Hi Mary,
I have an ongoing interest in Ilchester Gaol and it's history and use the local newspaper archive to aid my research.
I've had a look for a trial report for Richard Perry and Sarah Rapson and found the following that might be of interest;
Firstly though, have you seen the online database of Ilchester prisoners? If not, it can be found here;
http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/database/prisoner.htmDoing a surname search for Rapson shows a Sarah Rapson being admitted to the Gaol on four occasions between February 1839 and July 1841.
There are three other Rapson's listed, George, James and William. Given that their birthplaces and last abodes are local to each other it's quite possible that they were related to Sarah.
I looked for Sarah's name in the trial reports of the Western Flying Post newspaper and found her mentioned on 3 occasions.
First, in the edition of April 8th 1839 in a report of the sentences of prisoners from the County Assizes at Wells the previous week;
Sentenced to 3 months: Sarah Rapson - For stealing a loaf of bread. 
The next time I found her name was in an article in the same newspaper dated Monday April 19th 1841.
On Tuesday Sarah Hallett, and her mother, Sarah Rapson, were committed by Wm. Hoskins, Esq., to take their trials for stealing from the Yeovil Union Workhouse. Hallett was an inmate of the house, and her mother having gone to visit her she contrived to convey to her mother a quantity of wearing apparel and two table knives. The porter, suspecting all was not right, as Rapson was leaving the house examined her, and found the articles under her shawl.Lastly, she appears in the Western Flying Post (Dated:Mon July 5th 1841) trial reports for the Somerset Quarter Sessions held at Bridgewater on June 28th 1841.
It shows that Sarah received a sentence of 12 months imprisonment for the theft at Yeovil Union Workhouse. Also sentenced at the same trial was Sarah Hallett who received six months imprisonment. A lesser sentence than her mother because the receiving of stolen goods was considered a more serious offence than the theft itself.
Also at the same hearing, Richard Perry was given two months imprisonment and George Rapson was sentenced to ten years transportation. There is no mention of their offences.
Quite a family gathering if indeed they are all related.
Hope this is of some help,
Regards,
Arf
