Well Les, good news and bad news - the bad news is not much family info but good news on trial information, so here goes.
John's first appearance in court was in the Michaelmas Quarter sessions in Nether Knutsford held on Monday the 15th October 1832. He was 13 at the time and had been committed 3 days earlier by C. Swetenham Esq. The charge was stealing a Pocket Pistol (to the value of 5 shillings aka a crown), the property of John Richardson Harlow of Sutton on the 8th October. John pleaded Not Guilty but the jury found him Guilty.
He was sentenced to 6 weeks hard labour in Knutsford House of Correction. In addition, the first and last 14 days of the sentence were in a solitary cell and he was also to be whipped at the end of the first 14 days. All this at the age of 13!
Two years later John was back in court in the adjourned Knutsford sessions held in Chester at the Easter Quarter sessions on Wednesday the 9th April 1834. Now aged 15 he had been committed on the 17th March by a T Grimsditch Esq. The charge was that he had in Macclesfield on the 7th December 1833 stolen a Box (value 2 pence or 2d), ten pieces of ribbon (value 10 shillings) and a further 20 yards of ribbon (value 5 shillings), this all being the property of Thomas Payne (also named as Richard on the Calendar for the Gaol which I think is incorrect.) Two other witnesses are named Phillip and Ellen Egerton. Again John pleaded Not Guilty but was found Guilty and sentenced to Transportation for 7 years.
From Chester, John would have then been transferred to Chatham in London where he would have embarked for the long voyage to New South Wales. He set sail on the 388 ton barque "Henry Tanner" on the 27th June 1834 arriving in NSW on the 26th Oct 1834.
I have a very good book on Knutsord Gaol which I can recommend - see Amazon or elsewhere
http://www.anneloaderpublications.co.uk/index/90125327/index.htmIf you PM me with your email address, I will send you the photos I took of the court documents.
regards
Shep
