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All very sad.......probably died of natural causes and that is why Harriett was aquitted.

I wonder where she is on the 1851 census....she must have changed her name....


Regards Vera

So it's a pretty sure bet that the baby died.

Ozi

Concealment of Birth
In 1803 the law on infanticide was revised, and proof of murder became a requirement for a conviction. Where a murder charge was likely to be impossible to prove, the accused could be charged with "concealment of birth" instead, which was punishable by a maximum of two years' imprisonment. In addition, in cases where the defendant was charged with infanticide the jury were empowered to return "concealment of birth" as a lesser verdict.


Regards Vera

As there is so little recorded it looks like it was an open & shut case. There are several possibilities.

1. She never had a child in the first place - unlikely
2. Her child was stillborn or died shortly after birth - possibly
3. Her child was brought up by other people - probably

If the child had died one would assume a more serious charge would have been laid against her though not necessarily if it was obvious it died of natural causes.

From the National Archives website:
"Registration began in England and Wales from 1837 but >>>the onus to register births was on the district registrar not the parents.<<< Some births were not registered at all in this period and you will need to look for baptismal records instead. "

So, if the registrar was not aware of the birth the baby wouldn't have been registered.

Update:
I have been pondering about this and think it less likely the child did survive. Obviously something untoward happened. Here's a similar case at a similar time but with a different ending.

"The Times Thursday March 23rd. 1848 page 7 Issue 19818

Crown Court.-(Before Lord Chief Justice Wilde.)
Ann Holmes, 23, was charged with the murder of her child, at Bottesford, on 27th of January last.
The evidence in this case was not clear as to the charge of murder, but the concealment of the birth was fully proved against the prisoner. After the evidence of the former mistress of the prisoner, her fellow-servant, and the surgeon had been taken,
Mr. Hayes (counsel for the prosecution) withdrew the charge of murder against the prisoner, and
The jury, by the direction of the Judge, found her Guilty of concealing the birth of her child.
The Judge then sentenced her to twelve months’ hard labour.
The details of the case were unfit for publication."

Another site the National Archives

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=172&j=1


Regards Vera

Marion,
Found Harriet on this site....but doesn't give any more details.....but interesting...

www.oldbaileyonline.org

So it looks like she was in the Old Bailey for her trial


Regards Vera

Hi Marion, Just a thought the local paper of the time might have reported the trial.
The trial was held at the Central Criminal Court in the County of Surrey........

Regards Vera

Vera, thanks for your help.. I posted this one when I first opened this thread..Fathers profession on the Baptism for Elizabeth Ann Ware House Man...

Bless You for helping.. I sure do need it.

Marion

OZ Bird, Never seen this one before for the Asylum..I wonder if Charlotte Broughton was infact Charlotte Boughton? The Boughtons were the ones Harriett was staying with in 1841..And Mary Ann in 1851. Oz Bird I dont know where Harriett was in 1851.. You can see why I put this one in the too hard basket.. I want to know more about this baby and the trial...

Still unable to access Ancestry..Just my luck.

Marion

Hi Marion,

Found this just to confuse!!


Elizabeth Ann Ackley
Record Type: Baptism
Date: 3 Nov 1816
Father's Name: Thomas Ackley
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Ann Ackley
Parish: St Giles Cripplegate
Borough: City of London
County: London

Seeing if I can find anymore.

Regards Vera

Here's Charlotte in 1851. The place is called Friendly Female Asylum, and the enumerator has been kind enough to add Alms Based, Gloucester Place. Again they seem to be in small households of 2-3. Ignore the "visitor" that's been mistranscribed from the following person, Frances.

1851 England Census about Charlotte Broughton
Name: Charlotte Broughton
Age: 83
Estimated birth year: abt 1768
Relation: Visitor
Gender: Female
Where born: Oxfordshire, England
Civil parish: Camberwell
Ecclesiastical parish: St George
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: No. 18, Friendly Female Asylum

Occupation: Widow of a House Steward

Condition as to marriage: widow

Disability: Blind

Registration district: Camberwell
Sub-registration district: St George
Household Members:
Name Age
Ann Lake 70
Charlotte Broughton 83
Frances Bragg 23 - visitor

Have you followed this lot? The address is Female Asylum on one page and Gloucester Place Asylum on the next. It only has 25 inmates. The inmates are grouped into households of 3 or 4. Neither Mary nor Charlotte are born in county. Of course, it may just be coincidence that they are together.

