Hi Connie, Newspaper reports of his execution show "Thomas ANSELL, a noted Smuggler, known by the name of Surry Tom", formerly lived at Chertsey, and was carried from the New Gaol in Southwark to Horsham in Sussex by a party of General Hawley's dragoons. On the gallows he said that "women and excessive drinking had brought him to this untimely end", which doesn't sound on the surface of it to signify he was married with a family. I don't know if Chertsey was his native place, or just where he was settled at the time of his trial, but it may be a clue. There seems to be a report on "the remarkable trial, life and transcations of Thomas ANSELL (from his birth to his exit)" in a book by Thomas Cole - if you can track it down it may hold the answers to all your questions - http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-nr91-40743 Cheers Trish Nowra NSW > Does anyone have any information or can advise me of a source for > further information about the above Thomas ANSELL, such as parents, > siblings, wife, children. He was executed at Horsham on 9 Aug 1759 > for involvement in the shooting of a dragoon. > Connie in London
symonds3 wrote: > Hi Connie, > Newspaper reports of his execution show "Thomas ANSELL, a noted Smuggler, > known by the name of Surry Tom", formerly lived at Chertsey, and was carried > from the New Gaol in Southwark to Horsham in Sussex by a party of General > Hawley's dragoons. On the gallows he said that "women and excessive > drinking had brought him to this untimely end", which doesn't sound on the > surface of it to signify he was married with a family. > I don't know if Chertsey was his native place, or just where he was settled > at the time of his trial, but it may be a clue. > There seems to be a report on "the remarkable trial, life and transcations > of Thomas ANSELL (from his birth to his exit)" in a book by Thomas Cole - if > you can track it down it may hold the answers to all your questions - > http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-nr91-40743 Hallo Trish Thank you very much for the information. It's very useful. It could answer all my questions, as you suggest, and more besides. Connie in London