Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bleggy on January 24, 2011 at 5:14pm

Have you been able yet to read the transcript of her trial in England or where ever it was held, sometimes that can be helpful as occasionally it tells you the name of the parents, one of mine had on it works for father William and mother Mary still living, and so I had his parents names plus it gave the street they lived in, and all this in the court transcript, but another the transcript was just as short as it was possible to be and didn't even tell what he stole.  If you need help to find the court records give a yell!!

Permalink Reply by Louise Clayton on January 24, 2011 at 11:16pm

Hi

I have looked at her trial on Old Bailey site and it doesnt show anything that I can see. Sophia was a woman of the streets and just details the crime, area and who she was I assumed pimped out by.

If you want to have a look her is the link and maybe a fresh set of eyes will see something I missed.sophia lewis trial

Permalink Reply by Bleggy on February 13, 2013 at 7:22pm

G'day Louise, 

I have had a look at the trial records and the only thing that struck me was the absolute stupidity of the man who was robbed, he was a law clerk, and must have been aware of the type of things that could happen to him, and I wonder if his descendants know about his past? It would be interesting to find out, but it would not be at all easy to find them! 

I could not find anything much on her but there is a message at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/AUS-NSW-SURNAMES/2006... posted I am not sure when. I noticed that it mentioned Norfolk Island so I have had a look at what I could find on deaths there and also the Tasmanian Archives as many from NI went there. 

All the best with your hunt!

Bleggy

Permalink Reply by Louise Clayton on February 15, 2013 at 4:16am

Thanks Bleggy,  How did you find out he was a law clerk?

Sohia as you probably know committed suicide on Nov 4th 1816 in Cockle Bay.  As I have said before there is a copy of the coronial enquiry (?) but doesnt mention where the body was taken too and there is no death certificate nor a reference on Trove I can find regarding it.

Cheers Louotter

Permalink Reply by Bleggy on February 15, 2013 at 4:36am

It is in Sophias trial And his closing statement.

Before Bray took you into the room, did he tell you for what purpose he took you there? - He told me he had stopped Cox the prisoner with my coat; and he told me what money he had let him have upon it; my friend let me have the money; Mr. Jordon and Mr. Kirshaw were subpoened; they neither of them were before the Grand Jury; and another publican whom Cox took the coat to, before he took it to Bray; he kept the Cheshire Cheese in the same lane, he was subpoened.

Court. What is your business? - I am clerk to Mr. Newby, an attorney; I believe the house belonged to John Dell , from what I heard.

Oh dear as the court decided that she killed herself she would not have a funeral nor would she be buried in "consecrated ground" basically land given to the church for burials, she was either buried in a mass grave or not buried at all, but sometimes if she had a friend and they found where she was they may have thrown some dirt over her, sometimes the coroner decided that any death perhaps where the person was fishing and slipped in or was even murdered and pushed into water by persons unknown, if money was a bit light on they declared it suicide and if no one was there to object that is what it was recorded as, that way they didn't have to pay the grave digger a penny, as his services were not needed. There is somewhere proof that a murder using what was probably a sword was declared a suicide, the man could not have killed himself his right arm was lame his one friend said, the magistrate   asked his friend if he wanted to join his friend. So the grave digger was not needed neither was a blanket nor a wooden box, but he was snuck into the cemetery late at night and was buried, on top of another person. anything to save the Gov of the day money.

All the best Bleggy

Permalink Reply by Louise Clayton on February 15, 2013 at 7:10am

Thanks for that Bleggy. Seems finding anything about who Sophia was before she came to Australia will be dificult as there seems to be no record anywhere of even who her parents were.  Shame she has to remain unresearched.  Cheers Louotter