Finding a record of criminal trial - Westminster City General Sessions

[OzJen]

Hi Rootschatters,

I am trying to find the record of the g-g-grandfather's criminal trial, which I believe occurred at the Westminster City General Sessions on 16 Nov 1842. According to the transportation record, he was found guilty and sentenced to transportation for 7 years. Before transportation, he may have been sent to Newgate Gaol and then to Parkhurst before being transported as an exile and arriving in Port Phillip Bay in 1847 on the Thomas Arbuthnot.

Although I have all the above, which I think is correct, I cannot find a record of his trial, and so I don't have any of the information that this record could potentially reveal.

Can anyone help me work out how to find this, please? I've looked on Old Bailey online and through Ancestry to no avail.

Thanks in advance,
OzJen

[phenolphthalein]

"Parkhurst, which from 1835-1862 was a convict prison for boys " -- indicates youth.
Someone may know if young offenders records were sealed in those days.

This could be part of the Corporation of London records which I have used on microfiche or Microfilm some 30 years ago -- but I can not recollect where -- only 3 possibilities for where -- State Library of Victoria, Genealogical Society of Victoria (though that would be the least likely of the 3) or University of Melbourne Library (either Baillieu or the  Law Library). It may be that they are now on line.

The material I examined was very similar to the Old Bailey trials but in summary.

The names on the Old Bailey records do not necessarily match those on the convict indents - spelling etc not necessarily being wonderful then.

I assume you have looked at the Australian Joint Copying Project records -- if only to see if there were any Hulk records for your lad.

Also it may be worth looking at what is on-line about "exiles" -- someone may have published a how to guide -- and also the county records office.

All the best
pH

[phenolphthalein]

I would look at  Parkhurst Boys: State Library of Western Australia cms.slwa.wa.gov.au/dead_reckoning/government_archival.../n-s/parkhurst_boys
if I were you and also google Parkhurst Boys or Parkhurst Goal.

regards
pH

[OzJen]

Thanks for your valuable tips, phenolphthalein! I'll follow them up this evening!
Cheers,
OJ

[Bookbox]

I am trying to find the record of the g-g-grandfather's criminal trial, which I believe occurred at the Westminster City General Sessions on 16 Nov 1842. According to the transportation record, he was found guilty and sentenced to transportation for 7 years. Before transportation, he may have been sent to Newgate Gaol and then to Parkhurst before being transported as an exile and arriving in Port Phillip Bay in 1847 on the Thomas Arbuthnot.

Although I have all the above, which I think is correct, I cannot find a record of his trial, and so I don't have any of the information that this record could potentially reveal.

Can anyone help me work out how to find this, please? I've looked on Old Bailey online and through Ancestry to no avail.

Records of the Westminster Sessions are held at London Metropolitan Archives, in series WJ.

They are not part of the Corporation of London records, and they are not available online.

There will be no trial transcripts of the kind seen on the Old Bailey site, just the basic details of charge, indictment, verdict, sentence, etc., which you probably already have from other sources.

Before being transferred to Parkhurst he is more likely to have been held in the Tothill Fields prison in Westminster than at Newgate (which was chiefly for Old Bailey cases).

What exactly are you trying to find out? Have you tried the newspapers?

[OzJen]

Thanks for the information, Bookbox. Shame it's not online. I'm on the other side of the world to the London Metropolitan Archives.

I'm trying to find out:
1. Details of his 'crime'
2. Any details relating to his family or place of birth that are cited.
3. Any information about where he was sent before Parkhurst. I've never heard of the Tothill Fields prison before, but perhaps you are right about that, if Newgate was mainly for Old Bailey cases.

No, I haven't tried the newspapers. I don't have a subscription to the British Newspaper Archive. I will go there now, though, and see what can be found using the free search facility.

OJ

[Bookbox]

Parkhurst Prison registers for this date can be viewed on FindMyPast, in the series England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935 (subscription or credits needed). The entry should at least state his offence and give some details of his imprisonment.

[OzJen]

Excellent! Thank you! I'm on to it now! 

[ShaunJ]

Can you give us a name to look for,  OzJen? Looking at the list of convicts on the Thomas Arbuthnot, the most likely candidate appears to be Edmond Hammond but he was convicted in 1843 (either 16 October or 7 November - sources differ) not 1842.  He was convicted of stealing a book.