Hi List This is an interesting subject. As a primary school student (last century!!), when we were taught a little Australian History, I remember we were taught that convicts were transported to Australia/Tasmania for stealing a loaf of bread (and the handkerchief crime quoted by Meg) - and a small percentage were. However, in my experience of researching convict documents I have yet to find a convict being transported when the theft of the bread/handkerchief (or similar "petty" items) was the first conviction for that convict. I have found convicts being transported for committing more "serious crimes" without prior convictions. Trudy, did your Earl Grey convict have any prior convicts? Did her sister have any earlier convictions? And Meg, did Charlotte have earlier convictions? Chris ----- Original Message ----- From: "Trudy Cowley" <tcowley@bigpond.net.au> To: <AUS-TAS-CONVICTS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 9:35 AM Subject: [TAS-CON] Loaf of Bread > Hello All > > > > I think some time ago someone posed the question "Did any convicts get > transported for stealing the proverbial loaf of bread?" > > > > I have recently come across an Irish female convict transported on Earl Grey > in 1849/1850 who stole bread and was transported for 7 years. Her sister > was transported with her for receiving the bread. Of course, this was at > the height of the great famine in Ireland. > > > > Regards > > Trudy > > > > Dr Trudy Cowley > > List Administrator > > TAS Convicts Rootsweb List > > <mailto:tcowley@bigpond.net.au> tcowley@bigpond.net.au > > <mailto:AUS-TAS-CONVICTS-L@rootsweb.com> AUS-TAS-CONVICTS-L@rootsweb.com > > > > > > ==== AUS-TAS-CONVICTS Mailing List ==== > Visit Jenny Fawcett's Tasmanian Convicts website at > http://www.genseek.net/constas.htm > > ============================== > Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. > Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx > >

Hello Chris, Peter and others The 'Earl Grey' convict who stole the bread had no prior convictions, but her sister who received it, did have one prior conviction. From the Grangegorman records, it also appears that another woman was transported for receiving some of the same 'batch' of bread. Yes, Peter this was a limit for larceny - my understanding is that it was £5, at least by the 1850s - well in VDL anyway. I have many examples of people being tried for 'larceny under the value of £5' - and these were tried in the courts of petty sessions. Larceny of articles to the value of more than £5 were tried at the quarter sessions or supreme court. I too have come across cases where the value of the goods was 'lessened' in order for the trial to be conducted in the court of petty sessions. The price of bread in Ireland at the time (due to the Great Famine) was very high - bread was out of the reach of the peasants (common people). Regards Trudy Dr Trudy Cowley List Administrator TAS Convicts Rootsweb List tcowley@bigpond.net.au AUS-TAS-CONVICTS-L@rootsweb.com

Hello all, There was a report in the Times in October 1803 which, unfortunately does not throw much light on "the loaf of bread" argument, but it does show that some cases were dealt with leniently. It runs : "A fellow being lately tried for bigamy on the Irish Southern Circuit before Counsellor Calbeck, who being a King's Counsel, travelled as one of the judges, and being convicted of the fact upon the testimony of both his wives, the Judge, when proceeding to pass sentence, after lecturing the fellow pretty severely upon the heinousness of his offence, added "For my part, I have to regret that the law in this case deprives me of all discretion and suffers me to go no further than to sentence you to transportation for seven years. Instead of which, if I had my way, I would certainly give you a more severe fate. I would sentence you to seven years imprisonment in the same house with both your wives, where you would feel indeed the just punishment due to your atrocity "" ! Now ladies, don't blame me !! I am only the messenger !! Jim Halsey