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Hanging in England - Advice Needed

Hanging in England - Advice Needed

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 9:10PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Sharp, Sharpe, Bangs
I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction and give me some advice. I have received a family story as told to a cousin back in the 60's. My great grandmother was one of 13 children 11 from one partner and 2 from another. According to the story, two of her brothers were caught stealing sheep. Both were sentenced to hang. One brother Richard Sharp apparently had his sentence changed and was deported to South Africa where he worked for a diamond mining company, had 3000 men working for him and made lots of money. On his journey back to England he was murdered and the money was never recovered. The second brother which can only leave James Bangs or William Bangs by process of eliminating all other brothers was apparently hung. I have checked the list of British executions, not sure if this is a complete accurate list and can find nothing. Also I cannot find any record of prisoners sent to South Africa after 1891 which is the last census I have Richard Sharp appearing on. 1881 census is the last census I can see William and James Bangs appearing too. Where would you go and what would you do next? Many thanks Mirry

Re: Hanging in England - Advice Needed

Posted: 27 Jan 2015 11:18PM GMT
Classification: Query
Many UK families have stories of an ancestor hung or transported for stealing sheep; how many are true however is difficult to know.

Felons were transported to what is now USA prior to the Revolutionary War and thereafter to Australia. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_transportation and also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia South Africa was not a British penal colon y (though there were attempts to use West Africa as one: see http://www.historytoday.com/blog/2012/01/merciless-place-bri... ).

The diamond mining era in South Africa post-dated penal transportation - the rush began in 1869 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley,_Northern_Cape#Discov... ) whereas British penal transportation to Australia ended in 1868.

Many UK families have stories of ancestors who emigrated and got rich and many UK families have stories of tragic losses of the resulting wealth.

There may well be truths underlying the stories but there is a frequent tendency to exaggeration.

Re: Hanging in England - Advice Needed

Posted: 28 Jan 2015 12:16AM GMT
Classification: Query
You could always post some more details about the family – when and where born etc., and see if anyone can find anything for you.

The other source to try might be to look in newspaper archives. Trials were always reported, as were executions.

However, according to Wikipedia, the death penalty for theft was abolished in 1832, and so it seems unlikely that they would have been sentenced to hang. I have a family member who was convicted of stealing two horses in 1832 and was transported to Australia for the rest of his natural life.

Re: Hanging in England - Advice Needed

Posted: 28 Jan 2015 11:36PM GMT
Classification: Query
I appreciate you taking the time to attach the links and your response. One thing that did not add up for me were the dates for transportation of prisoners as his birth date was after transportation of prisoners overseas ceased. I spoke with a couple of other relatives and asked if this story rang any bells and they had heard this before. I would hope that the story is true as I would hate to think that anyone could make up a story about brothers being hung, stealing sheep yes, this was common, but to add in hanging that maybe didn't happen, who would do that?

I'm sure I will find out the truth with plenty of digging around.

Best wishes
Mirry

Re: Hanging in England - Advice Needed

Posted: 28 Jan 2015 11:41PM GMT
Classification: Query
I think that sounds like a great idea, I will get all his details together and see if anyone can help.

He wasn't born until the 1870's which is why this is so odd, the dates of transporting prisoners, hangings etc, do not match up. I checked with a couple of other family members and asked if this story rang any bells and it did, i'm just hoping there is some truth to it, would hate to think someone could make up something so awful just for a story.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, it really is appreciated.

Best wishes
Mirry

Re: Hanging in England - Advice Needed

Posted: 30 Jan 2015 6:31PM GMT
Classification: Query
One possibility to bear in mind is that some of the parts of the story might have been relevant to an ancestor of a generation or two earlier, but that as the years have passed, stories of two different people have become joined together. I have experienced this in my family - but not with such a dramatic subject!

There may well be elements of truth in the story within the version you have been told. Stories have a habit of growing over time and becoming more dramatic. Again, I have experienced this in my family - the best example being the story of an ancestor who "lost his leg" in a Victorian railway accident - it turned out that he lost half a foot.

Convictions that resulted in transportation or the death penalty were well recorded but the relevant records (Assizes and Quarter Sessions mostly) are mostly not online so old-fashioned research in county record offices is necessary. They were also well reported in newspapers; again, these are mostly not available online.

Sifting fact from fiction with family stories can be very interesting. Good luck with your research!
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