The Hampshire Family Historian | Volume 49 No.4 | March 2023

Local Group Programmes/Member’s article

Contact: Organisers: Fiona Ranger and Kay Lovell Email: international@hgs-online.org.uk

All meetings are via Zoom and at various UK times to allow overseas members to join in, National Group

Group Co-Organisers are Fiona Ranger and Kay Lovell. All meetings via Zoom at 7:30pm Forthcoming Meetings:

The 6 Bobbies of Appleshaw

March 1st

Lorraine Whale

May 3rd Joe Saunders Local history is invaluable to family history. It provides us with the context to understand our ancestors' lives, adding a richness to our family trees while also enabling us to better find and understand them within the records. This talk provides an introduction to local history for those just starting or looking to develop their exploration. While considering England broadly it will contain Hampshire-specific information. The use of local history to family history

An interesting court case appeared in the Hampshire Advertiser published on 15th July 1865. This involved a case that appeared in the Southampton Police Court on 10th July and was heard by magistrates Mr. J. BERNARD and Alderman PERKINS and involved Thomas MURPHY . He was a boy aged about 13 who was accused of stealing a pair of boots from Frederick William BULLEY who was also aged about 13 and had been swimming at Crosshouse. Crosshouse, now known as Cross House, is a Medieval structure that provided shelter on the site of the old Itchen Ferry crossing on the Southampton side of the River Itchen, and is close to where the modern Itchen Bridge Theft When Swimming

stands. Another boys clothes were stolen but he was chased and they were returned, but when Bulley got out of the water he found that his boots had also been taken. He then went home and informed his father what had happened and who in turn must have told PC WEEKS who the person was. It was the PC who arrested Murphy at Elm Place, Chapel, and who then charged him with the theft. He was wearing the boots at the time and his defence was that a boy named Charles ADAMS had given them to him. For punishment he was sent to prison for one month with hard labour, and was told that if he came before the court again he would be sent to a Reformatory School for five years. A 13 years old boy being sentenced with hard labour is an interesting comment on the

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