Need help uncovering a dark secret!

[benlewis1127]

I wonder if I could get some assistance to this block I have come across, I am very new to this and so I am hoping my block is due to inexperience. This is how the story plays out so far:

My great great great granddad George Lewis and Sarah Lewis (Maiden Name Martin)

George Lewis Born 1852 Hopton Wafers, Shropshire, England
(parents   THOMAS LEWIS 1823-? & Ann Morris 1824-?) 
             
Married Sarah Martin born 1856 (unknown Marriage date – have not been able to find a source of their marriage)
parents (John MARTIN 1826 – ? & Jemimah Painter 1831 – ?)

They had 8 children William, Kezia, Emma, John, Rhoda, Thomas John, Edwin and Jemima

There has always been a dark rumour that George Lewis did something terrible and went to jail and ended up spending the rest of his life there, it wasn’t mentioned at all within the family, no one spoke of this secret/rumour. I’m desperate to find out the truth, so far what I have found proves that this ‘rumour’ could be plausible.

Here is what I have thus far:


1881 Census shows:

Family all together.
Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 2625; Folio: 33; Page: 12; GSU roll: 1341631. (no idea if that means anything in terms of reference)

1891 Census shows:

George with 7 of his children but no Sarah in the Family Home in Shropshire
Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 2091; Folio 26; Page 10; GSU roll: 6097201.

Sarah is found working as a servant for the Pope Family in Shropshire.
Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 2091; Folio 24; Page 6; GSU roll: 6097201.

1901 Census shows:

Sarah back at home as head of the family home with 4 of the children (one of the missing children is Jemima Lewis who was an inmate at the Devon and Exeter reformatory for girls – but that’s another block for another time )

George Lewis is no where to be found

I don’t have deaths for either one and I have nothing after 1901. I am hoping perhaps someone can help fill in the gaps and most importantly find out if George really did get sentenced to life in jail.

Also with Sarah as a servant in 1891 would she still of been with George? Did money get tight and so she become a servant or do you think there could be more to it than that?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

- Ben

[MurphysLaw]

Ben,
Have a look at the National Archives in Kew, London. Much of their data is online but some is in archive at Kew due to the vast amout etc... do a search on google for The National Archives and once on the site search in the record/registers box -make sure you type in words etc that are associated with the story. Begin with his name and see where it gets you....

I have done this regarding a crime in my family and it helped me endlessly...
usually under PCOM or MEPO files depending on the nature of his crime etc...

You could also check local newspapers - they will be on microfilm in most libraries for you to look through. See if you can access their local studies area and it should also help.

What area was the crime, was it still shropshire?.... do you know what year?

Murf

[Galium]

I would not read too much into Sarah's absence from the family home on census night 1891.  She isn't all that far away from her family, and may have only been staying overnight at her employer's house for some reason.

[Billyblue]

Ben
Have you looked at the census records for the gaols around about?
I believe inmates at gaols and asylums were identified by initials only, but you may be lucky, especially as you know his place of birth.

I don't have any experience with UK census (my folk all came to Australia before 1841) but a friend of mine found a rellie in an asylum this way.

Dawn M

[stanmapstone]

Ben

I believe inmates at gaols and asylums were identified by initials only, but you may be lucky, especially as you know his place of birth.

Dawn M

That is a myth  It was only in the 1861 Census that the initials of inmates, patients, prisoners, paupers in institutions needed to be returned, although some were shown by initials in later censuses. In the 1901 England Census there are 18,003 Prisoners and only one is shown just by an initial.
See also http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,524691.msg3795814.html#msg3795814


Stan

[Billyblue]

I stand corrected.  Maybe my friend found hers in the census you stipulate, Stan.

However, if Ben thinks his George Lewis was in gaol, he needs to look at the census in gaols around the country, doesn't he?

Dawn M

[stanmapstone]

If he was in prison then the best way to find him is to put 'Prisoner' in the "Relation to Head" box. As I said there are 18,003 Prisoners in the 1901 census, but only three George Lewis.

Stan

[Galium]

Sarah and George married in 1873:

Marriages September quarter 1873
LEWIS    George        Cleobury M.    6a   1088   
MARTIN    Sarah         Cleobury M.    6a   1088

[benlewis1127]

Thanks for all the replies so far! Im at work at the moment so will be abit slow at replying!

@MurphysLaw

I have not tried that yet which is silly as i was on the national archieves the other day trying to find out why Jemima was in a reformatory school, i will have to give that a go!

I dont know what the crime was nor do i know when he was sentenced all i ahve is the census information so far.

@Galium

That makes sense, especially if she's a servant there then i imagine it would be normal for her to stay over some nights.

@Billyblue

Im on ancestry.co.uk and i have tried searching their criminal records but im unfamiliar with 'Gaols' would the come under ancestry's criminal's search?

@Galium

Thats great! Do you have a reference for that so i can find the document and attach it to my tree?

@stanmapstone

Ooh i didnt think of that,  i will check to see if ancestry has that kind of search function and try that now quickly.