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Facts and Events
George Hemmings' origins are unclear. He claimed to have been born at Bow Brickhill in Buckinghamshire around 1817, and his marriage record has been transcribed as giving his father's name as James Hutchings, although this could be a mistranscribed 'Hemmings'. It seems likely that he was related to Mary Hemmings, whose marriage he witnessed at Tilsworth in Bedfordshire in 1836, when she married a Joseph Kempson. Mary's parent were James Hemmings and Charlotte Sinfield, who had married in 1810 when they lived at Little Brickhill in Buckinghamshire, after which they had a son baptised at Bow Brickhill in 1814, before moving to Tilsworth by 1817. It would make sense if George was another of their children, although no baptism has been found for him.
In 1839, George married Zilpha Kempson at Totternhoe, just south of Tilsworth. Zilpha was the sister of the Joseph Kempson who had married Mary Hemmings in 1836. At the time of their marriage, Zilpha already had two children, who had not yet been baptised. Both were later baptised naming George as their father. Another three children followed after their marriage.
The 1841 census finds the family living in Tilsworth, with George working as an agricultural labourer.
In January 1843 George was convicted to one month's hard labour for being an idle and disorderly person. He was sent to Bedford Gaol, and his prison records describe him as being 5'7" tall and stout, with dark brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. He was released in February 1843, only to be convicted of felony the following month, having stolen three bushels of wheat. He was sent straight back to Bedford Gaol for another four months. His prison records on this second occasion note that he spent much of the time ill.
In March 1845, George was convicted of stealing a lamb. This more serious offence and the fact it was not his first offence led to him being sentenced to ten years' transportation. He was convicted at the Bedford Assizes on 15th March 1845. He was sent initially to the Millbank Prison in London, before being sent to Van Diemen's Land (as Tasmania was then called), where he arrived on 16th September 1845. Zilpha had been pregnant when he was convicted; George never met his youngest child, who was born after he had arrived in Van Diemen's Land. Zilpha named the child George, after the father he would not meet.
George did not complete his sentence. He died in hospital at Hobart Town on 3rd September 1847. He was about thirty years old. Back in England, Zilpha survived him by eighteen years. She remarried in 1855.
References
- ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
Class HO107; Piece 5; Book 32; Folio 6; Page 6, 6 Jun 1841.
Address: Tilsworth, Bedfordshire
George Emmings, male, 20 [1816-21], Ag Lab, born in county
Zilpah Emmings, female, 20 [1816-21], born in county
John Emmings, male, 4 [1836/7], born in county
Betsey Emmings, female, 3 [1837/8], born in county
Rebecca Emmings, female, 1 [1839/40], born in county
- ↑ Bedfordshire Record Office. Bedfordshire Gaol Register. (Bedford).
BLARS QGV11/2 ID 5797
Name: George Hemmings
Age: 25
Height 5'7"
Hair: Dark brown
Eyes: Blue
Complexion: Fresh
Identifying features: Stout, scars on the right hand and on the back of his neck
Occupation: Labourer
Birth Town: Bow Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
Residence: Tebworth, Bedfordshire
Offence: Idle and Disorderly Person
When Committed: 6 Jan 1843
Gaol: Bedford, New House of Correction
Sentence: 1 Calendar Month Hard Labour
Prison work: Mill
Discharge date: 4 Feb 1843
General Remarks on Prisoner: Indifferent
ID 5913
Name: George Hemmings
Age: 26
Offence: Felony
Committed: 11 Mar 1843
Gaol: Bedford, New House of Correction
Sentence: 4 Calendar Months Hard Labour
Prison Work: Ill most of the time
Previous conviction details: 5797
Discharge date: 10 Jul 1843
General Remarks on Prisoner: Orderly
BLARS QGV10/2 ID 1911
Name: George Hemmings
Age: 28
Education: Neither
Offence: Stealing a Lamb
Committeed: 10 Mar 1845
Trial: Lent Assizes 1845
Gaol: Bedford County Gaol
Sentence: 10 Years Transportation
How Disposed: Millbank Prison, 28 Mar 1845
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tasmania, Australia. Convict Records (Archives Office of Tasmania)
Item CON33-1-70.
