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Chris- just took a look at the image for Thomas' marriage- his father was William Bennett Wheeler (the transcription missed the Wheeler from his name).

Thanks for all the info the 2 newspaper articles look to be him as it matches on age and occupation and the marriage details and children etc and the sentence and date ties in with the timing of the 1861 census. Thanks Dea!

Some later Gaol records G/GC 6/4 2nd and 5th October 1861 and QGC 6/5 in june 1867 and q/gc 6/6 in june 1873 are definitely not him as the ages don't match.

Mystery solved but not a good piece of family history!

WHEELER John Thomas WHEELER WHEELER CREED 1853 Gloucester Gloucester, South Hamlet 9 167

WHEELER Sarah J WHEELER WHEELER CREED 1857 Cheltenham Cheltenham, Cheltenham 36 120

WHEELER William Henry WHEELER WHEELER CREED 1855 Gloucester Gloucester, South Hamlet 10 489


(other children perhaps)

http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bmd/MainMenu.aspx

Chris :)

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/general_topics/thread/741628

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/801236

(old, but relate, if any more ever found from second link?)

Marriage:
Name: Thomas Wheeler (Mason)
Marriage Date: 25 Dec 1852
Age: Full age
Father: William Bennett
Spouse: Jane Creed
Spouse Age: Full age
Spouse Father: John Creed
Event Type: Marriage
Parish: Gloucester, St Mary de Lode, Gloucestershire
Parish as it Appears: St Mary de Lode

In one of the articles Thomas states that Jane was an older woman. Also according to the article they were all in the workhouse. Thomas had tried to take the children out, but they wouldn't let them go unless he took his wife.
-----------------------------------------------------------

This is a child baptised in 1859:

Name: George Albert Wheeler
Baptism Date: 22 Feb 1859
Parish: Cheltenham, St Mary, Gloucestershire, England
Parish as it Appears: Cheltenham
Father: Thomas Wheeler (Stone mason)
Mother: Jane Wheeler
Register Type: Parish Registers
----------------------------------------------------------

So, for reference, this is Jane in 1881:

1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
4, Victoria Square, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Jane Wheeler Head Widow Female 54 1827 Dressmaker Upton, Gloucestershire,
George A Wheeler Son Single Male 22 1859 General Labourer Cheltenham, Gloucester
Alfred C Wheeler Son Single Male 15 1866 Drapers Porter Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I suspect this is Jane in 1861 in the workhouse:

1861: Cheltenham Union Workhouse
First name(s) J
Last name W
Relationship Inmate
Marital status Married
Gender Female
Age 34
Birth year 1827
Occupation Dressmakers Assistant
Birth town Upton St Leonards
Birth town as transcribed UPTON ST LEONARDS
Birth county Gloucestershire
Birth county as transcribed GLOUCESTERSHIRE
---------------------------------------------------------------

This is the 'other woman' on 1861 census (the newspaper wrongly gave her name as Jane but another article stated her as Sarah) :


1861 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Cottage, St Pauls Street South, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Learn more
Print transcription View image
Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Sarah Rayner Head Unmarried Female 28 1833 Boot Closer Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England


I cannot see his wife and children as yet but I believe this would have been their marriage:

Marriages Dec 1852 (>99%)
Creed James Gloster 6a 465
***CREED Jane Gloster 6a 465
Gregory William Gloucester 6a 465
Verrinder Eliza Gloucester 6a 465
***Wheeler Thomas Gloucester 6a 465

Dea x

Cheltenham Chronicle 19 June 1860

Thomas Wheeler, a stone mason, living in Cleveland street, was
summoned for refusing to maintain his wife and four children who
had become chargeable to the parish of Cheltenham

Mr. C Thompson, master of the Workhouse, said the defendant's wife
and family were admitted into the house on the 11th inst., in a
destitute condition. They had continued in the house since, and
an expense of 13s. had been incurred. On Tuesday, Wheeler came
to the house and asked to be allowed to take away three of his
children. He (Mr. Thompson) reffused to allow this and said he must
take his wife also. The prisoner then said he would never support
his wife.

Jane Wheeler, wife of the prisoner, said she was married to him seven
years ago at Gloucester. She went to the Workhouse because her
husband refused to support her, and she and her husband were in want
of food. The prisoner was cohabiting with another woman.

P.C. Day proved that the prisoner was living with one of the worst
characters of the town.

Mr. Cochrane thought that it was a very gross case. The Overseers,
however, did not ask for his imprisonment if he could be compelled
to pay, but of course the parish could not maintain the man's wife and
children whilst he was cohabiting with a common prostitute.

The Magistrates sent to prisoner to Gloucester Gaol for one calendar
month with hard labour.

Dea x

P.S. - above 2 articles found in Newspaper section of FMP site. - There may be more but I have to go just now.

Dea x

http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives/article/107400/Genealogical-database

(he looks to be on above, more than once by the look of things, perhaps!)

Chris :)

(1861 wheeler thomas U Cheltenham Q/Gc6/4 brickmaker Gaol Ordering Information)

Cheltenham Chronicle 19 February 1861

At the Police Court today, before C.L. Hartford Esq., Col. Newman
and W,M, Tartt Esq., a stonemason named Thomas Wheeler,
who for the last 12 months had been cohabiting with
a notorious character named Jane Rayner, in St. Paul's street south,
was committed to Gloucester for two calendar months,
for refusing to maintain his wife and four children.

Dea x

I thought this might be him but the trial was Oct. 1861 and the census was taken in April. Could he have been in prison that long before the trial? He was charged with "assault and occasioning actual bodily harm" and was sentenced to 3 months hard labour.

Thomas Wheeler

in the England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892
Record Image View

Name: Thomas Wheeler
Date of Trial: 15 Oct 1861
Trial Year: 1861
Location of Trial: Gloucestershire, England
Sentence: Imprisonment
Crime: See Image
Date of Execution or Release: See Image

One of my ancestors Thomas Wheeler born 1834 in Cheltenham - occupation on sons birth certificate shows as stone mason - have found an entry on 1861 census of him as criminal prisoner in Gloucester with occupation as stone mason and he is then 27 so dates match.

Any advice on how I find out why he was in prison please, where would I find records?