Debtors Prison - Lancaster

[JBee]

Helping someone with their tree and found one of their ancestors William Doxey/Docksey in Lancaster Prison in 1851 as a debtor. He had been a farmer.

One source said that mail used to be addressed to "Hoxtons Hotel" - can't remember the name exactly.

Wonder if anyone has access to newspapers for Derbyshire/Lancashire that could help me shed light on why he became a debtor.

Unfortunately all by subs have expired.

Thank you

[Olde Crone]

There,s a William Docksey in Lancaster jail in 1848, a licensed victualler (hotel connection?) Previously of Liverpool. Could that be him? In the Gazette.

OC

[JBee]

Thanks OC -

Oops not Derbyshire but Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire and a Farmer

Not him I don't think - the one I want was a farmer was born Oxfordshire, married in Brailsford, Derbyshire in 1835 and was in Rothley, Leics in 1841. His wife is in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire in 1851.

In 1861 they are in Hinckley in Leics.

[Olde Crone]

Wonder why he was in Lancaster gaol then, rather than his local prison?

OC

[Merry]

Is that right that there's no birth reg for Thomas b 1851 in Eastwood? I wondered if William wasn't around for the conception?

I couldn't see any further registrations after Alice and Mary who were registered before 1841.

[JBee]

Yes I wondered why he was at Lancaster. Wonder if its something to do with who he owed money to.

There's death for a William Henry Doxey in June qtr in 1851 which is why he didn't appear in the later census.

[Olde Crone]

There is another William Docksey marrying in Manchester in 1875, seems possible he was the one in prison in 1848.

But what a coincidence that two men with such an unusual name should both be in the same prison for debt!

OC

[JBee]

Think there's only my William in there in 1851 though.

[Merry]

There's death for a William Henry Doxey in June qtr in 1851 which is why he didn't appear in the later census.

I can't find this death reg. Who are you saying it belongs to?

[Merry]

There is another William Docksey marrying in Manchester in 1875, seems possible he was the one in prison in 1848.


OC

The man who married in Manchester in 1875 was born about 1852 according to the marriage entry. His father was George Docksey.

[JBee]

Again sorry my brain isn't working

Jun qtr 1851 Thomas Henry at Basford (covers Eastwood)
or Radford, Nottingham

freebdm has it twice but think its the same one

[JBee]

William's parents were William and Martha (Mason) both born in Leicestershire so why William jnr was born in Oxford is a mystery.

[Merry]

Ah, OK. FreeBMD has it twice because the reg district was mis-transcribed in one entry.

I'm trying to separate the apparent two Wm Docksey entries -

Perry's Bankrupt Gazette 23 December 1848

Docksey, William, of Liverpool, victualler, Lancaster

(that's the same one OC mentioned)

and yours in 1851:

Her Majesty's Gaol the Castle of Lancaster

William Docksey, debtor, married, 44, farmer and grazier, b Oxfordshire, Worton

But I can't find two people and wonder if the info in the paper has got mixed up and both entries are for the same man?

[JBee]

sent before completed lol.

Not a good day.

[JBee]

On all the census's he's a farmer or a retired farmer.

In 1841 he's at Rothley in Leicestershire.

His wife's family were farmers too

[Merry]

The one from Manchester wasn't even born when yours was in the debtors prison.

I can't find another man in 1841 or 1851 or in the papers or criminal registers etc who might have been the victualler from Liverpool. Personally, I think it's most likely the man in the paper is your man but with the wrong details.

[Merry]

.......... but I am still looking! :D

[JBee]

Thanks for looking Merry and OC.

Will have to remain a mystery

[Merry]

His wife's family were farmers too

Yes, I saw that from his marriage notice in the paper.

I agree that he was never a victualler from Liverpool, but if that was anyone I think they had a different name.

[Olde Crone]

Whereas I would have no problem believing that a farmer and a licensed victualled were one and the same man! Certainly seen it in my own tree and in other trees too. A farm could be worked by the wife and children while the "farmer" himself tried his hand at pub keeping. Might explain why he went bankrupt, lol.

OC

[Merry]

There are two victuallers in the Lancaster debtors prison in 1851 but neither of those are from Liverpool (or at least, not born there, but I suppose they could have been living there before they were jailed?

Clement Nuttall married 41 b Rosedale, Lancs
Joseph Sibson married 26 b Knaresborough, Yorks

[JBee]

Thanks Merry

[Merry]

I don't know much about farmers OC but many of my relatives became victuallers or innkeepers etc when doing their original job/trade became untenable for some reason.

This man does seem to move around quite a lot!

[JBee]

OC

in 1851 census wife and children are in Brailsford her occupation is a stocking seamer same as daughters and her son John is a coal miner.

Anyway think it will remain a mystery.

[Merry]

"Hoxtons Hotel"

I've got nowhere with that!

[kiterunner]

The London Gazette 16 Dec 1848 has the bankruptcy entry for William Docksey, late of No 63, Pitt-street, Liverpool, Lancashire, Licenced Victualler, in the Gaol of Lancaster. I don't think it is likely to be muddled up in that paper.

[kiterunner]

Also the Edinburgh Gazette of 31 Mar 1863 has a bankruptcy awarded for William Doxey of Middleton, Wirksworth, Derby. I assume it is reprinted from the London Gazette but for some reason that edition came up on the search.

[Merry]

I agree it's unlikely there would be such an error in the London Gazette.

Kate, do you think the 63 Pitt St chap is the same person as the farmer/grazier? I'm having trouble believing there were two people of the same name in the prison at roughly the same time.

[JBee]

Sorry it was Hansbrow's Hotel. (didn't have access to the paperwork and mis-remembered it)

http://www.lancastercastle.com/prison

http://www.lancastercastle.com/stephen-cropper

http://www.castleparkstories.org/chapter-33/

William's father b1770 was in Kniveton, Ashborne, Derbyshire in 1861 (haven't got access to the census to see his occupation). He dies in 1864

[kiterunner]

I agree it's unlikely there would be such an error in the London Gazette.

Kate, do you think the 63 Pitt St chap is the same person as the farmer/grazier? I'm having trouble believing there were two people of the same name in the prison at roughly the same time.

I should think so. I was looking for 63 Pitt St in street directories yesterday with no luck, but I did find it on the 1851 census and the occupant was a mariner (not called Docksey), so it doesn't look as though it was a pub.

[Merry]

For what it's worth, 63 Pitt St was a boarding house in 1824!!

Wm's father was a farmer of 38 acres in 1861.

[JBee]

Thanks everyone