I am looking for some local and family history information about my Winch ancestors. Samuel Winch was apparently born in Preston on 27 December 1809 and baptised at the Independent Chapel or the Bethel Chapel in Hitchin in April 1810.

Samuel Winch was tried at the Hertford Assizes - together with Daniel Worboys and James Ward - on 3 March 1830. I have copies of Samuel’s Tasmanian convict records but wonder whether anyone can point me to records or newspaper reports of the trial that I can access from Australia.

Samuel and his companions were initially sentenced to death but this was commuted to transportation for life. They sailed aboard the Southworth from Sheerness on 26 June 1830. Could anyone advise please where they were likely to have been held in the interim? and whether records might be available?

I would of course love to hear from anyone else who is researching the Winch family. To date I have mainly focused on Samuel’s life and family after his arrival in Van Diemen’s Land but I would certainly like to learn more about his early life and earlier generations in England. Other researchers have indicated that his parents were Thomas Winch and Mary Brown and that his siblings included William, Daniel, Martha, George and Hannah (and for some of these I have accessed Census records on Ancestry.com.au).

Thanks in anticipation,

Lynne

You are unlikely to find any real information about the crime committed. According to information in England, Samuel was convicted with four other people.


as follows:-

Name: Samuel Winch
Vessel: Southworth
Convicted Date: 3 Mar 1830
Voyage Date: 23 Jun 1830
Colony: Van Dieman's Land
Piece: HO 11/7
Place of Conviction: Hertford
County of Conviction: Hertford

THE OTHER FOUR HAVE IDENTICAL INFORMATION AND THE FIVE ARE BRACKETED TOGETHER:-

Daniel Warboys 3 Mar 1830 23 Jun 1830 Southworth Hertford
David Hosier 3 Mar 1830 23 Jun 1830 Southworth Hertford
Joseph Pedder 3 Mar 1830 23 Jun 1830 Southworth Hertford
Abraham Sommerfield 3 Mar 1830 23 Jun 1830 Southworth Hertford

You might get some further informatio from this site, if you are able to get it:-


www.hertsfhs.org.uk/hfphs38.html

Part reads something like this:-

The cases were heard either at the Town Hall, St Albans or at the Shire Hall, Hertford. Both Courts can be seen today almost in their former glory, though Shire Hall has recently been renovated. This was almost to its original specification.
The accused were held before trial at the Gaols at St Albans and Hertford.
The crimes that they committed are identified in the main convict index by a shortened reference and are summarised as totals in the statistics section. Most crimes were either larceny or breaking into dwelling house with intent. Some 427 convicts should have been hanged as they received the sentence of death, but fortunately for these convicts this was reduced to a transportation sentence.

Hope this helps you to get some further information.

Thank you so much for your quick and helpful reply.

I've located the Tasmanian records for the others who were tried on the same day as Samuel. It seems that Daniel Worboys and Joseph Ward were co-offenders with Samuel Winch, but the others appear to have committed different crimes (Wheeler and Hosier together; Pedder and Sommerfield together).

There records indicate the following:

Daniel Worobys: 'transported for "burglary" ... stated this offence "housebreaking"';
Joseph Ward: 'transported for "burglary" ... stated this offence "housebreaking" twice for poaching - three months each time [he left behind a wife and child]';
James Wheeler: 'transported for stealing a watch, money' [his conduct record is blank - I haven't come across this before, perhaps suggests he did not live long after his arrival];
David Hosier: 'Transpd for stealing a watch, money';
Joseph Pedder: 'Transpd for Assault-Robbery ...Stated this offence: Assistance given in a Highway Robbery';
Joseph Sommerfield: 'Transpd for Stealing from the person on the Highway ... Stated this Offence Stg a Watch from the person (Highway Robbery) flogged for obscene language on board'.

If anyone is interested in viewing their Tasmanian records (digital images), they can be found by searching the convict list at the Tasmanian Archives website: http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=11

Thanks also for the information on place of trial and prison - I look forward to discovering some more about these places. Regards, Lynne

The starting place for any transportation of Hertfordshire convicts to Australia is Ken Griffin's excellent book "Transported beyond the Sea" published by (and obtainable from) the Hertfordshire Family Gistory Society.

Joseph Ward and Samueal Winch were convicted of stealing of Mary Hodgson a shoulder of mutton (7lbs) value 3/0d. half a pound of candles value 3d, a ham value 10/0d, a basket value 1/0d. 10 egs value 8d, a box value 1/0d, and coins totaling 4/0d. The theft probably took place at Pirton.

More information on the case should be available from HALS.

For more information on Hertfordshire Records and links to relevant web sites (such as HALS) why not visit www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your advice.

I have lodged a request with HALS and was impressed to see from their acknowledgement that they have a service standard of 10 days! so I am eagerly looking forward to the response.

Once I have written Samuel's story I will post it to my Ancestry family tree.

I've enjoyed browsing your website and wish you all the best with future directions you might take with the site. Certainly your achievement to date is impressive. I hope you don't mind that I've decided that rather than donate to Hertfordshire mental health services, I will donate instead to an appropriate local (Australian) support group (I try to avoid too many overseas credit card transactions as I never know quite what to expect with exchange rate and transaction fees and the like).

Thanks again, Lynne

Hi everyone, just thought I'd let you know that I have published what I have discovered about Samuel Winch. The link is:

http://web.me.com/lynne_paul/Lynnes_Site/Samuel_Winch.html

Appreciate any comments, corrections, additional information.

Thanks, Lynne