Alethea Sophia AWDRY [12018]

  General Notes:

Alethea Sophia Awdry
Baptism date 10 Apr 1806
Place Lacock County Wiltshire
Father's name John Awdry Esquire
Mother's name Jane
England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975 (Parish Registers)

Extraordinary Burglary at South Wraxall.
On Saturday, a sitting of Wiltshire Magistrates was held at the Lion Hotel, Bath, . . . . . for the purpose of examining certain prisoners who had been apprehended . . . . on the charge of having been concerned in the burglary committed in the house of J Awdry Esq of South Wraxall. . . . . .
Miss Alethia Sophia Awdry examined; I was at my father's house at South Wraxall on the night of 22 December last. On that night I went to my bedroom about half past ten o'clock, which was considerably before the time the servants went to bed. After I retired to my room, at about half past ten, I was disturbed about half past one o'clock or later, by the noise of persons walking in the house. In consequence, I went out of my room, about halfway down the passage; and, knowing the servants had been ironing, and hearing the noise in that direction, I went back to my room satisfied. At two o'clock I went to bed, having put out my candle about twenty minutes previously. There was a fire still burning in my room. In about a quarter of an hour afterwards, I heard a noise of persons knocking at my door, I said, "come in; who is it?" three men certainly came in; in the surprise of the moment, I cannot say positively whether they are were not four. They appeared to be young men, and each of them had a lighted candle is his hand. When they came in, they stood over my bed, brandishing their clubs. One of them said, "if you keep quiet, we will not hurt you; but if you make a noise we will beat your brains out." I do not exactly remember what the other men said. I saw the clubs in the men's hands directly they came into my room. I said to them I would give them what they wanted; to which they replied that they were half starving, and must have money. I directed them to a table in my room in which there was some money, made up for the payment of bills. They went to the table and took the money, leaving the papers in which it was wrapped up. The money was in a black basket on the table. After they went to the table, I saw them put their hands into the basket, and I afterwards found the money was gone and the unpaid bills left. The men then collected some little ornaments which were about the room, among which were an eyeglass, a gold chain, and a brooch. One of the men asked me if I had a watch. I took my watch from under my pillow; there were on it to hair chains with a locket. On giving it to them, I said, "I value that locket very much;" when two of the men instantly said, "Let her have it." I undid the clasp and took the locket off. The men then said they had not enough money, and began to threaten me. They said they would murder the whole house, and such things as that, adding that there were ten of them. They asked me if I was the maidservant, and if there were any menservants in the house, and where they and the rest of the family slept. I am not certain whether these enquiries were made before or after I gave them my watch. The men talked much of being starving, and of not being used to such a life. They said they would go if I gave them ten sovereigns, one for each of them. I then said that there was more money in the house; and if they would allow me to go into my mother's room, I would give it to them. I promised this on the condition that I went into my mother's room first for she is old, and I was afraid of the fright. This the men agreed to, and I got up, and, having put on a large flannel dressing gown, I went into the passage. There I certainly saw four men, and sometimes five, but I cannot swear that I saw the fifth man more than once. After I went into the passage the men allowed me to go into my mother's room; but they soon followed me there. My mother gave me her keys, and I opened the chest where she kept her money, in which also there were many trinkets. These the men took; and the money not being in gold, they did not appear satisfied with it. They crushed the money in their hands, and seemed very angry. The money consisted of two £5 notes of the North Wilts bank. One of the men swore that would never do for him, and that he must have gold, and he also threatened my mother that if she moved he would beat her brains out. She told him that there was a sovereign and a half sovereign in her pocket; the man took the pocket and its contents. One of the men continued swearing and threatening most violently nearly the whole time. The prisoner Nathaniel Burge is the man to whom I now refer. He is one of the men who came into my room first, and followed me into my mothers. After taking my mother's pocket, the men looked over the drawers in the room; but I cannot say whether they took anything from them. There were three men in my mother's room, and one was outside watching. He looked in and said, do you want any pistols? We have two loaded. To this no answer was made. I then said, it is no use for you to threaten us, for we have no more money; we know our lives are in your power, but you will do yourselves no good by injuring us. I afterwards said I had a little more money, knowing that my father had some. One of the men then asked me if there was any plate; this was the one who was foremost in asking for everything, and the prisoner Burge is the man. One of the other men tried to quiet him in his manner. I told them I would go to the servants room and get the key of the plate chest; but they must let me go first, or the servants would be frightened and scream. The men followed me to the room. One of the servants opened the door which was locked. Here they repeated their threats. Three of the men followed me into the room, and the fourth remained in the passage as sentinel. I was struck with the measured tread of this man, and with the soldier like manner in which he carried the club he had in his hand. The men gave me a candle when I went to the servants room, and carried two others themselves. They threatened the servants, if they made a noise or moved out of their beds they would kill them; after which they searched the room but found very little. The men came down stairs with me, I having got from one of the servants the keys of the plate chest and