A Prison Story - Elizabeth Baynham (nee Rosser)
Elizabeth Rosser was the second wife of my great-great-great-grandfather James Baynham; they were married in 1833.
Elizabeth’s prison story starts in 1841, when they were living at Scowles. The census for Scowles, taken on the night of Sunday 6th June shows James at home with four children but Elizabeth was absent – she was an inmate of the Littledean House of Correction.
The 1841 census for ‘Little Dean Bridewell’ showed Elizabeth (30) as an inmate, living there with her daughter Emma (2).
The 1841 Prisoners’ Register for Littledean House of Correction records her committal, for assaulting and beating another woman:
- Prisoner Number – 2033
- Name – Elizabeth Baynham
- Age – 30
- Read and Write – N
- Trade – Labourer
- Offence – Charged on the oath of Selina James for that [sic] she said Elizabeth Baynham did on 31st day of July last [1840] at the Hundred of Saint Briavels in the County aforesaid unlawfully assault and beat the said Selina James
- Class – 2
- Order of Commitment – for 14 days
- Magistrate Committing – Edward Machen Esq & P. J. Ducarel Esq
- Commencement of Term – 24th May 1841
- When Discharged – 7th June 1841
- Remarks – Elizabeth Baynham. Parish Newland. Light brown hair. Hazel eyes. Thin. Slender. N–?. Sallow Complexion. Stands 5 feet 5 1/2 inches
After her offence in 1840, Elizabeth does not appear in criminal registers again until 1851 when she was again committed to the Littledean House of Correction – this time for stealing bark belonging to the Crown on 11th June.
First she was committed for trial and held at Gloucester County Goal, where the 1851 Prisoners’ Register records her admission a week later:
- Date of Admission – 18th June
- Prisoner Number in Index – 1504
- Name – Elizabeth Baynham
- Late Residency and Trade, if any – Coleford. Field Labourer
- Age – 40
- Height – 5 feet 4 3/4 inches
- Hair – dark brown
- Eyes – dark hazel
- Visage – oval
- Compexion – bronzed
- Other marks – several teeth gone in front, a small portion cut off the end of the left thumb
- Cause of Commitment – Charged with feloniously stealing at Newland on the 11th of June 1851 eighty four pounds weight of bark the property of Our Sovereign Lady the Queen
- By whom Committed – E. O. Jones Esq.
- By what Court to be Tried – Quarter Sessions
Elizabeth next appears as Prisoner 99 in The Calendar of Prisoners in the Gloucester County Goal for Trial at the Trinity Sessions on Tuesday 1st July at The Shire Hall in Gloucester before William Dent, High Sheriff.
She is recorded in the printed Calender as 99 Elizabeth Baynham, 40, …N…June 18, by E. O. Jones, esq, for stealing, at Newland, on 11th, eighty-four pounds weight of bark, the property of our Sovereign Lady the Queen.
She was found guilty.
Added in manuscript is her sentence: To be imprisoned and kept to hard labour in the House of correction at Littledean for two Calendar months.
The outcome of the trial is then added to her record in the Prisoners’ Register at Gloucester County Goal, to which she returns:
- By what Court Tried and when – Trinity Sessions – 1st July 1851
- Event of Trial – Guilty
- Sentence passed – Two calendar months hard labour in the House of Correction Littledean
- Memorandum of Expiration of Term –
- When Discharged or Removed – 9th July 1851
- By what Authority – Order of Court
- Previously known character, habits and connexions – Native of Coleford. married. 6 children. has been working for Mr Rosser of White Cliff 6m also Edwards Farmhouse “Church”
- Convicted before and how often –
- Conduct in Prison – Orderly
- Remarks –
After her trial, she appears to have remained in Gloucester Goal for another week before she is removed to Littledean House of Correction, to serve her sentence.
The 1851 Prisoners Register at Littledean records her admission on 9th July:
- Date of Admission – 9th July
- Prisoner Number in Index – 5018
- Name – Elizabeth Baynham
- Late Residency and trade, if any – The Scowles, Nr. Coleford. Married Woman
- Age – 40
- Height – 5 feet 3 inches
- Hair – brown
- Eyes – grey
- Visage – long
- Compexion – pale
- Other marks – none
- Cause of Commitment – Larceny
- By whom Committed – Court of Sessions
- Event of Trial – Guilty
- Sentence Passed – Two calendar months hard labour
- Memorandum of expiration of term – 31st August 1851
- When discharged or removed – 30th August 1851
- By what authority – Served her time
- Previously known character, habits and connexions – believes her to bear a good character until the present occasion. Her husband is much given to drink
- Convicted before and how often – never
- Conduct in prison – very good
- Remarks – gave birth to a male child on the 17th August
Her two months’ sentence appears to have been calculated from the date of the trial, as she is released from Littledean on 30th August.
While incarcerated she gave birth to another son – Richard, on 17th August.
She doen’t appear in any later criminal registers.
Notes:
Frank Baynham uploaded these notes to genealogy.com on 14/03/2004:
My great grandfather was Richard Baynham born 17th August 1851 in Littledean House of Corection, Littledean, Gloucestershire.
His mother Elizabeth Baynham had been sentenced to two months hard labour for stealing 84 pounds weight of bark “the property of our Sovereign Lady the Queen”, presumably for tanning leather.
She entered Gloucester Prison on 1st Juy 1851 but because of her ‘disease’ was transferred to Littledean where she was placed on light duties, mainly washing and cleaning. As she already had 6 children and a husband who was “taken to heavy drinking” it was probably the best place to be.
She was admitted to the prison Infirmary on 17th August 1851 and was “confined of a male child” on 18th August 1851.
She remained in prison until completion of her sentence and was released on 30th August 1851.
This is interesting information, but as yet I have been unable to corroborate all of it.