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George Hudson - Conviction 1863 and sent to Woking Prison

L

Lily_Mae

master brummie
Hi - does anyone know of why someone convicted in BIrmingham would be sent to Woking prision.. It appears to be some sort of Invalid Prison. My Ancestor of interest George Hudson was a Sword Polisher prior this conviction but appears to have lost arm - Im assuming this is why he was sent to Woking. Later his occuption waas hawker, so a less skilled profession. And he was in and out of prison for the rest of his life.

My questions are thus;
1. 1861 he was working. His employers vouched for him in court in 1863 saying they would reemploy him. Occuption - Sword polisher
2. 1863 no mention of lost arm - but sent to woking
3. would be have done this deliberately (arm loss) to avoid regular prision. Would he even have known?. I dont think he was that bright and most certainly imperfectly educated. Seems drastic. But due to timelines, I think it would have been around early-mid 1863 when he lost his arm. What health care / emergency treatment was available the working class?
3. Why was woking a special prision for the less able??? I think its status changed later.

I realise Im throwing questions out. But this person genuinely interests me. He seems one of life's rogues and didnt have the best start coming out of his 20s.
 
Thank you all. Yes that's what I have already about this rogue. I want to find out where I can find out how lost his arm and where. I know where He was working at the time of the arrest for Messrs Reeves sword makers. But he was committed to Woking which was some sort of special prison for invalids. So he must in my mind have lost his arm between the arrest and sentencing - at least thats what I'm assuming around sept/oct 1863 - else why send him to serve his sentence in woking. ? Later prisons he was in was pentonville I think and portland. It baffles me for sure.

What passed as emergency healthcare in 1863 - anyone know?
 
I think you're making it too complicated. I'm sure sword grinding/polishing was a hazardous occupation and at work would seem the most likely place that a loss of his arm would happen.

It would seem a bit extreme, let alone difficult and risky, to chop your own arm off just to go to a possibly less strict prison.
 
Interesting article, though poorly checked, as a date is given as 1994 , which must mean 1894
 
Paul Goodchild said:
That section is very poorly worded, but I think 1994 is referring to a number of convicts rather than a year.
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I think it means that from April 94 of the workers were convicts - 94 is the number referred to as being transferred from Lewes prison.
 
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MWS said:
I think you're making it too complicated. I'm sure sword grinding/polishing was a hazardous occupation and at work would seem the most likely place that a loss of his arm would happen.

It would seem a bit extreme, let alone difficult and risky, to chop your own arm off just to go to a possibly less strict prison.
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Yes I know. I just hate the mystery. 1863 was a bad year for this family.
 
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Lily_Mae said:
Yes I know. I just hate the mystery. 1863 was a crap year for this family.
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So much death, and bad luck Was too much for one family to bear. By 1864. This family was decimated. I just want to know now about health care in this period. The workhouse records did not start /. Useful for the years in question.
so if he lost his arm in sept 1863 and it was an industrial injury how would that have been managed and where would it have been treated.

the family did use the workhouse, as his sister had her child there I. 1859. That child died in 1863 along with her cousin aged 1 Of childhood diseases. (Measles and diphtheria) And later in 1872, another child of the family, died of rickets. So clearly not a healthy family Physically or otherwise.

thiughts pls
 
Lily_Mae said:
Yes I know. I just hate the mystery. 1863 was a crap year for this family.
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Family history is all about mysteries, solve one and another one appears. :)

Of injuries in the 1860s, I'd say an amputation was probably one of the most straightforward. Many soldiers probably had amputations and doctors/surgeons, even local ones I suspect, carried them out.

It may even have been an injury that wouldn't result in amputation these days but it was all they could do and probably safer. George was probably lucky he survived, though a doubt he thought that.

Most work class families lost children, even 20 or so years later all my great grandmother's 7 siblings died before they were 2.
 
Hi - last bit of the puzzle im trying to solve wrt to good old George and I need help. I'm trying to find information on the 6th August 1860 Assault for which he was jailed for a month. He was also convicted of drunk and disorderly in the previous June. No idea if there is a connection. There may be.

I am trying to find out who was assaulted. I believe he was briefly married in 1860 (Apr-June) GRO. Certificate on order. There may be a connection as he sounds an absolute delight and it was probably the shortest marriage on record. Would a working class women seek a divorce and how would she gain one?

By this time, both parents were dead, he was down as living in Latimer street by 1861,

Anyone know of any useful records. I cant find anything in the newspapers.

The vagrancy I also kind of understand in 1863 as this was around the time his brother died, and his criminal activities were becoming more active as evidenced below - this was his first significant conviction of 6 years when he sent Pentonville and later Woking. I cant find any next of kin in the prison info I have.

He was apparently living in Spring Street in 1863

1711822913225.png
I know that he remained in touch with his family, as it was his sister who registered his death in 1902.

1711822251008.png
 
Not sure that the 1860 marriage is him. The registration appears to match a marriage for a George Hudson whose father was given as Henry. Also on the 1861 census he's listed as single, though errors happen.
 
MWS said:
Not sure that the 1860 marriage is him. The registration appears to match a marriage for a George Hudson whose father was given as Henry. Also on the 1861 census he's listed as single, though errors happen.
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The reference married is in 2 sources. One is the newspaper report and the other is the more formal record I referenced above. I have requested the marriage certificate to confirm either way.

Otherwise he references himself as single from 1863 onwards from what I can see. It’s just very odd. T was just the newspaper clipping I would tend to agree. But I can’t see them getting the legal record wrong.
 
Lily_Mae said:
The reference married is in 2 sources. One is the newspaper report and the other is the more formal record I referenced above. I have requested the marriage certificate to confirm either way.

Otherwise he references himself as single from 1863 onwards from what I can see. It’s just very odd. T was just the newspaper clipping I would tend to agree. But I can’t see them getting the legal record wrong.
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Did you get the name of the bride by any chance
 
Marriage 1860 at St James Ashted. George Hudson, bachelor, a cordwainer, Henry Street. Father Henry Hudson a farmer.
Spouse Martha Wilks of Ashted Row. Father James Wilks a bookseller.

Full cert on Ancestry but can't post from phone.
 
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