Essex Assizes

[styles05]

Thomas Styles of Latton, born 1793, was convicted of Burglary in Latton, Essex and executed on the 28th March 1812. He was 19 years of age.  Thomas is buried at Theydon Garnon.  Can anyone find the court proceedings, hopefully telling me what he actually did.  The information I have is from the Chelmsford Chronicle of 1812 but is very short on details of the case.

Thanks.

[Tom Piper]

styles05

There is a full transcript of the trial written in the Morning Chronicle of March 13, 1812.

He was jointly charged with a William Pryor of breaking into the home of a Mr. William Cakebread and stealing 100 guineas, whilst the occupier was at a meeting house (maybe he was a quaker)

An accomplice in the burglary as we would call it, was a Joseph Barnard, who kept watch having refused to enter the house. He was told by Styles that he and Pryor had gone to the house taken out a window and then Styles had let Pryor into the house.

They had both taken the money. At the trial, the jury found Styles guilty but Pryor was acquitted.

Nowadays all three would have been sent to trial, the Barnard, Pryor and Styles as all were equally responsible.

This may be obtained from 19th century British Newspapers from Gale databases. Just go online and join Lancashire Library

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries/borrower/join.asp


Tom