Monday 3 August 2009

Criminal trial records now online

Criminal trial records from the 18th and 19th century are now available online on www.ancestry.com. The new database contains details from 1.4 million criminal trials in England and Wales which were reported to the Home Office between 1791-1892. The records have been extracted from Series HO 26 and H0 27 at the National Archives in Kew. If you have a subscription to Ancestry you can search the database here.

I have so far found eleven Cruwyses in the database. Of these, six were listed under the surname Cruwys, four were indexed under the name Crewys, and one was listed as a Crewis. In the latter case the name was mis-spelt in the original record. The details provided are somewhat sketchy and I have not yet been able to identify all the people involved. I hope that it might be possible in due course to locate newspaper reports or the original trial records to find out further information. I have transcribed all the Cruwys entries below and included notes in italics on the possible identities. In addition there are 42 Cruses, 47 Cruises, 23 Crews, and 6 Crewes in the database. I have not yet made any attempt to extract details of the criminal cases for these other variant spellings.

Devon 1821
Name: Samuel Cruwys
When tried: Lent Assizes 1821
Offence: Rape
Acquittals: No bill

1822 Middlesex
Name: John Cruwys
Age: 40
Crimes: Larceny
Where and when tried: Old Bailey April session
Sentence: Whipped

Further details of this case can be found on the Proceedings of the Old Bailey website. This John Cruwys was born about 1782. He is possibly the brother of the Thomas Cruwys who was born c.1788 in Bristol who was also a carver and gilder. No baptism has yet been located for Thomas Cruwys.

1822 Devon
Name: Mary Crewys
When tried: April Sessions 1822
Offence: Larceny
Acquittals: Not guilty

1825 Shropshire
Name: Edward Crewys
When tried: October session for Shrewsbury 1825
Crimes: Larceny
Imprisonment: 3 months

1836 Devon
Name of offender: John Cruwys
Degree of instruction: Imp[erfect]
Age: 24
At what sessions tried: County sessions 5th January
Offence: Larceny
Imprisonment: 2 weeks

I have no record of a John Cruwys born c.1812 in Devon. It is possible that the age was recorded incorrectly and that his record refers to the John Cruwys who was baptised on 17th November 1816 in Mariansleigh, the son of William Cruwys and Margaret Eastmond.

1847 Middlesex
Name of offender: Thomas Cruwys
Degree of instruction: Imp[erfect]
Age: 14
At what sessions tried: County adj[udicate]d sessions Clerkenwell 22nd June
Offence: Larceny
Imprisonment: 6 months

This Thomas Cruwys was born on 9th May 1833 in Chelsea. He was the son of Thomas Cruwys, a carver and gilder, and Elizabeth Gates.

1848 Devon
Name: John Crewis
Degree of instruction: Imp[erfect]
Age: 32
At what Sessions Tried: County Assizes 10 July
Offences: Cattle stealing
Imprisonment: 1 year

This John Cruwys was baptised on 17th November 1816 in Mariansleigh and was the son of William Cruwys and Margaret Eastmond. I have transcribed the newspaper articles relating to this case and the transcriptions can be found here.

1854 Tiverton, Devon
Name: James Cruwys
Offence: Larceny
Date of sessions at which tried: 28th December
Transportation: Yes (ticked)
Imprisonment (state if also whipped or fined): 2 months (4 days solitary)

There are two possible candidates for this James Cruwys. There was a James Cruwys baptised on 31st January 1813 in Mariansleigh, Devon, the son of George Cruwys and Ann Eastmond. There was also a James Eastmond Cruwys, the son of William Cruwys and Margaret Eastmond, who was baptised on 19th February 1815 in Rose Ash, Devon. However, there is no record of either of these two Jameses being transported and they both died in Devon.

1861 Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Name: William Cruwys
Offence: Perjury
Acquitted and discharged: No bill

This is either William Cruwys, the son of Thomas and Hannah Cruwys, born c.1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, or his son William who was born on 15th March 1836 in Shrewsbury. William the elder died in 1870.

1862 Exeter, Devon
County of Devon and City and County of the City of Exeter
Return of all Persons Committed, or Bailed to appear for Trial, or Indicted at the Assizes held at the Castle of Exeter and the Guildhall of the City of Exeter on the 8th day of March 1862, shewing the nature of their Offences and the result of the Proceedings
Names: Edwin Curwood, Richard Bowers, Mary Ann Bowers, Thomas Molland, Mary Molland, Mary Henson, Susan Paine, James Cruwys, Thomas Courtney, Isaac Aplin, Walter Aplin
Offences of which those tried were convicted: Riot and assault
Acquitted and discharged: Jury discharged without giving any verdict

There are again two possible candidates for this James Cruwys. There was a James Cruwys baptised on 31st January 1813 in Mariansleigh, Devon, the son of George Cruwys and Ann Eastmond. There was also a James Eastmond Cruwys, the son of William Cruwys and Margaret Eastmond, who was baptised on 19th February 1815 in Rose Ash, Devon.

1871 South Molton
Borough of South Molton
Return of all Persons Committed, or Bailed to appear for Trial, or Indicted at any Session of the Peace, held during the year 1871, within the jurisdiction of the said Borough shewing the nature of their Offences and the result of the Proceedings
Name: Maria Priscilla Westacott
Offence: Stealing two blankets
Date of session at which tried: 28th December 1871
Imprisonment (state if also whipped or fined): Imprisoned for one calendar month with hard labour

Name: William Cruwys
Offence: Receiving the said blankets, knowing them to be stolen
Date of session at which tried: 28th December 1871
Acquitted and discharged: Acquitted

I have transcribed the newspaper reports relating to this case. The full story can be read here.

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