Joseph Backler convict

I am hoping that the forum may be able to find more about the early history of Joseph Backler who was an early convict artist. He painted an early photo of my home town in either 1860 or 1878. In the Australian Dictionary of Biography (2005) his entry starts as follows:

"Joseph Backler (1813?-1895), convict artist and portrait painter, was born probably in 1813 in London, son of Joseph Backler, painter on glass, and his wife Jane, née Cowie. Convicted in 1831 for uttering forged cheques, the 18-year-old, who seemed to The Times 'a highly respectable young man', was sentenced to death, later commuted to transportation for life."

I would like to either prove or disprove the above entry. Many thanks. Julie

[Merry]

The parents married at St Marylebone 1 Feb 1810 by licence.

[Merry]

A dau, Jane Cowie Backler, bap 1811 St Marylebone.

(if you need all the exact details for anything, just shout)

[Merry]

Hmm, a dau Sarah Cowie Mitchell Backler bap St Marylebone, but not until 1823.

Must surely be more in between! lol

[Merry]

1831 Joseph Backler tried at the Old Bailey for uttering a forged order for the payment of money.

[Merry]

The page refuses to open for me, but when on the prison hulk, 'Hardy' his age was given as 18 (so 1813)

[ElizabethHerts]

From the Old Bailey website:

"First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice James Parke .

1199. JOSEPH BACKLER was indicted for that he, on the 24th of May , at St. Anne, within the Liberty of Westminster, feloniously did forge a certain order for payment of money , which is as follows: that is to say -No. 24.

No. 43, Lothbury, London, May 24. 1831.

Messrs. Jones, Loyd, and Co., pay to - Newman, Esq. or bearer, Ten Pounds.

L 10. G. ANDREWS. with intent to defraud Thomas Blackwell and another.

2nd COUNT, for uttering the said forged order for payment of money, knowing it to be forged, with a like intent.

3rd COUNT, the same as the first, only stating the intent to be to defraud Samuel Jones, Loyd , and others.

4th COUNT, the same as the second, only stating the intent to be to defraud Samuel Jones , Loyd, and others.

THOMAS BLACKWELL. I am an oilman , and live in King-street,. Soho. On the 24th of May the prisoner came to my shop, and said he came for change for a 10l. cheque for Mr. Newman, of Soho-square; he told me who it was for without asking - he gave me the cheque; I looked at it, and told him I did not know him, but called my young man, who was gone down to dinner - I had possession of the cheque, crossed it with the name of Drummond, and told my young man, in his presence, to go up to Mr. Newman's with him; I apologised for sending him there, but
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said I did not know him - he went out with my young man, who returned with him in about a quarter of an hour, and said, in his presence, that he had been with him to Soho-square, and that when he got there he would not go in- I then went to Mr. Newman's myself, leaving the prisoner in the counting-house; I locked one door, and told my young man to take care he did not go away - I went up to Mr. Newman's, and in consequence of what I heard there, the prisoner was detained, and given in custody; I have the cheque (producing it) - Mr. Newman's name is written on the back, and when the prisoner presented it he said Mr. Newman had backed it - he said he lived with Mr. Newman then, and had lived with him for three weeks.

CHRISTOPHER ROBINSON . I am clerk to Mr. Newman. I know nothing of the prisoner - he was never in Mr. Newman's service; I have been in his service about twenty years altogether, and am so now - I was so on the 24th of May, and for some time before; Mr. Newman was in town at that time: (looking at the cheque) this endorsement is not his hand-writing - he is out of town now.

GEORGE KERBEY . I am clerk to Messrs. Samuel Jones , Loyd. and Co., bankers, of No. 43. Lothbury - there are four partners; no person of the name of George Andrews keeps cash at our house, nor any person named Andrews whose Christian name begins with the letter G. - (looking at the cheque) we have no customer of this name - no person is authorised to draw cheques on us in this name.

THOMAS BLACKWELL re-examined. Q.Did you inquire of the prisoner who Andrews was? A. I asked him if he knew the parties; I asked him if he knew who Andrews was - he said he did not - I do not know whether this was before I went to Mr. Newman's; I have a partner, and carry on business with him at the shop where this cheque was presented - my shop is in Middlesex.(Cheque read, see indictment.)

GUILTY on the 2nd Count only. - DEATH . Aged 18.[July 2.]
Reference Number: t18310630-11

1200. JOSEPH BACKLER was again indicted for that he, on the 13th of April , at St. Luke, Chelsea, feloniously did forge a certain order for payment of money , which is as follows: that is to say -No. 24.

No. 43, Lothbury, London, April 13. 1831.

Messrs. Jones, Loyd, and Co., pay to Dr. Lauder, or bearer, Five Pounds.

£5. G. ANDREWS. with intent to defraud Eden Bowler ; against the Statute.

2nd COUNT, for uttering the said forged order, knowing it to be forged, with a like intent.

3rd COUNT, the same as the first, only stating the intent to be to defraud Samuel Jones, Loyd , and others.

4th COUNT, for uttering the said forged order, well knowing it to have been forged, with intent to defraud Samuel Jones , Loyd, and others.

EDEN BOWLER . I keep a shop at No. 197, Sloane-street, Chelsea. About the 13th of April the prisoner came to my shop with this cheque; he asked me for change for a 5l. cheque for Dr. Lauder opposite - Dr. Lander lives at No. 22, opposite to me; I asked him no questions about it, nor about Andrews the drawer, as I turned it over, and saw Dr. Lauder's name endorsed - I received the cheque from him; this is it, I gave him five sovereigns for it - I saw him again when he was in custody at Marlborough-street.

WILLIAM PRESTON LAUDER . I live at No. 22, Sloane-street. I did not send the prisoner to get change for this cheque; I never saw him before he was in custody.

GEORGE KERBEY . I am clerk to Messrs. Jones, Loyd, and Co. No person named Andrews keeps cash with them - this cheque is signed more like G. Andrews than E.; no person of that Christian name keeps cash at our house, nor is any person of that name authorised to draw cheques on our house.(Cheque read, see indictment.)

GUILTY on the 2nd and 4th Counts. - DEATH . Aged 18.

Recommended to Mercy by the Prosecutor.[July 2]"

Thanks Merry. It is his baptism that I would like to find to prove that he belongs to those parents. I would also like to trace his family back further. I am interested to know if his ancestry is from a long line of Londoners or does he have a rural or foreign background.
Thanks Julie

Thanks Liza. That is great to have that proper record.
Interestingly I had dinner with a lawyer who was talking about the law under which Joseph was charged. He teaches law and was saying to his students that if they pass an exam using someone else's work, they could be charged under the same law lol

[Merry]

Originally Posted by Merry

A dau, Jane Cowie Backler, bap 1811 St Marylebone.

(if you need all the exact details for anything, just shout)

Hmm....moved to Scotland?


Name: Jane Cowie Backler
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 10 Sep 1833
Marriage Place: Kilmarnock,Ayr,Scotland
Spouse: John Brown
FHL Film Number: 1041387, 1041388

Nice helpful new surname! lol