Dear List, I have just found in the Goldfields archives an account of a woman and her 2 young daughters who were sent to Ballarat Gaol in 1865. The daughters were aged 9 and 3. The 9 old was my gt grandmother and the woman accused was my gg grandmother Metta Dickman nee Stemmer. The account appears in the Creswick and Clunes Advertiser of 1865 and for completeness, I will post a transcript of it at the end of my posting. Metta (who is called Stemma Dickman in the newspaper) was widowed at the end of 1862 (her husband died of TB). Both were of German descent. My questions are 1. Is there another source that I could gain more information from ie ? Police Gazettes and would I need the 1865 or 1866 Gazette? 2. Does anyone know of any records that may exist of prisoners in Ballarat Gaol? 3. Does anyone know of a record or written history of the conditions in Ballarat Gaol at that time? The story seems to end happily enough. The very next year in 1866 Metta remarries and then lives to the ripe old age of 94, still in Clunes. The family line continues and here am I now discovering all of this drama :) Seasons greetings too all of the wonderful folk on the Goldfields list, Maree in Adelaide ps I would very much like to thank Sue O'Neill who transcribed this record to the list way back in 1999. >From the Creswick & Clunes Advertiser 31 July 1865 Before the Clunes Police Court (C T Sutherland, Esq., Mayor, and C.J. Harvey, Esq., JP), 28 July 1865 "A WHOLESALE SHOP-LIFTER, Stemma Dickman, a widow woman, native of Germany, was brought up charged with no less than six cases of petty larceny. Mr Jessup appeared for the accused. The first case gone into was that of stealing from the shop door of Mr Moffatt, draper of Fraser street, on the 27th instant, one cloth paletot, his property. It aapeared from the evidence of Mr Donaldson, a draper, whose shop is situated at a short distance from that of the prosecutor, that whilst standing at his own door on the day in question, he observed the prisoner standing in front of the prosecutor's shop apparently examining some of the goods exposed for sale; his attention was diverted a few moments, but on looking again in the same direction he saw the prisoner in the act of thrusting something under her shawl, when she hastily left the spot. Suspecting something was wrong, he went and communicated his suspicions to Mr Moffatt's shopman, who at once gave information to the police, when Constable Sheahan proceeded to the prisoner's house where, upon her bed, hediscovered the missing jacket, with the trade ticket attached, which bore the private mark of the prosecutor, and which he identified. In prosecuting the search the constable discovered a great number of other articles the supposed proceeds of similiar robberies, including six pairs of new boots. Amongst the property referred to, was a shawl, identified be Mr E Noble as the one stolen from the front of his shop about two months since, and which formed the second chaarge against the prisoner. A rug also stolen from the shop door of Mr Hotchin, draper, Fraser street, on Tuesday evening last, was amongst the articles found in her possession. Mr Hotchin appeared and identified the rug which bore his private mark, and which he deposed had been stolen by some person from the front of his shop. Mr Jessup suggested that the three cases already gone into were sufficient to satisfy the ends of justice. The prisoner, he sad was a hard working woman, and had hitherto borne and irrrproachable (sic) character. He then called Mr J.C.Weickhardt, who is one of the members of the Borough Council, and also Mr Hyman, stationer, both of whom gave the prisoner a good character during her six years residence on Clunes, where she had followed the occupation of char woman, having two young children to provide for. The prisoner had no defence to offer. The Bench sentenced her to one month's imprisonment for the first offence, two months for the second, and three months for the third. The prisoner was then removed, and the Court adjourned." Consequently this followed >From the Creswick & Clunes Advertiser 11 August 1865 Before the Clunes Police Court (P Mark, Esq, JP) on August 10th 1865 "Elena Dickman and Mary Dickman, two children, aged respectively nine and three years, were brought up, charged with having no lawful means of support. The police stated that the children belonged to a woman recently sent, by this bench, to gaol for six months, on the charges of larceny, and they (the police) now prayed that the children might be committed, until the expiration of the mothers sentence. Committed accordingly, to Ballarat gaol for four months."