Criminal Register

[Siamese Girl]

I think I may have just found one of my 3x gt grandfathers, Braddick/Bradick Maynard.

A newspaper report from The Derby Mercury 16 April 1812 stated that Bradick Maynard a carpenter from Ashby-de-la-Zouche in Leicestershire was indicted for aiding the escape of two French prisoners of war who had been on parole at Ashby, Captain De Marconnay and subaltern Frequin, by accompanying them to an inn, ordering a post chaise for them and heading for London. They got as far as Barnet where the landlord of The Green Man became suspicious and they were apprehended and Bradick Maynard was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment in Newgate.

Having finally found a criminal ancestor, I'm very pleased to find that he committed an "interesting" crime - nothing as common as brawling in the streets or theft - but I've been unable to find a record of it in the England and Wales Criminal Register 1791-1892 - shouldn't it be there?

Carole

[Jeuel]

Not sure but you might need to look at the quarter sessions records at the relevant records office.

[stonechat]

I think the Criminal Register is just the assizes
As Siamese girl says you need to look at the quarter sessions papers

[Redroger]

Yes I am interested in his motives for helping POWs escape. Was he of French origin perhaps, or had relatives in France?

[Siamese Girl]

Yes I am interested in his motives for helping POWs escape. Was he of French origin perhaps, or had relatives in France?

Well that is really what interests me. As far as I know he was born in Bristol in 1760 (he got his name from his mother Ann Braddick) and was buried there in 1839. The family also had links with Bath. I expect it will all just come down to them paying him to help them escape. Simply hiring a post chaise to escape in either displays stupidity or a huge dash of panache.

I'm probably displaying huge ignorance here, but does that mean that the Criminal Register doesn't list people tried at the Middlesex Sessions ?

Carole

[Redroger]

Though I am aware Maynard is an English surname, it does seem to me as though it might have a French origin, or perhaps it was just a case of money? If so, where would French PoWs get money from?

[Siamese Girl]

I had the impression that French prisoners of war lived in awful conditions and scraped a living by making model ships and items out of straw work, but it appears the officers at least,  had a certain amount of freedom on parole, which included an allowance for lodgings. They also added to their income by teaching and in Ashby several prisoners married local girls. Apparently it was quite normal for French prisoners to try and escape back to France and many succeeded. This looks interesting http://www.archive.org/stream/prisonersofwarin00abeluoft/prisonersofwarin00abeluoft_djvu.txt Yet more history that I knew absolutely nothing about!

Carole

[Redroger]

There is a lot more to history than the story of Kings and Queens we were taught at school, though as the Royals produced the documents of state their stories are better documented.

[Valda]

Hi


The Criminal Registers HO26 and HO27 cover indictable offences. Indictable offences should appear before the Assizes or the Quarter sessions. Like any index (or transcription of the index) there will be errors.


Regards

Valda