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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: holbycityfan on Monday 17 August 09 13:55 BST (UK)

Title: Black sheep in my family - where has he gone
Post by: holbycityfan on Monday 17 August 09 13:55 BST (UK)

Hi

I hope you can help this is my first message on here.

I have been tracing my family for a few years and have come across
a family member who was in Dartmoor prison in 1871.

What is puzzling me is George Boyce my grt, grt uncle  born Welford was tried in
1854 in Warwick Assizes for feloniously stabbing and cutting a John Blundell and
was sentenced  to 14 years transportation, but as he appears in Dartmoor in 1871 he
obviously wasnt transported.  He should have been released by 1868
so why would he be still in prison.

Was this usual not to transport criminals by then and why would he have been
sent to Dartmoor not a more local prison.  I cant find him on 1861 or 1881 census
and have tried contacting Dartmoor Prison several times with no luck for more
information about  life for prisoners and what happened to prisoners if they
died in prison  Did they try and cover it up and was a proper death certificates produced.

Many thanks for any help you can give.

Jan

Title: Re: Black sheep in my family - where has he gone
Post by: Spidermonkey on Monday 17 August 09 14:18 BST (UK)

Hi Jan,

It is possible that George was transported, served his sentence and then returned back to the UK (not many convicts did, but it was possible).  George could then have committed another crime and be sentenced again.

I don't think there is any way of telling whether this was your George Boyce, but on 28th June 1869 George Boyce was committed to 7 years imprisonment after being convicted of 'simple larceny following 2 previous convictions' at Worcester Court

Title: Re: Black sheep in my family - where has he gone
Post by: SKy1 on Monday 17 August 09 15:05 BST (UK)

sent you a pm  holbycityfan :)

Title: Re: Black sheep in my family - where has he gone
Post by: stanmapstone on Monday 17 August 09 15:08 BST (UK)

After 1853 those sentenced to less than fourteen years transportation faced penal servitude in a British prison.
After the abolition of transportation in 1867, Penal Servitude was the sole long term punishment and could not be given for less the three years, but a shorter prison sentence could be made more severe by by the imposition of hard labour.

Stan

Title: Re: Black sheep in my family - where has he gone
Post by: holbycityfan on Tuesday 18 August 09 11:41 BST (UK)

Hi

Thank you everyone for your great answers. Thanks
Spidermonkey for information about George Boyce in Worcester,
Im going to try and see if it could be my relative.

Once again many thanks

Jan