No.16432
Hemmings, George
Transported for: Sheep stealing Prison Report 3rd Conviction Married 4 Children stated this offence Stealing a lamb fr[om?] Mr. Edw[ar]d Tilsworth 4 mo[nth]s for u[?] hea[?] neglect of family 1mo[nth], tried and acq[uitte]d for st[ealin]g a Gun
Married 4 Children
Tried: Bedford Ass[ize]s 15th March 1845} 10 y[ea]rs
Arrived: 16 Sept[ember] 1845
Protestant Can Read & Write a Little
Surgeons Report well Behaved
Trade: Farm Laborer
Height: 5'6½"
Age: 29
Complexion: Fresh
Head: Oval
Hair: Bro[wn]
Whiskers: Bro[wn]
Visage: Oval
Forehead: [illegible]
Eyebrows: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Nose: Long
Mouth: Med[iu]m
Chin: Long
Nat[ive] Place: N[ea]r Dunstable
Marks: Lancet M[ar]k on R[igh]t Arm Small Scar on forefinger R[igh]t Hand 3 Scars on the l[ef]t hand
Period of Labour: Eighteen months
Died in Hosptial Hobart Town on 3rd Sept[embe]r 1847
- Hertford Mercury and Reformer, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
Page 4, 22 Mar 1845.
Bedfordshire Lent Assizes...
TRIALS OF THE PRISONERS...
(Before Mr. Baron PARKE.)
SHEEP STEALING.
George Hemmings and William Hemmings were charged with stealing a lamb, the property of Mr. Horne, farmer, of Tilsworth. There was a second count, charging the prisoners with killing the lamb, with intent to steal a part of the carcase.
Mr. Doser opened the case for the prosecution.
The prosecutor stated that he had some sheep and lambs on the 8th of March; a lamb was lost on the same day; a skin was subsequently brought to him, which was put to mother, and she owned it; the skin was afterwards put upon another lamb, and the ewe took to it.
Robert Dickens, shepherd to Mr. Horne, stated that at two o'clock on the afternoon of the 8th, his master had sixteen sheep and lambs, in a field called the "Slipe;" at four o'clock one lamb was missed; on the following morning a lamb's skin was brought with the head attached, which witness recognised immediately; saw the prisoners on the day the lamb was missing, near the field where the lambs were going, in the road towards a spinney.
Thomas Bates stated that he saw the prisoners a little before three in the afternoon of the 3rd of March; they were going in a direction towards the Slipe.
Cross-examined - I was twenty-five yards off them; there was no path in the direction they were going.
Jonas Bunker stated that, on the Sunday after the robbery, he went in search of the lost lamb, and found the skin in a spinney, about half a mile from the slipe.
Henry Bunker stated that he accompanied the last witness in search of the lamb, and found it at the place described; the ground near the skin was bloody. About an hour and a half afterwards saw George Hemmings go into the spinney, with what appeared like a spade, but turned out to be a stake. He came out without it, and on being questioned, said he was going to Totternhoe; when he came out he was going in a contrary direction. He might have gone to Totternhoe through the spinney, but there was no pathway in that direction.
Cross-examined - He did not say why he left the stake in the spinney; he said he could not get over the brook; the brook was rather wide.
