A DNA breakthrough

We have another interesting match from the DNA Project. The results are now through for the tester who is descended from the Berkshire/Wiltshire Cruse tree. He matches on 36 out of 37 markers with the tester from the South African Cruse tree. According to the Family Tree DNA Tip calculator the probability that the two men share a common ancestor within eight generations is 88.06%. Within 12 generations the probability increases to 97.1%. This result is particularly exciting because so far all attempts to find the origins of the South African tree have proved fruitless. I wrote about the search for Henry Cruse in one of my first blog postings entitled Shipwrecked in South Africa. Since that time countless records have been searched, particularly in London. A number of potential candidates have been identified but all the Henrys found so far have had to be eliminated as we have been able to track them through the English censuses and civil registration records. The DNA match is particularly welcome as it gives us a much more specific focus for the research. It was stated on Henry's death certificate that he was born in Great Britain. We will now be able to narrow the focus of the research and look specifically at the Wiltshire and Berkshire records in the hope that one day we will find the elusive baptism.

Exeter marriages

I have received a bumper selection of marriage certificates from fellow Guild member Des Gander following his hard work on the recent Exeter Marriage Challenge. Des searched through all the parish registers at the Devon Record Office in the Exeter Registration District from 1837 to 1911 and was able to extract the full certificate details for the following marriages:

- 1839 Robert Cruse (son of Samuel Cruse) and Sarah Cockwill

- 1842 James Cruse (father's details blank) and Elizabeth Cruse (daughter of Edward Cruse)

- 1849 Anna Maria Cruse (daughter of Robert Cruse) and Thomas Hicks

- 1850 Robert Cruse (son of Robert Cruse) and Martha Conway

- 1855 John Pester Cruse (son of John Cruse) and Fanny Sheppard

- 1869 Daniel Richard Cruse (son of John Cruse) Mary Jane Scanes

- 1872 Catharine Fanny Cruse (daughter of Samuel Cruse) and George Tayler

- 1875 Albert Cruse (son of William Cruse) and Eva Bartlett

- 1875 Joseph Cruse (son of John Cruse) and Grace Snell Mellow

If you are researching any of these families please get in touch.

The execution of Thomas Cruwys

In my research over the last few years I have come across a number of cases of Cruwyses who have been imprisoned for their crimes, often for very trivial offences, such as drunkenness or indebtedness. In my trawl through the digital newspaper collections I have now found a Cruwys who was executed for his crime. The story was first reported in St James's Chronicle or the British Evening Post on 21st February 1778:

COUNTRY NEWS.
Bristol, Feb. 18. Monday last was committed to Newgate, Thomas Cruwys, for forging, counterfeiting, and publishing a Bill of Exchange for 15l. [£15] purporting it to be drawn by Atwood, Paul and Co. of Exeter, payable to the said Thomas Cruwys, and drawn on Sir George Cornwall and Co. Bankers, in London; and with Intent to defraud Mr. Samuel Worrall, of this City.

A brief account of Thomas's execution was reported in Adam's Weekly Courant on 26th May 1778:

COUNTRY NEWS.
Friday was executed at St. Michael's hill Gallows, pursuant to his Sentence, Thomas Cruwys, for Forgery, with intent to defraud Mr. Worrall: - His Behaviour in Newgate and at the Place of Execution, was by no means becoming his unhappy Situation, as he appeared to be entirely indifferent concerning his approaching Fate, and persisted to the last in his Innocence of the Crime for which he suffered.

The sum of £15 in 1778 was probably more than the average labourer would receive in wages for a whole year, but even so the punishment appears very harsh by today's standards. It probably did not help that Thomas Cruwys's accuser, Mr. Samuel Worrall of Bristol, was an attorney and therefore a man of considerable influence.

From the scant detail in the newspaper reports it is difficult to ascertain which Thomas Cruwys was sent to the gallows. I suspect however that it was the Thomas Cruwys who married Mary Trump on 20th May 1755 at St Thomas the Apostle, Exeter. Thomas and Mary had eight children, five of whom died in infancy. Further research is required in the Exeter records to find the answers.

Update 4th June 2015
The following two references to Thomas Cruwys have been found on the Exeter Working Papers in Book History website:

1778. The LAST dying speech and confession of T.Crewys, of Exeter. - [Exeter?] : [s.n.] , 1778. - Plymouth Institution p.32. - The same as the following?

1778. The LIFE, birth, parentage, education, and dying-speech, confession, and behaviour of Thomas Crewys, who was executed on St. Michael's Hill for forgery, on Friday the 15th of May, 1778. - Totnes : [s.n.] , [1778?]. - 1 sheet ; 1/2°. - Davidson supp. p.29 (P, Secktor Lib.).

Newspaper transcriptions

I have taken advantage of an opportunity to access a free trial of the Gale Digital Collections, which includes a large collection of digitised British newspapers from the 16th to the 19th century. The digital newspaper archive is a brilliant resource but sadly access in the UK is restricted to institutes of higher education. I hope that funds will eventually be made available to make this important resource accessible to the general public, though the response from my local library was not very encouraging.

I have now downloaded a large collection of newspaper articles from the collection and am slowly updating my records. I have transcribed some of the more interesting Devon-related articles for the pages of Genuki Devon. There is an interesting story about a "supernatural piggery" which was found at Cruwys Morchard in 1789 which is now included in a selection of newspaper extracts on the Cruwys Morchard page. I have also transcribed accounts of four Cruwys Morchard ploughing matches from the 1860s. The final contribution is an account of a fire at George Cruwys's house in Witheridge.

I have saved some of the most interesting accounts for last, so watch this space if you want to find out about the Cruse who was sent to prison for five years in 1868 and the Cruwys who was executed in 1778!