Prison Records
What does this record tell me about William Shaw?
What does the Kesteven mean? Is there more records that would tell me more about who this William Shaw was and when he got out of prison?
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Kesteven is simply a division within the county of Lincolnshire. As you can see from the document, he was sentenced to fourteen years, so presumably he was free from about 1854, if not before. You could try to find him in the 1861 (or even 1851) census records, his age appearing to be shown as 45 in 1840.
You might also wish to contact the local (Lincolnshire?) record office to see if they hold any further documents, or search the Discovery pages of the National Archives.
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Thank you so much. My William Shaw was in the Kesteven Militia Ballot List in 1824 and father of children from 1824-1837. I found him in the 1831 census on Microfiche but his wife was alone (she said, married) in both the 1841 and 1851 census. In the 1861 census she was also alone but said that she was a widow. This could be him and that he died after getting out of prison. His occupation was a Sawyer and that is mentioned on the 1831 census in Grantham, England and on the children's parish birth records and some of their marriages. I just have always had a hard time finding his death or who his parents were and where he was during the 1841 and 1851 census. This might be him. However, there are a lot of William Shaws in England.
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Here is another entry from the National Archives I found. This shows as a catalogue entry. Does the Reference HO18/27/28 tell me that here may be more about this case? My William Shaw that I am looking for lived in Great Gonerby or Grantham. My William Shaw had a wife and 5 children living there. I have also wondered if it was transported to the US if they would have recorded a prison camp in the 1840 or 1850 census here. I was hoping that I might find names of the "distressed family".
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The original document (shown as being available on the Findmypast website) might well reveal further details to what is shown on the item which you have illustrated. Usually, a paid subscription would be required, but you might be able to view for free from a local library, FHC, or if you are a member of the LDS Church.
Indeed, matters are made more difficult when dealing with a relatively common name like "William Shaw". Although this relates to a period rather earlier than that I am usually dealing with, it might be possible to find a newspaper article relating to this. (I have solved a number of mysteries via the British Newspaper Archive (BNA) website.)
I just looked more closely at your comments and the screenshot and seen the words, "Initial sentence: 14 years transportation". There is an interesting article at https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/criminal-transportation/ suggesting Australia was the likely place to which he was transported. There is a website relating to New South Wales BMD records - if he died in NSW, his death is possibly indexed there. I would not rely too much on the "widow" status of his wife in the 1861 census, which might have been easier to provide to the enumerator, rather than explaining her husband was a convict!
So, there are still a few avenues to still check. Sometimes I have solved a problem "along these lines" within a day or two, otherwise it could take much longer, or (at worse) you may never be able to get to the bottom of the story.
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@Paul W You don't have to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to access Ancestry, FindMyPast or any other paid for sites that the FamilySearch Center (formally called FHC) have. These are available to all those who come to the FamilySearch Center to use. 😊
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Yes, thanks Shannon, I'm aware of this, as before the pandemic I was a regular attendee at my local FHC here in London. Fortunately, I can also access Ancestry and FMP at my local public library, but many FamilySearch patrons don't have a FHC nearby and possibly no alternative facilities, either.
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@Paul W That is wonderful that you local library has access to Ancestry and FMP. I think it is wonderful that there are options available to folks who may not have a FamilySearch Center near them. Thanks for sharing that. 😊
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