William Clough, police-constable, examined: On the 9th of March I went to the house of William Hemmings; George and William were both there; went up stairs to search; when I came down George was gone; George Hemmings was taken into custody by Henry Bunker, his boots were taken off: William Hemmings' boots were taken off at night; compared footsteps from the place where Bates saw the prisoners, to the slipe where the lamb was taken from, and from thence to the spinney where the skin was stated to have been found; the marks were continuous; compared them by making a mark with the shoes by the side of the footmarks. George Hemmings' shoes were compared on Sunday morning, but William Hemmings' were not compared till Tuesday. George at first said he and his brother had been to Tilsworth on the previous afternoon about three o'clock. William, who was in the same room, said nothing. After being taken into custody, George Hemmings said that they went to Totternhoe by the road and footpath, all the way. William said they went to Tilsworth. Totternhoe is two miles from Tilsworth.
Thomas Sinfield, another police-constable, corroborated the evidence of the last witness, and stated that their boots corresponded exactly wih the marks. Some of the nails were worn, and pieces were also out of the heels; the footmarks corresponding with both pairs of boots were very near together.
Cross-examined; The marks could not have been made when it was frosty. It was frosty on the Saturday evening. The marks must have been made on Saturday.
John Stratford, of Toddington, found some mutton under some straw in a field on Wednesday the 12th of March. It was tied up in a handkerchief. I just looked at it and tied it up again. I gave it to a policeman. The field where I found it was close by the road side, about half a mile from where the prisoner resided.
Sinfield was re-called, and stated that the handkerchief contained lamb, which he produced; found a piece of salted mutton in the pot at the prisoner William's house.
Cross-examined: A butcher told me the meat in the handkerchief was lamb.
Mr. PRENDERGAST: You know that is not evidence.
Baron PARKE: I dare say we can soon get a butcher.
Mr. TREGENZA: There is one here, my Lord.
Baron PARKE: Let him be sworn.
Mr. Islip, of St. Loyes, Bedford, was then sworn and examined. On looking at the meat, he could not tell whether it was mutton or pork (laughter). On being directed to smell the meat, the witness said he could not tell whether it was lamb or venison: not a butcher in the world could tell (renewed laughter).
Superintendent Jebbott was then called and examined.
Baron PARKE: Have you any skill in the butchering line?
Mr. Jebbott: I fancy I have, my Lord. The meat was then examined, and the witness declared it to be young mutton, and on closer inspection that it was under six months old, indicated by the grisly consistence of the bony parts.
The prosecutor here stated that the lost lamb was seventeen days old.
Mr. PRENDERGAST then addressed the Jury in behalf of the prisoners, contending that there was no other than circumstantial evidence against them, and that not of a strong description. The evidence respecting the kind of meat found in the handkerchief was quite inconclusive; and, even if it were not, it would be no evidence against the prisoners. The fact of the prisoners going in the direction stated was very doubtful; but if true, was quite compatible with their own statement, that they went to Tilsworth and Totternhoe; those places were close together, and in saying first that they went to Tilsworth, and secondly to Totternhoe, the prisoners were not chargeable with what, in common fairness, could not be called a contradiction. No lamb was found in the house when the prisoner, William resided with his mother; but if any had been there found, it would have been no evidence against him, because he was not the owner of the house, and not accountable for any thing in it. Evidence relative to footmarks was always to be looked upon with suspicion; boots worn by agricultural labourers were often of the same kind and description, and would make similar marks. But even supposing that the marks were made by the boots of the prisoners, that would not be surprising, because, according to their own statement, they had been in that direction. George Hemmings had been in the spinney - he was seen there, and that would account for his footmarks being there.
Mr. Baron PARKE recapitulated the greater part of the evidence, and the Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
A previous conviction for felony against George Hemmings, in 1843, for stealing three bushels, of wheat, the property of Mr. Benjamin Johnston, having been proved.
Mr. Baron PARKE (addressing the prisoners) said - It generally happened that persons convicted a second time of felony, were transported; there were only a few cases where he (Baron Parke) thought that the rule of transporting on second convictions should be deviated from, and this was certainly not one of them. The elder prisoner would be transported for ten years; but the younger one, whom, he had no doubt, had been led away by the other, would be imprisoned for six calendar months, with hard labour.
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