Greetings, Listers, from a very stormy, wintry New Zealand I am looking for assistance with the origins of a James SAUNDERS said to be from Manchester. I will quote the family story in the hope that some SAUNDERS researchers might recognise the people concerned: "The gossip current in the district was to the effect that he was well-connected at Home, his people having a cotton mill in Lancashire. The yarn went that one Sunday he and his brother were driving a pair of spirited horses in a vehicle and were gaily careering through the streets of Manchester. A church congregation was dispersing and the reckless young men drove full tilt into them, injuring some rather severely. The judge took a serious view of the occurrence and sentenced them both to be transported to Botany Bay. When liberty came, Jimmy came over to NZ whaling but the other brother stayed in Australia." James did come to NZ in 1834 on the whaler 'Mary and Elizabeth', from Hobart, Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land). We have tried convict ship manifests - can't find any with two young men named SAUNDERS or a James SAUNDERS who fits Jimmy's description. He was very tall and had such long legs he was nicknamed 'Jimmy the Needle'. We feel the crime may have been committed between 1820 and 1825 but as we don't know what length of sentence they were given, we are looking either side of these dates as well. A search using A2A provides a reference to a Quarter Sessions Petition at Salford, Midsummer 1818 - Bill of costs of prosecution of James SAUNDERS, c1818. We are going to follow this one up, but wonder why it doesn't mention both young men. Newspapers of the day would be another good source - are there any available online? If not, where would we go to access them? So we are still plodding on, but thought this request might be worthwhile. Regards to all Anne Lemon (my mum was a Mancunian, born 1914 in Harpurhey)