pantry. I went down to the pantry, which is on the ground floor, followed by three of the men. Two of the men stayed with me the whole time. They took the keys from me, and opened the plate chest, ransacking it of all the silver plate, and rejecting the plated articles. They packed up what they selected in a tablecloth. While they were in the pantry, the man who was the watcher came down stairs, and stayed in the passage part of the time. While I was in the pantry I heard two men go upstairs. After they had packed up the plate, the two men who were with me all the time went to the dining room, insisting on my following them, they having given the plate to one of the others. I accompanied them to the dining room, and the prisoner Burge again threatened me there and insisted on going to my father's room to see what was there. I led the way, having previously made him promise to allow me to go into the room first. Three of the men came with me, two of whom came into the room, and the other I believe stayed outside. My father was asleep, and I awoke him, but as he is very deaf he did not appear to understand what was going on. There were threats also used here. The men took my father's watch, a sovereign, and four or five shillings, which he had. I had still a candle stick with me as had also the two men. They appeared to be disappointed with what they had got, and when they came to the door of my father's room they again swore and threatened. My sister then came out from the head of the stairs saying she had a few shillings for them. I followed the three men up to the second floor, where my sister was. She showed the men her money, her watch, and a few other little articles which she had, and these they took. This was in my sister's bedroom. There was no threatening here, though the men brandished their clubs, and swore afresh then, and pointed a pistol, which one had taken from the pantry, at my sister; the pistol was not loaded. They enquired at the time they took the pistol if it was loaded, and I said no; we never keep loaded arms in the house. The man then pointed the pistol at my forehead. After staying in my sister's room for a short time, the men went down into the dining room; I lighting them. They were carrying away a bunch of keys, which I ask them for, and they promised to give it to me if I would get them some wine. I unlocked the cellarette, and let them help themselves. There were four men of the room two who drank from bottles while the other two got out of the window. I then went away. I have not the slightest doubt Nathanial Burge was one of the men, and can swear to him. John Milsom I fully believe to be the man who was the watcher, but I cannot swear to him. I have also a vague recollection of a man with a countenance such as that of Jonas Penny being present. . . . . .
Miss Margaret Lucy Awdry examined: I was disturbed on the morning of 23 December last, a little after two o'clock, by the noise of many voices in my mother's room, which is under mine. I got up immediately and went out onto the landing place to listen. I heard directly that thieves were in the house. I then went back to my room for a cloak and came to the same place and stood listening. At this time I heard the voices first in my mother's room, and afterwards going down in the direction of the servants room. I did not go down stairs fearing violence might be offered to my sister, as I heard a man keeping watch immediately under the landing where I stood, and I saw his shadow as he leaned over the balusters. I heard my sister's voice speaking to the men, both while they were in my mother's room and afterwards. I stood on the landing for a considerable time till my sister returned upstairs with the men to my father's room. The man who was watching on the landing underneath me walked up and down, and talk to himself murmuring and complaining as though he was tired of waiting. This was before my sister came up with the men to my father's room. I then heard some men go into my father's room with my sister, and I heard their voices while they were there. I still listened, and heard what past. Having taken my father's watch, and being still clamorous for more money, I went down two or three stairs, and called out "if you come up this way, I have a few shillings for you". I said this to get the men out of my father's room, as I feared they would use violence. They immediately left my father's room and followed me up to mine. three men came up and went into my bedroom. My sister was behind; I led the way and went into the room. I did not hear the men use any threats; but two of them had sticks, which they brandished, and one of them pointed a pistol at me. I took my pocket and turned out its contents before them. I then took my purse and gave the money which was in it to one of the men. They did not keep the purse; but they took a silver vinaigrette, a watch, a silver knife, a watch chain and locket, and some other articles. While two of the men were taking these things, another was trying to open my trinket box, I told him that if he would wait I would open it for him. He waited, and I opened the box, and he took out the contents. The leader of the men seemed to be disappointed and swore very much. On leaving the room he struck birds cage with his fist very violently. My sister said, you would not kill the bird; on which he walked out of the room. The prisoner Burge is the man I mean. The men were hardly ten minutes into my room. I cannot swear positively to any of the prisoners but Burge; but I have an idea that Penny was one of the men. The voice of the man who was the watcher was also very much like the prisoner Milsom's, and I was struck with the resemblance when I first heard him speak after he was in custody.
Then continues a report on further examination of witnesses, including those that recovered the stolen property. Six of the accused were transported for life to Australia.
Ref: Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette 6 January 1842
The researcher's attention was drawn to this affair by J. Coyle who was studying convict history in Tasmania. A feature which was remarked upon in the media at that time was the composure of the Awdry daughters in such a situation..

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 30 Mar 1851, Worthen WIL. Alethea is recorded as a sister to Charles unmarried aged 44 an annuitant born Notten WIL