For years our CROSS committee has been trying to find some family of Charles CROSS. One member has paid a researcher and come up with a Charles CROSS bapt. West Bagborough in March 1765. This would fit our Charles’ birth as given at his death etc. His parents are given as Richard CROSS and Elizabeth as per FreeReg. Our Charles was tried at Bridgwater Assizes 11 August 1787 for stealing a spoon, the property of James HYDE. He was given 7 years in Australia and arrived per ‘Neptune’ in 1790. He liked Australia so did not go back to England and now he has over 35 000 descendants! Charles was 22 according to the newspaper when convicted but reported as stealing a sheep. Again, the age fits. In 2003/4 Jenny Mische kindly answered my earlier request and came up with the same Charles and she told me that there were plenty of CROSS’s around the area but no other Charles. Now ten years on I wonder if more has been done with Bridgwater Assizes, or anyone else is missing Charles from their Family. We would also love to know something about James HYDE. Was he a local or just unfortunate to be in Charles’ path. Regards Hazel FORD 3x great granddaughter Australia

Hi, usually there was more than one misdemeanour to warrant a transportation order. and perhaps the spoon was one incident and the sheep another , and this in Somerset archives , Q/SR/355/3/4 which is Information of Elizabeth Austin of North Cadbury, who states that three men came to her door , one of which was carrying a hanger or cutlass with a saw at its back , these men are now in custody under the names of John Hewett, Charles Cross and William Cross. JP John Strode Thomas Coward. 26th June 1787. Earlier and from the same source, there is a removal order for Charles Cross, his wife Ann, their children Ann and William, to be removed from Stogursey to Axbridge , this being their last place of legal settlement. JPs Thomas Carew Canon Southey . 7th Dec 1757. West Bagborough parish registers are held at Somerset Heritage centre . life is hard . soften it with a cat \\\=^..^=/// ----- Original Message ----- From: "Malcolm & Hazel FORD" <malford@ozemail.com.au> To: <ENG-SOMERSET@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, March 10, 2014 2:40 AM Subject: [ENG-SOM] Charles CROSS -West Bagborough > For years our CROSS committee has been trying to find some family of > Charles CROSS. One member has paid a researcher and come up with a Charles > CROSS bapt. West Bagborough in March 1765. This would fit our Charles’ > birth as given at his death etc. His parents are given as Richard CROSS > and Elizabeth as per FreeReg. > > Our Charles was tried at Bridgwater Assizes 11 August 1787 for stealing a > spoon, the property of James HYDE. He was given 7 years in Australia and > arrived per ‘Neptune’ in 1790. He liked Australia so did not go back to > England and now he has over 35 000 descendants! Charles was 22 according > to the newspaper when convicted but reported as stealing a sheep. Again, > the age fits. > > In 2003/4 Jenny Mische kindly answered my earlier request and came up with > the same Charles and she told me that there were plenty of CROSS’s around > the area but no other Charles. > Now ten years on I wonder if more has been done with Bridgwater Assizes, > or anyone else is missing Charles from their Family. We would also love to > know something about James HYDE. Was he a local or just unfortunate to be > in Charles’ path. > > Regards > > Hazel FORD > 3x great granddaughter > > Australia > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ENG-SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message