New South Wales Police Gazettes, 1854 - 1930
Have you had a look at these?
I was looking for an uncle's charges and it was suggested that I look at them. Well... What a mine of information they are, not all of it good. I have found my grandfather being charged with desertion of his children, great-grandfather reporting two stolen horses, there is a reward and said uncle up on several charges.
I also discovered a mystery. One of my great-grandmothers was Mary Abberton, with of the above great-grandfather. She was a mother of 15, 13 raised to adulthood, 11 still living at her death in 1914. To me a remarkable woman. So while perusing the Police Gazettes I stumbled on an entry that has me very puzzled.
"Release of Prisoners, week ending 4 August 1861, from Goulburn Gaol, Mary Abberton."
Is this my ancestor? What was the charge? How long did she serve? Questions I'd love to find the answers for, so next stop TROVE. There are two mentions, in the Goulburn Herald on the 8 May 1861 of a Margaret Abberton being sentenced to three months imprisonment. But wait, the article says that her surname was "erroneously given as Cummings" and that her son was Peter Cummings!
I suppose that Mary could be a pet name for Margaret, a middle name an outright lie? The time frame is right for it to be the same person, so it is one mystery that I don't think I'll be able to solve, yet.
I know what my Mary was doing in 1861, her sixth child, a daughter, Margaret was born.
( I found the gazettes on Ancestry, NSW State Records would have them along with the Society of Australian Genealogists.)
I was looking for an uncle's charges and it was suggested that I look at them. Well... What a mine of information they are, not all of it good. I have found my grandfather being charged with desertion of his children, great-grandfather reporting two stolen horses, there is a reward and said uncle up on several charges.
I also discovered a mystery. One of my great-grandmothers was Mary Abberton, with of the above great-grandfather. She was a mother of 15, 13 raised to adulthood, 11 still living at her death in 1914. To me a remarkable woman. So while perusing the Police Gazettes I stumbled on an entry that has me very puzzled.
"Release of Prisoners, week ending 4 August 1861, from Goulburn Gaol, Mary Abberton."
Is this my ancestor? What was the charge? How long did she serve? Questions I'd love to find the answers for, so next stop TROVE. There are two mentions, in the Goulburn Herald on the 8 May 1861 of a Margaret Abberton being sentenced to three months imprisonment. But wait, the article says that her surname was "erroneously given as Cummings" and that her son was Peter Cummings!
I suppose that Mary could be a pet name for Margaret, a middle name an outright lie? The time frame is right for it to be the same person, so it is one mystery that I don't think I'll be able to solve, yet.
I know what my Mary was doing in 1861, her sixth child, a daughter, Margaret was born.
( I found the gazettes on Ancestry, NSW State Records would have them along with the Society of Australian Genealogists.)
Comments
Post a Comment