Genealogy Chat

hi....has anyone got any experience with tracing details of a convict sent to australia??....i have an edward merrick in my tree.............in australia,there is a lady whose ancestor was edward merrick b abt 1763.....he was shipped out to australia ,after being found guilty of stealing in middlesex....tried at the old bailey,....does this mean he was a london man??? my edward merrick was born abt 1767 in herefordshire,..i suppose he could have moved to london..she wants to know if i can try and find edward merrick the convicts birh registration....unless i know where he was born , i don`t think i can help...can you???..regards..allan

go into old bailey records

Hi is this your Edward The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Ref: t17880402-64 See original Trial Summary: Crime(s): theft : simple grand larceny, Punishment Type: transportation, (Punishment details may be provided at the end of the trial.) Verdict: Guilty, Not Guilty, Other trials on 02 Apr 1788 Name search for: EDWARD MERRICK, GEORGE WOODWARD, Associated Records... Original Text: 316. EDWARD MERRICK and GEORGE WOODWARD were indicted for stealing, on the 26th of March last, two pounds weight of tea, value 7 s. seven loaves of refined sugar, value 30 s. twenty pounds weight of moist sugar, value 10 s. three pounds weight of rice, value 1 s. a pound of pepper, value 2 s. the property of John Victual . A second Count for stealing the same, the property of John Roys . EDWARD MERRICK, GUILTY . Transported for seven years . GEORGE WOODWARD , NOT GUILTY . Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice ASHURST. Beverley

My husbands ancestor was deported to Western Oz in 1853 for 8 yrs, he never returned. I found details of his crime by looking in the newspaper archives for the area he lived in before he was deported. The article gave his wifes name...so then I did census check to get details of their kids. On later census' his wife and son were still here. I have his marriage details over in Oz from someone else on GR, Im unsure how he found them, although theyre accurate, as Ive since contacted the convict man's descendants in Oz. I'd suggest googling everything, and checking newspaper reports. If you get a wife for him in Oz, the family may be on the IGI.

thanks all....bev ..how did you get that info so quick....took eds advice...old baileys records.....also edward merrick guilty george woodward not guilty....edward arrived in australia in 1790 on a ship named 'surprise'......so if (nita) in australia) says he was born abt 1763 and he was tried in 1788 we presume he was abt 25 at time of theft.....on the edge of the original recording,you can see 'thmside'...i presume this to be thameside...is that the area the old bailey is in,or is that where the theft was???....regards...allan

hi rebecca....i think i`ve misled you....i am in touch with edwards ancestors in australia...edward evidently,worked very hard,bought land and became a police officer....what a turn around....we are both trying to find out if we have the same edward in our tree.....but we need to find out where edward the convict was from/born....regards...allan

have you got his 'Freedom Certificate' which you can purchase from this site: http(://)www(.)convictcentral(.)com/ Janet

I suppose you've seen this: http://members.pcug.org.au/~pdownes/dps/merrick.htm

thanks..janet....horatio...didn`t know about that site,but it won`t come up...tried 5 times...just a blank screen...i`ll try again in 10mins/...regards...allan

I'll PM the info from the site to you - the website works for me Cheers, Horatia

horatia...thats edward!!...thanks very much...i`ve just sent an e-mail to p.s.downes.....probably in bed in aus now....i`ll try that site again now..great info...just have to wait and see if its my merrick in my tree....there`s 8 on gru for 1763....7-1 chance...thanks again....regards..allan