Transcription of National Archive Documents
PETITIONS & LETTERS: (TNA ? HO17/119 Xq20)



1. George Treasure ? 12 - Somerset Lent Ass ? March 1832 ? Housebreaking ? Sentence Commuted to Transn for Life ? Nil

To the Right Honorable Lord Viscount Melbourne His Majesty?s Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department
The Humble Petition of Levy and Elizabeth Treasure of the Parish of Stoke Lane near the Town of Shepton Mallet in the County of Somerset Labourers for and on behalf of their Infant son George Treasure only 12 years old now a Prisoner under Sentence of Death in Ilchester Gaol
Sheweth

That your unhappy and most unfortunate Petitioners Child was tried at the late Taunton Assizes for the County of Somerset ?? himself one of his Majesty?s Justices of the Court of Common Pleas upon an Indictment for stealing from the Dwelling House of Jacob Pope Of the aforesaid Parish of Stoke a ??? Watch and sentence of Death was recorded against Him. But as your unfortunate Petitions have since heard by ??? this is ?????? to be Transported for Life. And therefore do now most humbly pray your Lordships kind and Benevolent intervention that the punishment of their unfortunate Child may be commuted into a Term of Imprisonment at the Discretion of the Humane Advisors of the Crown. That your unfortunate petitioners have a large family and endeavoured always to bring them up in the paths of Industry and never until this Lamentable and Unhappy Transaction were they or any of their children?s honesty and integrity impeached, brought in question or challenged and my Lord for our previous good character and that also of our family?s and children We humbly must beg and entrust your Lordship will d? our Unfortunate and Infant child one of those to whom the Royal Clemency can and may be extended And that this ???? of this unhappy child be forgiven. That this dreadful sentence of Perpetual Banishment from is Native Land, His Kindred and his friends may be commuted into Imprisonment so that after a time he may be restored to the ?? and affections of his disconsolate and save by ? and ? good conduct alone and make amends for this breach of the Laws of his country.

That your unfortunate an unhappy Petitioner?s Child was confined in prison nearly 6 months previous to his Trial And now the Unhappy Parents, your Petitioners in which they are joined by the prayer also of this unfortunate child most humbly Lays this their petition in your hands and emboldened more to do so by the respectable persons who have subscribed the same Praying that the punishment of the Unhappy and Unfortunate George Treasure may be lenient and that his extreme youth coupled with this being his first and only Fault and his extreme penitence and sorrow for having committed it will enduce your Lordship to recommend him to the Royal Clemency: as the unhappy prisoner most solemnly ?? of again ?? to his Father?s and Mother?s ??? and those of his friends that his future conduct ?? life shall be marked with the abhorrence of all vice and that in no ?? will he again offend against the laws of his Country. And under all the circumstances of the Case your Petitioners ?? hope that their child?s Case will be ?? of the Humane Perogative of the Crown and that his punishment may be Lenient Imprisonment.

And your Petitioners will ever Pray..

We whose names hereunto annexed Do Humbly join in the prayer of the Petition believing it to be the said George Treasure?s first fault and that his Punishment may be a Lenient term of Imprisonment.

Name and Residence (signed)

Jacob Pope Stoke Lane Baker ? The Prosecutor
George Steeds Stoke Lane Land Holder
William ?? Stoke Lane Farmer
George Turner Stoke Lane Malster
John Rich Stoke Lane Farmer
Benjamin Rich Stoke Lane Farmer
Henry Creber Stoke Lane Taylor
Joseph Noyes Stoke Lane Land Holder
John Selway Stoke Lane Butcher
William Sheppard Stoke Lane Land Holder
William Hancock Stoke Lane Butcher
Thomas Facer Stoke Lane Lime Burner
Edward Sheppard Stoke Lane Land Holder
George Oram Stoke Lane Shoe Maker
John Swayn Stoke Lane Baker
William Bryant Stoke Lane Inn Keeper
John Purnell Stoke Lane ?? Farmer ???
Charles Purnell Stoke Lane Constable of Stoke Lane
John Hodges Stoke Lane Blacksmith
John Hall Stoke Lane Carpenter Wheeler
John Green Stoke Lane Land Holder
James Green Stoke Lane Land Holder
Samuel Robbins Stoke Lane Baker
Thomas Green Stoke Lane Land Holder
Joseph Fussell Stoke Lane