1841 England Census
Name: Mary Ackary
Age: 40
Estimated birth year: abt 1801
Gender: Female
Civil parish: St Giles Camberwell
Hundred: Brixton (Eastern Division)
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: Female Asylum

Occupation: Inmate

Registration district: Camberwell
Sub-registration district: St George Camberwell
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Mary Ackary 40
Charlotte Broughton 70
Elizabeth Auther 70

Many apologies, Marion, I was tripped up by Robert being transcribed as 14 in 1871. Should've been 41. Just what you need, a dyslexic transcriber!

I see you have been searching for her for a long time. Do you know if she was she living in the barracks at Aldershot?

Ozi

Sorry I cant get into Ancestry.. Can anyone shed some more light on this..OZ Bird was the son born Ieland but the trial in England?


Harriet AckleyDate of Trial: 29 Jan 1849Trial Year: 1849Location of Trial: Surrey, EnglandSentence: AcquittalCrime: See ImageDate of Execution or Release: See Image


I,m getting excited about all this new info..


Thanks so much

OZ Bird, Harriett had a son? Is this the baby she was trying to hide the birth of? Robert McClelland was not in England or Ireland in 1861 as he was aboard the Himalaya.. Later in 1861 when he landed back in Portsmouth his company did set off on a long march.. I have all the records of this march OZ Bird...I am so confused now about this baby.

Marion

Ah, so you already knew this.

From www.ancestryaid.co.uk:

Robert McClelland was a Sergeant in the Royal Artillery and served on the Troop Ship The Himalaya but Harriett did not go with him at any time he went and served abroad. I have the Royal Artillery papers to support this.

She obviously went to Ireland as that was where her son was born.

Ozi

1871: Robert is born Ireland, Harriet is born Aldershot. This looks like Robert snr was in the army. The family could've been in Ireland in 1861.

Ozi

Hi Vera,
Five years I have been trying to solve this one and for a while I had to put it in the too hard basket...Harriet Boughton the stock brokers wife was born Harriet Ackley in Loughborough..I dont know if she was the sister of Thomas Ackley Ware House Clerk or man that married Elizabeth Wheeley.. I dont even know if Thomas Ackley and Elizabeth Wheeley were my Gt Gt Gt Grandparents but as it stated Ware House Man as a profession for that Thomas when he married Elziabeth its the closest so far to Ware House Clerk which was the profession stated on the marriage cert for my Gt Gt Grandmother in 1852 for her Father Thomas Ackley. I dont even know if Mary Ann Ackley was my Gt Gt Grandmothers sister but I wish I could find more on her.. This time round Vera I dont want to give up the search.. The clue I feel lies in the area of Surrey and Camberwell. Ackley is not such a common name so its matching them all up. Big job though..Can you help with Mary Ann born Bethnal Green please. Ann must have been her middle name.

Thanks so much Vera.
Marion

Hi Marion,
Have been looking for Harriett Ackley on the 1851 census...with so far no luck. The criminal record Choccy found was that your Harriett.....I was wondering if she might have changed her name after she was acquitted. Just on the 1851 census........I did find a Harriett Boughton in Norfolk about same age. Any thoughts.

Regards Vera

Thanks for all your replies. Harriett did marry Robert McClelland in 1852 but I have never found her for 1851. From the marriage Cert her Father is down as Thomas Ware House Clerk. Thats all I know about my GG Grandmother.. Caroline and Agnes were her daughters and Ellen Carr was their step mother..Nothing has been found either for Mary Ann Ackley after the 1851 Census.. Any more help with Mary Ann would be most appreciated and Harriett for 1851.. Robert McClelland my GG Grandfather served in the Royal Artillery.

Kind Regards Marion