Looking for Farmer Murviss Salop 1841
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 7:10 pm
Hi all have received some info from a Willetts cousin in Australia she is descended from Joseph Willetts born about 1825 Haley Green Halesowen. Joseph was convicted for arson and sent to Norfolk Island (one of the worst penal colonies of them all). Joseph Willetts was tried at the Shrewsbury Assizes and convicted on the 10 March 1844 his sentence was LIFE. The statement indicates that this was his first conviction. On the documentation the convicts statement is recorded as "Setting fire to a farm, it took fire accidently. I was farm servant." I am trying to a) find out which Joseph Willetts it was and b) locate Farmer Murviss who owned the Farm, he should be on the 1841 Census. That name does not ring any bells with me and I know all the Halesowen names, so he could be from Shropshire it's self rather than Halesowen which was in Shropshire until 1844.
Some of the general information is interesting, he was Church of England and could read and write a little, occupation farm labourer, bullock driver, marital status single, native place Shropshire. Physical description of Joseph as follows:-height 5ft 6 inches, age 21, complexion swarthy, head oval, hair light brown, whiskers none, visage oval, forehead medium, eyebrows dark, eyes hazel, nose mouth chin medium. Remarks: large mole on breast.
There are a couple of discrepancies in this story. When Joseph is recorded as a convict it says he is 21. ie born 1823. When Joseph records his son John's birth in 1862 the records state that Joseph was born 1826.
Any help would be much appreciated, cheers from Linell.
Some of the general information is interesting, he was Church of England and could read and write a little, occupation farm labourer, bullock driver, marital status single, native place Shropshire. Physical description of Joseph as follows:-height 5ft 6 inches, age 21, complexion swarthy, head oval, hair light brown, whiskers none, visage oval, forehead medium, eyebrows dark, eyes hazel, nose mouth chin medium. Remarks: large mole on breast.
There are a couple of discrepancies in this story. When Joseph is recorded as a convict it says he is 21. ie born 1823. When Joseph records his son John's birth in 1862 the records state that Joseph was born 1826.
Any help would be much appreciated, cheers from Linell.