RIGBY in Southwark

[elfael]

I am hoping someone might have come across my ancestor Catherine Rigby in or around Southwark. She was transported to Australia for a theft she committed in St Saviour's in 1801. Catherine had a baseborn daughter in Australia but left the child behind with her father when she returned to England in 1810. She was living in St Saviour's at the time of the crime, but I have no idea if that was her birthplace. Given that there are 328 parishes within a 5 mile radius of Southwark, I'm not holding out a lot of hope that she can be found. I don't know her age when she was transported - though she said she was a singlewoman - and I have no idea if she married after returning to England, or when she died.

As I said, I'm not really expecting any results here, but if those researching in the Southwark area could check any relevant indexes they have access to I'd be most grateful.

Rebecca

[ShaunJ]

Just noting that the Morning Chronicle for January 22 1801 has her name as Catharine (a very short report from Newington quarter sessions on her sentence of 7 years transportation  for "robbing her ready furnished lodgings")

[elfael]

Ooh, thank you, I didn't know about that report! Where could I get a copy of it? Is it available online?

I have a copy of her indictment, which details what she stole, but it didn't mention that it was her lodgings that she had robbed. I thought it was an awful lot for a single theft - presumably she must have been spiriting items out and pawning them over a period of time.

The spelling difference doesn't concern me. The spelling of her name would have depended entirely on the person writing it down.

Rebecca

[ShaunJ]

It's in the Gale/BL 19th century newspaper database which you may be able to access online via your local library membership.

It is a very short item, really saying no more than I have said.

[elfael]

I found it! I know it doesn't say much but it's nice to have a copy of the original document for my files.

Thank you!

[ShaunJ]

There were not many Rigbys in London back then.

There was a Catherine Rigby who died aged 62 in October 1844 and was buried at St John the Baptist in Hoxton. I can't see her in the 1841 census. She lived in Clifton Street.

[elfael]

What a shame, the census would have given me an idea of how far afield I need to look for her birth (assuming that was her), limited though the 1841 census is. In what county was Clifton Street?

[ShaunJ]

Clifton Street is in Shoreditch in London's East End (Middlesex).

There is a Kitty Rigby aged 60 in the 1841 census. She is a servant in Wood Street in the City of London. She is marked as not born in county, so not born in Middlesex.

[elfael]

  I just found the same entry, indexed as Kitty Rigly. I was typing a message about it but you beat me to it.

"Not born in county" isn't particularly helpful *sigh*.

I can't conclusively say that she is my Catherine, but she looks like a promising candidate. It would explain why we've never been able to find a marriage for her. If it is her, she would have only been 19 or so when she was transported.

Thank you very much for your help Shaun, I really appreciate your time!

Rebecca