Criminals and law-breakers in the Ennever and related families
Criminals and law-breakers in the Ennever and related families
It would be hard to find an extended family that has not had its brushes with the law and the Ennever and its related families are no exception. Some of the more notable criminals such as Joseph Ennever and his family are recorded on the "Histories" page but a complete list of law-breakers, as far as I know, is shown below:
Aaron can be found in Essex County Gaol in 1851. He was indicted on 31st December 1850 at the General Quarter Sessions, Chelmsford, Essex for "Larceny and receiving stolen Goods" and sentenced to six months hard labour.
Aaron's uncle, May Oakley, had previously been indicted on the 23rd February 1836 for "breaking into a shop and stealing therein" and sentenced to three months hard labour in the Gaol at Springfield. Almost immediately on his release, on the 17th May 1836, he was indicted again for Larceny and sentenced "to be Transported beyond the Seas for the term of Seven Years to such place as His Majesty with the advice of His privy Council shall think fit to declare and appoint". May was transported on the convict ship "Prince George" departing from Torbay and arriving in NSW on 8th May 1837. He died en route or on arrival in Australia.
In 1861 Samuel was sentenced to Gloucester Prison for the crime of "Family Desertion". The Prison Record describes him as aged 32yrs, 5ft 3 3/4 ins, brown hair, hazel eyes and an oval & pale visage. He had burn scars on both breasts and his conduct was described as orderly. He can be found in the prison in the 1861 census.
The News of the World reported in August 1896 that Henry had been remanded for a week for assaulting his wife, Rebecca. Follow the link to Henry to see the newspaper story. Rebecca's death occurred in suspicious circumstances two years later, her death certificate recording that she had died "from falling down the stairs when under the influence of drink".
Joseph was found guilty of uttering (spending) forged bank notes and hanged at Ilchester in 1807. This story is told in superb detail by Patricia Hill on her web site.
Joseph was one of a number of the family with criminal connections and convictions, principally for forgery. These included his elder brother George, who was transported to Australia and a younger brother Willam and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Wade). George Ennever assumed the name George Ennever Morris to avoid detection in England and continued to use this alias in his successful new life in Australia, the subject of a book by a descendant of his, Kevin Lewis Smith. George's story, based on Kevin's book, is told here.
Another surprising story exists in that a Sarah Ennever, alias Morris, almost certainly George's mother was indicted for passing a forged £2 bank note in London on 25th August 1809. You can read this story here.
William, Joseph & George's brother, can be found in Millbank Prison in the 1851 census while his wife Elizabeth is found at The House of Correction, St Margaret, Westminster. Elizabeth was convicted of theft and sentenced to six months in the House of Correction and William was later also convicted of the same crime and was initially sentenced to be transported to Australia. This was later commuted to a seven year prison term in Dartmoor.
Basil was the grandson of Basil Ranaldson Lawson (1807-1892), a vicar, and can be found in Wormwood Scrubs in 1901 although no details are currently known of his crime. After his release he and his brother, Stephen Oldacres Lawson, emigrated to Canada where Stephen was later killed by "rumrunners". This story is available here.
