My elusive convict Frederick HENRY b. 1809

[Lesley_A]

No, I don't have the birth records of either William or Cecilia. One record I *do* have is the convicts on the "Lady Harewood", where he is again listed as age 20, and his native place given as Middlesex.

(Although others on the same page have their NP given as London).

Could he be a Nonconformist? Anything is possible ... although I have searched the Nonconformist records, too, and not found him. I can say that their daughter Mary Jane HENRY (my g-grandmother) was baptized (in Clarence Town) as a Catholic ... whether because of her Irish mother, I am not sure.

She *was*, all the same, married by a C of E minister (in her father's house, in Woolomin), and in other records I have (such as parents of children at Dungowan Lower Public School), Fred is listed as C of E.

Apprenticeship papers ... yes, I have thought about that as a possibility (if he was trained as a Hatter), but have not managed to find anything. (Any guidance on that would be much appreciated) 

I believe age 20 is *probably* correct - at least, it accords with the age on his Death Certificate (entered by my Danish great-grandfather, John ALBERTSON).

And yes, I *have* searched those Family Search Pilot records, as recently as yesterday. Sadly, no Frederick HENRY within cooee ... the published bio has him as born in the area of St Giles Cripplegate, which I think comes from the Frederick HENRY (son of Elizabeth) who was christened there.

But really not possible - the age of *that* Fred is way out ... old enough to be my Fred's father 

Cheers,


Lesley 

[majm]

Some more thoughts

a) He came under a Life sentence ... and married in NSW 1842 ... perhaps he still needed permission to marry as his Colonial Pardon came in 1847 ... Would his permission to marry have recorded his origins, could it be indexed online?

b) He was in London in June 1830, aged 20  (was this an approximation after reading dc giving 62 years 11 months 5 Sept 1872)... could he be working in the area when he was arrested ... the trial gives the name of the owner of the handkerchief, and also the business partner of that owner was a witness because the owner was away in Ireland on business.  So what was their business, where was it located and what nearby businesses would have needed someone who could read and write... and have sufficient coin to become intoxicated on say late 2nd June 1830 and not remember what he did on 3rd June until the next morning
Historic Directories online http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/
Handkerchief owner : John LAWFORD
Business Partner (witness) : John MABSON (could be MARSON)

c) Have you found Thomas HENRY and Eliza* (nee Jones) on the 1841 or later UK census ... where born, other siblings for Frederick, etc (thinking of any naming patterns in the children of Frederick & Cecilia)

EDIT TO ADD 3 June 1830 was a Thursday

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Here's mention of his CP in the newspapers

http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/37130639
The Australian Tuesday 19 October 1847 (Henry, Frederick) 

http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/694552
Maitland Mercury Wed 20 Oct 1847

You mentioned he was a hatter ... I'm presuming this would be from the newspapers giving his description, and noting his place of trial as Middlesex ...  http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2212623 after he absconded 12 June 1833, aged 23

Cheers,  JM

[Lesley_A]

Hi JM,

To answer your last question first ... no, I can *not* find any plausible Thomas HENRY (in particular). Nearest I found was a canvas merchant listed in the India Office records ... not exactly a *Clerk*, and his wife was not Elizabeth 

Many Elizabeth HENRYs, including this one mentioned as a witness in a case 11th April 1821.  Mary Kallard was the defendant:


http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/

(But, I suspect the appeal is St Giles's - which I have already declared to be a red herring) 

Others of that name, of course ... I have recently been down a track with an Elizabeth HENRY of St Pancras, with investments in the West Indies ... she even had sons who were Clerks, and had the right given names.

But, no! Husband was *not* Thomas ... I just can't find a pair with the right names married to each other <sigh>

So, were they not married to each other? *Elizabeth* seems, from the children's names, to be more important - the first Elizabeth died, and then another child was called Elizabeth ... while *Thomas* was down in the pecking order (and was also the given name of Cecilia's father, Thomas McGOWAN).

(But, if Fred did not have a father, who paid for his education?).

Cheers,


Lesley

[majm]

Speculations from me 

After re-reading the trial

June 1830, Freddy and his mate were both (apprentice) hatters and John Lawford was perhaps a legal eagle with John Marson, perhaps they were associated with the Drapers Guild etc ... and that would perhaps include Master hatters ..  3 June, Lawford and Marson were walking along, Freddy and his mate were staggering along same street ...  Freddy stumbled, grabbed the coat to stop himself hitting the un-even road, and only latched onto the hanky.  Lawford grabbed Freddy and held him and got a constable's attention (perhaps Lawford or Marson were well respected and known to the constable), letting the other intoxicated lad stumble off into the shadows..  What was Marson doing ... standing still or what !

