing pictures you have. They are incredible. Do you know who the people are in the picture with the memorial? I think you have the potential to find out a lot about William and his way of life.

And what a cool site the ghost town explorers site is.

Kath
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Sunday 14 January 07 16:33 GMT (UK)
Hi Kath
Thank Valda for the ghostown pictures she's been a big help
I'd love to go out there and have a look myself, I went to Bodie many years ago
I'm not sure who the people are, but I could probably find out more.
Thanks

Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: KathMc on Sunday 14 January 07 16:41 GMT (UK)
There's a wonderful fiction book, Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner, which follows a family through mining in the west. It gives an incredible picture of life back then.

Kath
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Thursday 18 January 07 10:37 GMT (UK)
This one is for Valda
As a result of the info you gave me I got in touch with the Sherrif of Sierra County, who has started looking into the case this is what he has found so far:

So far, I have found the following text from the book, "Over North in Sierra County', by James J. Sinnott.  In a chapter on Cold Canyon, he writes
"In October 1877, William Stone, who had been a resident of Howland Flat and vicinity, was shot and killed by a group who were in the act of robbing the sluices of the Sierra Tunnel Company at Cold Canyon.  Stone was an owner of the mine along with TA McFarlane and Alex McNee.  He was awakened at night by noises made by the robbers and he and another man of the mine made their way toward the gravel dump from which the noises had come.  They had gone but a short distance when one of the robbers, who had been placed on watch, fired, killing Stone, who was in the lead, almost instantly.  The shot aroused the other men of the mine who immediately turned out, but not in time to capture any of the robbers, who got away with about sixteen ounces of gold.  Further efforts by groups of men scouring the country did not result in the apprehension of the robbers."

We have just discovered also that James Stone also spent more time out there than we thought, so maybe he is down on some records. He is my wife's G,G,Grandfather.
Thanks again for the information 

Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Valda on Thursday 18 January 07 18:52 GMT (UK)
Meanwhile back in England what have you found out about your Stone direct line of descent? All this background information on William and his family, plus the photographs you have will probably be of some interest to the Sierra County library.

Regards

Valda
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: KathMc on Thursday 18 January 07 19:16 GMT (UK)
Valda, you are so right. I think we all have to remember when we find information about someone who has any historical noteriety to share with the proper historical societies, libraries, etc. It can be a very satsifying feeling.

Kath
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Thursday 18 January 07 21:25 GMT (UK)
It's of great interest to us, and a great family story. That's what tracing ancestors is all about isn't it!
Thanks again
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: jagna on Monday 08 August 11 04:34 BST (UK)
Hello
I live in Sonoma California and have a cabin near La Porte California.  I do ALOT of research on the  Gold Rush in Sierra and Plumas Counties.  I have been following the interest in the murder of William Stone.  I know where the mine was located.  The grave of William Stone is located in Sacramento City Cemetery.  I have articles from the Mountain Messenger Newspaper from 1877-1878 concerning the details of this murder.  It seems to have caused a severe racial problem with the chinese.  I have not found the name of the murderer or how the person was found.  William Stone had many mining partners and was highly esteemed.  I have all the names.  The photo that shows people in front of the gravestone must be (James Stone, and McFarland), There is an inscription on the side of the gravestone from Forbes .  Probably another mining partner.  I am not sure of the lady or the children.  According to the newspaper, William was single and had no children however relatives in England and Australia.  I would love to talk more with the interested family members. 
Thanks
Jim Livingston
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Valda on Monday 08 August 11 10:23 BST (UK)
Hi Jim

Welcome to Rootschat

According to Wack's profile they have not been on Rootschat since September 2009 so may not pick up your message posted on this topic. Rootschat has a personal messaging system

http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php

You have to make three posts on Rootschat to be able to use it. Sending a pm means an email is sent (if that person hasn't turned off their notifications or changed email addresses) to their email address telling them there is a message waiting for them.
Acknowledging this post will be your second post. There is a lot to explore on Rootschat so you may want to look at the U.S. board where I'm sure you would also be welcomed and perhaps make a third post there.


Regards

Valda
Moderator
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Tuesday 09 August 11 15:07 BST (UK)
Hi Jim, thanks for your message. We are away at the moment and will get in touch in September. Wack
Title: Re: Murder of William Stone
Post by: Wack on Friday 02 September 11 17:50 BST (UK)
Hi Jim.
We are now back in the Uk after our holiday.
We would very much like any new information you could give us. Maybe you could send us a PM.
I received a lot of useful information from the Sheriff/Coroner/Hangman of Sierra County (retired)
He was very helpful and went to the cemetery on Sacramento. Also he had the information from the Mountain Messenger. We found the location of the mine on Google Earth. cheers wack