Norwich Assizes records

[sallymaclean]

Hello

My ancestor Eliza Ward was tried at the Norwich Assizes on 22/7/1846 charged with arson and sentenced to 15 years. She was transported to Tasmania, Australia aboard "Asia". In Australia she gave her parents as Willard Ward, Master Mariner and Mary Neill and that she was born in Essex. Cannot find a trace of them however many lies were told by convicts about their family background.

Can anyone please advise me how to access the assizes records from Australia? Are they online somewhere or which place should I contact to have copies made?

She was from Essex and I'm wondering why she was in Norfolk or was she just tried in Norfolk.

Many thanks, Sally

[janinez]

hi there

You can search the Tasmanian convict records online and search for Eliza. If you play around with it a bit you will find the record. Will talk you through as it gave me a headache the first time I tried  lol

http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=11

Put her name in search and the boat Asia

It brings up only the one record

click on the convict number 73380

Takes you to another part  - click on conduct record and you click on see record online (go to the image bar and put in page 157 - it is hers

pretty sure you can search the indent record too  Hope this helps some

Janine

Will see if I can find the other web site some kind person gave me too.

[Yorkslass]

Hello,

I had a look at some newspaper records, and found an entry in the Chelmsford Chronicle dated the 8 May 1846 which details a theft and arson offence by a "servant girl" called Eliza Ward.

I can't give full details due to copyright reasons, but the cutting says the offence was committed at the premises of a William Carter, farmer, Stow in Norfolk.  Think this was Stow Bardolph.

It doesn't give a great deal more information, but says that Eliza Ward was a "native of Great Clacton, Essex", and was to be committed for trial at the Norwich Assizes.

I also had a look at the excellent link provided by Janine, and the Indent record, (which is on pages 126/127) for Eliza indicates she had a brother Robert and a sister Elizabeth both of Essex.

Yorkslass

[sallymaclean]

Thank you lovely Rootschatters!

Janine, that excellent link to the Tasmanian Archives is full of goodies, as you suggested a little tricky to use but perseverance does pay off - very grateful for your post.

Yorkslass, what a great find that newspaper report was, so much more information to work with!

Thank you both again, you gave me even more than I was hoping for.

Sally