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Sincere thanks to all for your help!  :-)

What would have been the likely age for a man / boy to have become a sailor / mariner?  Did they serve an apprenticeship?

Altho, given that he was the only son, I would have thought he'd have stuck around to look after mum and the girls?!

Thanks, Andrea

Revisiting our BALCOMBE family of Horne, Surrey and wonder if anyone can offer anything new.

James BALCOMBE (of Tandridge) married Mary BUCKLAND (of Horne) on 12 Oct 1814 at Tandridge, Surrey.
Both signed with an "X".  Witnesses were Elizabeth Lock, Jack Cotes and William Brooke.

Only known child was Melancthon BALCOMBE, b. 19 Jan 1815 Horne and bapt. 15 Mar 1815. 
He was`committed on the 10th of June, 1836, by T. Budgen, esq.,charged on the oaths of William Snelling and others, with feloniously stealing, at Burstow, Surrey, a bullock's hide, his property.' He appeared at the General Quarter Session at Guildford on 28 June, 1836, & was sentenced to 7 Years Transportation, arr Australia 10 July, 1837 on ship, "MANGLES 8".  He had previously been convicted on 6 Jan 1835, & sentenced to 6 mths hard labour at Brixton, for stealing one truss of hay valued at 2 shillings from John Creasey.

As no siblings found for Melancthon, wondering if perhaps one/both of his parents died and therefore are there burial records re Horne, Tandridge, Burstow please?  Perhaps one died, the other remarried?  Would his crimes have appeared in the newspaper (which one?)?  Are there Brixton prison records?

Any help much appreciated.
Cheers, Andrea.  (SW Vic, Aust)



 

My husbands ancestor, Melancthon Balcombe (alias Buckland) arrived in Sydney, Australia, on the 10th of July, 1837. He was aboard the convict ship, "MANGLES 8".  The records show that he was 5'8" tall, had dark brown (almost black) hair, dark brown eyes and that his complexion was dark, sallow and freckled. He had a scar and a hairy mole on his left cheek, his nose inclined to the right side and he had several warts on the back of his right hand. He was`committed on the 10th of June, 1836, by T. Budgen, esq.,charged on the oaths of William Snelling and others, with feloniously stealing, at Burstow, Surrey, a bullock's hide, his property.' He was held in custody until Tuesday 28th of June, 1836, when he appeared at the General Quarter Session at Guildford, Surrey, and was sentenced to Seven Years Transportation. Thus, he came to Australia. He had previously been convicted on the 6th January, 1835, and sentenced to six months hard labour at Brixton, for stealing one truss of hay valued at two shillings from John Creasey.

Would there have been a newspaper article re his crimes/trial and if so, what would be the likely newspaper to search please?  Also, are there records for Brixton prison?

Cheers, Andrea.  (in SW Vic, Australia)

Many thanks for the article Tom!  Every little bit helps.

I had hoped that just maybe George Morgan's family had petitioned the court to get a reduced sentence, but Redroger has just dashed that a bit.  Still, maybe worth looking into. 

Thanks for replies.