2. George Treasure ? 12 - Somerset Lent Ass ? March 1832 ? Housebreaking ? Sentence Commuted to Transn for Life ? Nil

To the Right Honorable Lord Viscount
Melbourne His Majesty?s Secretary
of State for the Home Department

We whose names are hereunto subscribed Inhabitant Householders of Stoke Lane in the County of Somerset beg permission most respectfully to represent to your Lordship the Case of George Treasure a lad of the age of 12 years convicted at the late Assizes for this County for having stolen a watch from the premises of Jacob Pope of Stoke Lane aforesaid Baker and against whom sentence of Death has been recorded for that offence.- We the undersigned offer our testimony to the honesty and industry of his parents and the hitherto irreproachable conduct of the lad himself who has never before the present occasion been otherwise than a good and orderly boy. We beg leave also to direct your Lordships attention to the extreme youth of the Prisoner and to express our hopes that your Lordship will so represent the case to the consideration of His Majesty that as light a punishment may be awarded to him as may be in your Lordships Judgement consistent with the satisfaction of Justice.-

We have the honor to be your Lordship?s most obedient servants.

Jacob Pope} Prosecutor
George Steeds Yeoman
Charles Purnell Constable
William Lovell Yeoman
George Turner Maltster
Saml Robbins Baker
John Swayne Baker
Jno Bryant Inn Keeper
Thos Green Yeoman
Henry Gullick Blacksmith
Joseph Noyes Land Holder
John Selway Butcher
John Green Collarmaker
James Green Yeoman





3.
Stoke Lane Near the Three Ashes
Near the Town of Shepton Mallet
Somerset 10th June 1832

My Lord,

We most humbly beg your Lordship?s pardon in presuming to address your Lordship by Letter ? But we trust to your Lordships kind and generous feeling to excuse the liberty we take.

On the 12th day of May last we sent your Lordship our Humble Petition praying a mitigation of the sentence of our son George then confined in Ilchester Gaol ? Having since been told by one of the Turnkeys that he has been sent from thence to Chatham and by information received from there that our son is on board the Hulk at that Station ? We your humble petitioners his parents are most anxious to know if your Lordship has granted us the prayer of our petition And what his sentence is and also to know if he is to be sent out of the Kingdom ? Hoping that your Lordship will condescend to give us an answer and that it may be favourable to our hopes ?

We remain
My Lord
Your Lordship?s Most Obedt
Very Humble Serts
Levy & Elizabeth Treasure


4. Letter to Mr Capper at the office of Secretary of State Home Department Whitehall London


Shepton Mallet Jany 22nd 1834

Sir,

Mr & Mrs Treasure of Stoke Lane near this Town have requested me to write to you respecting their son who was about 2 years ago tried for stealing a watch and was left Death Recorded. From what transpired soon after the trial it was evident the poor delinquent who is the subject of this memorial had but a very slight part in the business having only received the watch but it was never found upon him he was however apprehended and sentenced as before stated. After his trial he was sent to Ilchester Gaol (the receiving Gaol) after which he was sent to Devonport. But being a mere child (only 12 years old) he was not sent abroad with the other convicts but was ordered to Chatham where he is now the prosecutor says he will do anything that may be required to restore the Boy to his Disconsolate Parents and will if required wait upon Lord Melbourne for that purpose the Minister Churchwardens and Overseers of the Parish to which the youth belongs are very ready and willing to sign any Document in his favour that may be requisite.
The Father and Mother of the Boy says he has very bad health and that there is a Gentleman who knows him well would take him into his service so as to keep him from bad company fort he future. Be so obliging Sir at your earliest convenience as to give me your sentiments on the subject And if you advise a Petition to my Lord Melbourne the same shall be forwarded you from the Prosecutor as well the Minister Churchwardens Overseers of the parish of Stoke Lane as likewise the respectable inhabitants
I am Sir
your most obt hble respl
Mr Capper Corns Mahon

