George Best

[Kit]

I know he was tried at Kent, sentenced to death etc but whether he was from Kent or Surrey I'm not sure about. I've not seen that mentioned in official papers, nor have I found the contemporary newspaper. If it's there it will turn up one day.

[Kit]

OH loves me today and more importantly knew where the book I was looking for was. George Best's actual trial papers say he was a labourer from East Peckham, Kent.

[Merry]

If he was born about 1757 (is that from his age at death?), then he was over 30 when he committed this offence. I find it difficult to believe this was the first thing he had done though of course it might be the first time he had been caught!

[Merry]

Have you eliminated the GB who married in Tonbridge in 1789? (4 miles from EP). I don't have time to see if he had loads of children and died in Kent!

[Merry]

The image (banns register) shows him to be of EP!

[Merry]

Of course I don't know the marriage actually took place as I've only found the banns reg so far, but if it's correct that he did his burglary on 24 Nov 1789 then that's in the week between the first and second reading of the banns! Maybe Mary Summers dumped him when he was arrested?!! Mary was 'of Tonbridge'.

There's a marriage for a Mary Summers to Thomas Clark in 1796 in Tonbridge (banns and actual marriage entry on FMP).

[Merry]

There is only one baptism for a Mary Summers within 10 miles of Tonbridge at a sensible date for someone marrying in the late 1780/90s and she was bap 15 Aug 1762, the dau of Wm and Mary Summers.

[Kit]

Originally Posted by Merry

Have you eliminated the GB who married in Tonbridge in 1789? (4 miles from EP). I don't have time to see if he had loads of children and died in Kent!

No I haven't but I'll look into it. It looks like Mary took a while to recover from the failed engagement if she then married in 1796. I guess she'd want to make sure the next husband was financially secure.

I don't think George and Martha had to ask for permission to marry, I think he had been pardoned by then. A shame really as they often were denied a couple of times if they had been married back home and then permission was granted.

George died in 1836 aged 78 which is where the 1757 year of birth comes from. I always take YOB as an estimate with convicts but I'll double check and see if any of the convict logs give dates to back it up or disprove it.

Thanks Merry.

[Kit]

George's age is consistent with the age at death on the 1828 census. There is a consistent lack of age documentation for convicts. Only one form even asks for it and it is blank for everyone.

I looked at the banns of marriage. I have nothing to say when George was captured but would it have taken weeks? It would appear he turned up for all 3 readings of banns.

[Kit]

George and Mary did not have children in Kent, assuming they married.

I've googled writ of habeus corpus and it seems it should be lodged by the prisoner or someone on their behalf, to determine if they were unlawfully detained. So the sentence above that he was taken from Surrey to Kent seems wrong.