Wednesday 8 August 2012

UPDATE of the Past News 4th August 1860

Catch up on the full story of last weeks NEWS...........

William Roper and James Cafferny ~

William Roper and James Cafferny appeared at the Derby Quarter Sessions on Wednesday 17th October 1860. They pleaded guilty to the 3 indictments for stealing against them. Witnesses were called and all called for mercy upon Roper and confirmed his good character. But the Bench was not to be easily convinced and both men were sentenced to a further 4 months imprisonment with hard labour.

A check of the 1861 census shows that William Roper had been released from prison. He was aged 32 years old and living with his wife Emily on Ashgate Road. He was still working as a plasterer. William and Emily (nee Pursglove) had married at Chesterfield Register Office in 1859 - just before he was arrested for theft. How bad it must have been for poor Emily when her new husband was the talk of the town! Sadly William passed away aged just 39 years old in 1868. He left a wife Emily and a new born baby daughter called after her mother, Emily. In 1871 the two Emily's are still living on Ashgate Road, Emily senior is a shop keeper.

William's death was reported in the 2nd May 1868 edition of the Derbyshire Times, it reads "27th April at Hasland, Mr. William Roper a plaster of Chesterfield" The two Emily's do not appear in any census after 1871 - there is a death of a child Emily aged 8 years old in 1876 and the Derbyshire Times dated 16th February 1878 reports a death on "9th February, Brampton Emily Roper aged 47" and so it seems that the lives of the Roper's were sadly full of heartache.

And as for James Cafferny the second offender - I have found no trace of him in any census or registration indexes - maybe he was Irish and he returned home or maybe he changed his name and started over again - we may never know!



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