HI Adrian I was told when querying why my GGG/Gdad, was only given a three month sentence and time served for murder after a pugilistic fight. > In which his opponent died. > Was that A Mans Property was of more importance. Most likely because of the acts of theft arising at that period in time. If you check Convict records you will find more were sent to our Colonies for theft than those for murder. The era of time for GGG/ Grandaddy was between 1820 and 1825. "A Mans Home is his Castle, his land his Kingdom". And as Brian has said different sets of values for a different set of times. We all have to bear in mind, when searching for our relies of old is That their circumstances were far different than ours. Kitty > > > > While searching the 19th century Newspaper Archive (in vain) to find any > trace of my g.g.grandfather William NiICHOLSON I found the following items > adjacent to each other in the search results - it is possible, but I think > unlikely, that the same man was involved in each. However comparison of the > sentencing would nowadays cause justifiable outrage: > > August 1862: William George Nicholson (an agent for a benefit society) was > charged with the attempted rape of a twelve-year-old girl in Newcastle. He > was found guilty and sentenced to three months in prison. > > At the Durham Special Sessions in February 1863, William George Nicholson, a > draper, was charged with the theft of several sums of money amounting to > about one pound. He was sentenced to six months in prison. > > (The next case that day involved a spinster who stole a bonnet and a > quantity of ribbon belonging to her master and received four years penal > servitude.) > > Yes, I realise the bare newspaper reports don't give all the details leading > to the decision of the courts, but even so..... > > Adrian > > > >