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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Ding on Sunday 03 February 13 04:15 GMT (UK)
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I have recently discovered that a female relative of mine, Catherine Peters of Dartmoor in Vic. was arrested in Mount Gambier on 16 Jul 1873 on a charge of being implicated in the murder of an illegitimate child. she was remanded to Dartmoor. On the 21 July she had the charges dismissed.
My question is how do I go about obtaining a copy of this file.
Ding
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Hi there Ding,
I am not familiar with Police Files for Victoria, so I cannot give you a direct answer re where to find the (police) file.
However, at the following link to a newspaper article, it suggests that the charges had not yet been dealt with by the Victorian Courts. The article was from Sth Australian Register of 22 July 1873. I have not yet found confirmation that the charges were dismissed.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/39299397 .
So I am a tad confused, as your OP states : ..... On the 21 July she had the charges dismissed.
Cheers, JM
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There is nothing in the 1872 to 1874 Victoria Police Gazettes in regards to this case.
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Do you have a copy of the death certificate for Catherine's child? Seven months prior to mid July 1873 is mid December 1872. What was the cause of death as noted on the dc?
Cheers, JM
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There is a letter on TROVE, published in the South Australian Register, Monday 15 September 1873.
The letter is from a William PETERS of Victoria Dairy, Dartmoor Vic. He writes to the Editor complaining that the South Australian Register published the report of the arrest of Catherine and goes on to state that Catherine was before the court in Dartmoor on 21 July and 'discharged, the evidence totally failing in any way to incriminate her'. Mr PETERS suggests that the newspaper ought to publish these facts as publishing the arrest without the outcome has damaged her, and her family's, reputation.
How to get hold of the record is another matter :-\
Judith
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There is no Victorian birth registered with Catherine PETERS as a mother in 1872 or 1873 or a death in 1873.
There is however in 1874 and 1875.
Birth
PETERS Walter
Father Unknown Mother Catherine PETERS
1874 Reg#24237
Deaths
PETERS Walter
Father Unknown Mother Catherine PETERS
1875 10 days Born Carlton Reg#2985
PETERS Catherine
Parents unknown
1875 21 years Carlton Reg#2972
Cando
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There was an inquest into the death of the first infant.
The Index entry--
Name- Peters
Given name-
Place- Dartmoor
Year- 1871
Reference- 915
Sex- M
Cause- Inanition (This I have learnt means :- the exhausted condition that results from lack of food and water. )
Occ- Male infant
Sue
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Thank you all for your replies. I have just realized that I haven't put in my new email address.
I don't have very much info on Catherine. I was hoping that the inquests may give me an age. She is listed as deceased in 1906. I was thinking that the registration in Carlton may have been her but 21 years old in 1875 seems a bit young as she witnessed her sister's (Elizabeth Francis) wedding in Mount Gambier in Jan 1872. I think she was the child of Thomas Peters and his first wife Elizabeth Brown (married Cornwall 1843) and may have come out to SA with Thomas' sister and brother in law Catherine and Edmund Martin on the Sibella in 1848.
This incident I am hoping might help prove that but as yet I haven't got an age for her.
Ding
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Wondering, then, who is the William PETERS who wrote to the newspapers requesting them to ensure that the dismissal of Catherine's court case was published.
Thought he may have had a will that had some clues but there is no William PETERS will on PROV in the right area. Judith
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Judith, I think that William PETERS was Catherine's brother :-\
Have a look here under PETERS William - Dairy/Dartmoor:
http://www.swvic.org/dartmoor/names.htm
There are previous threads by Ding with mention of family names :)
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Thanks, Merlin.
Wondered if he might give a clue :-\ Judith
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Sparrett ,you say there was an inquest (ref 915). What type of inquest and where was it held.
Catherine had two brothers, William and Thomas both born in Montacute SA.
Ding