Freddy's father was a clerk ... perhaps a legal clerk or the like...  Freddy was being taught a lesson by his father, so Thomas did not stand up to attest his son's intoxicated mischief ... WHY ... what else had Freddy done previously ...  Was Freddy the younger son, if Thomas was alive and in London when Freddy got caught, then perhaps Thomas had older son to carry on the family name ....  The other lad does NOT get caught, no one even looks for him,  the hanky is not ever "lost" and quickly returned to its owner ... yet one lad gets life and the other gets no apparent punishment ...  Is this because Freddy at some stage in London had a duel with some as yet unknown person ... Freddy had a long scar near his mouth by 1833 ... was it earned in UK or in NSW ...

There's a Sir John LAWFORD mentioned in the historic directories, and he has legal practice with his brother (Edward) and they represent the Drapers Guild and are London based ... but its from 1841 ....

Freddy accepts his sentence and has an escape from his London origins ... to a better life in NSW .. 


I'm intrigued, so I have speculated  please take it with a grain of salt 

Cheers,  JM

[Lesley_A]

Attached is a pic of Fred HENRY and his wife Cecilia.

His Convict Indent says he was 5ft 5-1/2, with a ruddy complexion and brown hair. Also has the comment *Long diagonal scar along left side of mouth and wants point of left forefinger*.

(Definitely *wants* - others have the word as *warts*).

Finger in this photo much studied in the long debate over whether or not he was a convict - but IMHO, it is truncated  

Cheers,


Lesley

[Valda]

Hi


Having extensively used criminal records both in this country and Australia, the one record which might give an exact birthplace, where other records have not, is as stated previously the Newgate prison register (down to the parish). Sadly the information is not online and often overlooked because it is more difficult to obtain. Prisoners were held before their trial at the Old Bailey as it was the prison adjacent to the court and had a below ground passage way along which prisoners walked to the court.

http://www.fotosearch.com/bthumb/IST/IST537/1192779.jpg

There is some indication Frederick Henry was held at Clerkenwell House of Correction - most likely 'New prison' and not Cold Baths Fields, the Middlesex House of Correction also at Clerkenwell. Registers for these prisons do not survive, so you have to hope he was transfered from Clerkenwell to Newgate before the trial. This may not be the case.



The Guildhall Library information leaflet on apprenticeships

http://217.154.230.218/NR/rdonlyres/23C47909-11A8-419D-8E1C-EE39C6FA7627/0/18ApprenticeshiprecordsVHMarch2010.pdf



Regards

Valda

[majm]

Hi there,

The London Gazette is online http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/ and so I have looked for John Mabson (the hanky owner !)

Very interesting ... at the trial in June 1830 John Lawford states he is the business partner for John Mabson...  so I wonder why the London Gazette Issue 18518 of 28 October 1828 has them dissolving their business ...  something is NOT adding up the chronology is reversed  ....

26 July 1828 ... two entries, one immediately after the other my summary as follows:
a) Abraham Lawford and Son, Blanket Manufacturers, at Mill Bridge near Leeds, York, dissolve their business, witness Abm Lawford and John Lawford
b) John Mabson and Co, Merchants, at Mill Bridge near Leeds, York, dissolved, and the partners listed were : John Mabson, of No. 30, Alderruanbury, London, and Abraham Lawford and John Lawford, of Mill-Bridge, near Leeds

I'm probably side-tracking, sorry Lesley,  perhaps John Lawford and John Mabson commenced a partnership without Abraham Lawford involved ... BUT ... at least there's a possible address for the crime scene ... 30 Alderruanbury London ... which I think would be near the Guildhall ... hopefully there may be hatter manufactories in that vicinity in the 1820's 

Cheers,  JM

PS I have edited my earlier post to remove reference to where I was  looking at an image...   

[Lesley_A]

Hi Chatters,

First of all, *many* thanks for all the responses you sent yesterday. Just great - and you got my braincells stirring again, after my HENRY research had taken a back seat 

So, what next? I think there is something not standard about Frederick's birth, but what is it? Could Frederick HENRY have been a stage name, if he was an Actor? Did his mother re-marry, so that Thomas HENRY was his stepfather, not his father?

(I have been down that track as well, without finding anything useful).

Or, was he perhaps born in another country, but sent back to London at an early age, to be educated?

Here is *one* record from the 1851 Census that might fit those ideas ... it even brings in an alcohol connection (and the siblings have the right names):

***
1851 census

173, Brick Lane, Christchurch, Tower Hamlets
HENRY, Thomas Head  Unmarried  36 Brewer Hanbery & Cooper Dermerer West Indies   
HENRY, Eliza  Sister  Unmarried  33    St George Middlesex   
PATTENDEN, Barden Servant Unmarried 22  General Servant Wednesbury Kent   
HO107  1543  Folio: 317  Page:30


Moderator comment: Edited for content because of copyright issues
Please read

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,282820.0.html


The muddled accounts I have of Fred also say that he played the violin ... to which is added that it was a *Strad*, which got smashed to pieces by a cricket ball while it was hanging on the wall.

(In Dungowan Creek? Errr, I don't *think* so) 

Cheers,


Lesley