I'm back on a quest I started some time ago. My great grandfather, Edward Stickley WHITE lived in Reading for a large part of his life, though he was born in Smethwick in 1847, and went to work in Yorkshire as a company secretary in 1871.  He embezzled company money, and was sent to Dartmoor in 1875.  In 1877 he had a son born in Reading, and stayed there most of the rest of his life. He had no previous connection with Reading, nor did any member of the family. In 1873, two years before the embezzlement, Rev Vivyan MOYLE (no relative of ours) was sentenced to seven year's hard labour for a scam which involved forging the above Edward Stickley WHITE's signature.  Edward was under no suspicion at that time, but in view of subsequent events it makes you wonder.  I don't know which prison Vivyan went to, but he also went to Reading afterwards, where, incredibly, he was given another post as a vicar.  He doesn't seem to have had any particular connection with Reading before this. I don't know whether these two men were friends, but I'm interested in why they both chose Reading for their new start.  I'm wondering if Reading had any particular attraction for newly released prisoners.  Was there a rehabilitation centre, or anything of the sort?   Edward Stickley WHITE got a job at Suttons Seeds. Were they liberal employers who would be likely to take a risk with an ex convict?  I'm also thinking about ease of transport. I only have access to today's timetables, but there is today a direct line from Reading to Exeter, and I'm wondering whether his wife chose to flee the scandal and go where she could more easily reach her husband.  They stayed together until he died 45 years later.  I would be glad of any suggestions. Caroline

Hello Caroline We have often wondered why my husband's Great Grandfather moved his family from Kings Lynn in Norfolk to Reading some time in the 1880s. The OVERSONS had lived in Norfolk for many generations (many still do). His Great Grandfather was a coal merchant in Reading and had been a "coal dealer" in Kings Lynn. Perhaps Reading was an up and coming place in the late 1800s. Rhoda ----- Original Message ----- From: "Caroline Bagshaw" <carolinebagshaw@yahoo.co.uk> To: <BERKSHIRE@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 6:15 AM Subject: [BRK] WHITE, Edward Stickley, ex convict I'm back on a quest I started some time ago. My great grandfather, Edward Stickley WHITE lived in Reading for a large part of his life, though he was born in Smethwick in 1847, and went to work in Yorkshire as a company secretary in 1871.

Maybe it's as simple as that.  He had to go somewhere where he wasn't known, and the bigger the place the more chance he had of being anonymous.  Maybe it was just a pin in the map. I wish I knew. Caroline ________________________________ From: CandROverson <overson12@btinternet.com> To: berkshire@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, 30 September, 2009 12:16:31 Subject: Re: [BRK] WHITE, Edward Stickley, ex convict Hello Caroline We have often wondered why my husband's Great Grandfather moved his family from Kings Lynn in Norfolk to Reading some time in the 1880s. The OVERSONS had lived in Norfolk for many generations (many still do).  His Great Grandfather was a coal merchant in Reading and had been a "coal dealer" in Kings Lynn.  Perhaps Reading was an up and coming place in the late 1800s. Rhoda ----- Original Message ----- From: "Caroline Bagshaw" <carolinebagshaw@yahoo.co.uk> To: <BERKSHIRE@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 6:15 AM Subject: [BRK] WHITE, Edward Stickley, ex convict I'm back on a quest I started some time ago. My great grandfather, Edward Stickley WHITE lived in Reading for a large part of his life, though he was born in Smethwick in 1847, and went to work in Yorkshire as a company secretary in 1871. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BERKSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message