The name of the Boy is
George Treasure
On board the Canada Hospital
Chatham Kent
Jacob Pope prosecutor Stoke Lane
Stoke Lane
StokeLane
Geo Green Churchwarden
John Rich Overseer
W.J.F Edwards Minister
Stoke Lane February 1st 1834




5. Letter from the prosecutor Jacob Pope and others

To the Right Honourable Lord Viscount Melbourne
His Majesty?s Secretary of State for the Home Department

May it please your Lordship

The Humble Memorial of us the undersigned Jacob Pope (the Prosecutor) and Minister Churchwardens Overseers of the Poor and others respectable Inhabitants of the Parish of Stoke Lane in the County of Somerset
Sheweth
That George Treasure of Stoke Lane a mere child 12 years of age was about two years since tried for stealing a watch from Jacob Pope the above named prosecutor at the Assizes held at Taunton for the said County and sentence of Death recorded was passd on him
From what transpired after the Trial it was evident the poor Boy who is the subject of this Memorial had but a very slight part in the business having only received the article but it was never found on him he was however apprehended and sentenced as before stated. After his Trial he was sent to Devonport but from Bad health and tender age he was not sent abroad with other convicts but was ordered to Chatham where he is now on board the Canada Hospital. There is a Gentleman that knows the boy well and would take him into his service so as to keep him from bad company for the future. The Parental feelings of a Disconsolate Father and Mother have prompted them to make this appeal to your Lordship
We join our united prayer with them and Humbly entreat your Lordship to represent the case of this unfortunate boy to our most Gracious Sovereign and that your Lordship will have the great goodness to use your Lordship?s influence that the poor boy may be restored to his afflicted Parents or that such mitigation of punishment may be ordered by his Majesty as the circumstances of the Case will permit.
And your Lordships Memorialists as in duty bound will ever Pray

Jacob Pope Stoke Lane - Prosecutor
W.J.F. Edwards Minister
Geo Green} Churchwarden
John Rich} Overseer
Benjamin Rich
Edward Shepherd Land holder
George Steeds Freeholder
Henry Creber Taylor
Henry Gullick Blacksmith
Thos Green Farmer
John Hall Carpenter & Wheelwright
George Oram Cordwainer
John Hodges Black Smith
John Swayn Baker
Jno Bryant Carpenter & Joiner
Wm Green Clerk
Geoe Clarke
Saml Robbins Baker
Joseph Emery Carrier
Charles Sage Shop Keeper
George Joyce Stoke Lane Inn
Thomas Facer Farmer
John Green Landholder
James Green Farmer
John Selway Butcher
William Lovell Butcher

The Parents of this Poor boy ?. beg that your Lordship (1 lines unreadable) of His Majesty?s Government is respecting their Child
Your Lordship?s Humble servants
remain with all due respects
Levi & Elizabeth Treasure

Stoke Lane nr Shepton Mallet
February 21st 1834





6. Letter from Levi Treasure


Stoke Lane May 14 1834

Honble Sir
I hope you will pardon the liberty I have taken in addressing these lines to you I Levi Treasure am the father of George Treasure a convict on board the Euryalus Hulk I sent a Petition to the Secretary of State begging his Lordship to Mitigate his sentence but did not mention his complaint in his back which the doctors think that he will never get free of the complaint therefore I beg the favour of your Lordship to have his sentence mitigated or if it could be possible for him to have a free pardon for us to have him home we should be very thankful for to receive him for his Mother and me is very unhappy about him, as he was only twelve years of age and we have heard that his chief officer gives him an excellent character likewise the Keepers, Honourble Sir I beg the favour of an answer which I shall receive with a Grateful Heart

I am Honrble Sir your much obligd
Humble Servt
Levi Treasure
Stoke Lane
Shepton Mallet
Somerset


DEATH: 31 July 1834 (TNA - HO9/2 f148 ? Euryalus Hulk Register)