Richard Lane

221

D Wong on 3rd November 2015

Martin Lane (0) at 2:06am, 4th November 2015 added Richard Lane - however, Richard Lane was already listed on the Sultana, so I have posted your information here as well as the following:- This information is taken in part from: http://www.cornwall-opc.org/Resc/emigrant_pdfs/lane_richard_1859.pdf NAME: RICHARD LANE AGE: 29 (trial); 33 (Western Australia) BORN: About 1824 BAPTISED: 26 November 1820, St Blazey DIED: 1876, aged 54 years, Western Australia (Reg No 8856) NEWSPAPER REPORTS – ROYAL CORNWALL GAZETTE newspaper, 11 July 1845 - Richard Lane, the younger, 22, stealing a baking dish, two plates, a sack, and a quantity of potatoes, the property of Charles Rogers, a farmer of St Blazey. The property was found by agents of Fowey Consols mine, in April, on their going to examine an old engine-house at Wheal Maudlin, which had long been unoccupied, except, as it appeared on the trial, by prisoner and a companion, who had a bed up-stairs. The prisoner was found in the engine house, concealing himself on the bob-plat. Guilty. Six months hard labour. The prisoner was also tried for stealing a blue cotton handkerchief, the property of John Grigg, butcher of St Blazey. The handkerchief was found at the same time and place as the articles in the previous indictment. The Court directed an acquittal, on account of the long period that had elapsed since the time when the articles were missed by the prosecutor, early in January. WEST BRITON, 7 JANUARY 1853 - Richard LANE, 22, was charged with stealing on or about the 6th of August last, at the parish of St. Blazey, a pair of collar-trees, with chains attached, the property of Betsy Oliver ROGERS, who, at the time of the alleged robbery kept the "Sloop" public house at Par, being assisted in her business by her brother-in-law, Mr. GRIGG. The prisoner was also a relative of the prosecutrix. Mr. SHILSON conducted the prosecution; Mr. STOKES the defence. The case lasted some considerable time and, after long consultation, the jury returned a verdict of acquittal. WEST BRITON, 7 JANUARY 1853 – RICHARD LANE, 29, (who was acquitted on Tuesday on a charge of stealing a pair of collar-trees and chains) was now charged together with HARRIET MOORE, with having on the 18th of November, at the parish of Lanlivery, stolen about five bushels of potatoes, the property of William RUSE, a carpenter, wheelwright, and small farmer. In the second count, both prisoners were charged with feloniously receiving. Mr. CHILDS conducted the prosecution, Mr. STOKES the defence. The case, being entirely one of circumstantial evidence, occupied the Court about six hours. It appeared that the prisoner, Lane, cohabited with the woman, Moore - she being the wife of another man; and, by reason of his violence and his frequent robberies, he had long being a terror to their parish - Tywardreath - and its neighbourhood. The prosecutor lives at a place called Puddle, in the higher part of the parish of Lanlivery. In November last, he had a cave of potatoes in a garden adjoining his house; and in the morning of the 19th, he saw that the cave had been opened and a large quantity of potatoes of different sorts taken away. Near the cave, and from it to the road adjoining the garden where a man's foot-marks; and on the road were recent cart wheel tracks, and the foot-marks of a horse. The wheel tracks were peculiar, because of one of the tires having been fastened with three pins, only one of which was driven in close; the other two standing up unusually high. The footmarks of the horse were also remarkable; the two fore feet having been very recently shod; one of the hind feet about a fortnight earlier, and only one foot having an old shoe; there was also the peculiarity that the horse had evidently the habit of over-stepping - that is, of bringing up his hind feet in front of the impression of his fore feet. There were also peculiarities in the heel and toe-plates of the shoe of the man who had been at the cave and drove the cart. Those marks were observed double - coming to and returning from the prosecutor's place; and were traced in a very circuitous route, to Lane and Moore's dwelling in the parish of Tywardreath, where was found a cart, with the name of "H.J. MOORE, Tywardreath," on it, and with the tires corresponding with the impressions on the road. Having procured a search warrant, the prosecutor and three constables went to search the prisoners' house and in a pigs' house adjoining, used by the two prisoners, were found potatoes, corresponding nearly in quantity, and in their various sorts with those the prosecutor had lost. While the search was going on at the pig's house, Lane, who was that time an active fellow, though he has since become lame, got through a hole in the ceiling in the dwelling house, and knocking some slates off the roof, bolted and jumped down a distance of nearly twenty feet. He was immediately hotly pursued - or coesed?, as one of the witnesses called it, by the three constables, through and beyond the cabbage garden; unluckily for himself he stumbled and fell, and one of the constables fell across his feet and another across his neck, thus securing him until he was handcuffed; though not without a desperate scuffle. The prisoners had no horse of their own, but it was proved that on the morning of the 19th, a neighbour's horse, which had the gait of overstepping, had evidently been worked during the night, as it was covered with dry, curly, recent sweat. Another piece of circumstantial evidence in the case was that the soil of the prosecutor's farm in the higher part of Lanlivery, was black; while that of Tywardreath, where prisoners lived, was reddish; and the potatoes found in their pigs' house had black soil about them. There was also evidence that on the night of the 18th, or rather early on the morning of the 19th, a woman, who lived in a house near to the prisoners, and who was sitting up all night in consequence of the illness of one of her own family, heard Lane and Moore go into their house. Two women also proved that on the 18th, there were but very few potatoes in the prisoners' pigs' house; but on the 19th, before the constables came, she looked into the pig's house and saw a large quantity of potatoes there. The jury found Lane guilty of stealing, and Moore guilty of feloniously receiving. A previous conviction was proved against Lane; at the sessions on July 1845, he was convicted of stealing a baking dish, plate, and other articles, the property of Charles ROGERS, of St. Blazey. The Chairman, in sentencing the prisoners said, your character, Lane, we know to be of the worst description. You have been living in open adultery with this woman, and for a long time you have been the dread of the neighbourhood. There was a prior conviction against you in November 1845, and the sentence of the Court is that you be transported for ten years. Harriet Moore, your sentence is, to be imprisoned for four calendar months, and kept to hard labour, and remember that we have dealt kindly with you. TRIED: 1853, Bodmin SENTENCE: 10 Years CRIME: Larceny, with previous conviction. RELIGION: Protestant LITERACY: Semi-literate FAMILY – Marital status: Married, with one child Co-habiting with Harriet Moore (who was tried with him) – it is not known if this is who he refers to as his wife, or if there is also a legal marriage and child in addition Parents: Richard Lane and Jane Beale, married 29 May 1813, St Blazey Children: John Lane, b.7 Jan 1814, c.27 March 1814, St Blazey Ann Lane, c.8 Sept 1816, St Blazey Elizabeth Lane, c.31 Jan 1819, St Blazey Richard Lane, c.26 Nov 1820, St Blazey DESCRIPTION – Trade: Farm labourer Height: 5’ 6” Age: 33 Complexion: Dark Hair: Brown Visage: Long Eyes: Grey Build: Middling-stout Native Place: Distinguishing marks: Scar on right temple; Small scar on left eyebrow. WESTERN AUSTRALIA – Crime: Larceny Probation: Assignment: Ticket of Leave: 14 February 1860 - at Mt Eliza-WA Conditional Pardon: 15 June 1861, at Perth-WA Known Areas: Perth Worked for self 1860 References: Peter Lane - peter.lane@boltblue.com Last Updated: 15 December 2010 Compiled by Trish Symonds