A Family in Crisis in the 1850s

Loading Sugar Hogsheads* in Antigua

1850 didn't start out well for Sarah Arment. Her husband, Thomas, had died in October of 1849 while in custody as a convict on the hulk Defence in Portsmouth Harbour. Had she been able to see him after he was taken away? Was she able to attend his funeral?

Sarah's son, Thomas, was still in England but being transferred from one prison to another as he awaited transportation. It must have been difficult to keep in touch. Sarah had her remaining children to turn to for support, her sons George and James and daughter Sarah Littlemore. Did she take stock of the children who remained close and hope the worst was over?

Perhaps there were indications that everything was not well with the remaining family at the beginning of 1850. George Arment's wife, Sophia, died on March 23. Perhaps she had taken to her bed before an end deemed a "natural death accelerated by excessive drink". Sophia was 38 when she died. Was George distracted after his wife's death following so closely on his father's? It appears that he was working when he was "accidentally crushed between two sugar Hogsheads*" on July 12, 1850. 

That series of events reads like an over the top tragedy but the kicker is that there are documents to prove what happened. By 1851 life settled down a bit for the Arments. Sarah Arment was now living with her son, James and his family, at 5 John Street in St. Georges in the East. Hang on a minute, isn't that where George and Sophia were living? Maybe the brothers and their families had been living together before George and his wife died. Then again, maybe James had seized the opportunity to move to a better address when brother George died. But there was another question. When I looked down the names of the household in the 1851 census I was left wondering what happened to George and Sophia's son, William?

Story to be continued next week

Sources:

Copy of 1851 English Census for St George in the East LDS film 174777 folio 314 p36 entry for James Arment 5 John Street

General Register Office, England. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death, 1849 Death in the Sub-district of Alverstoke in the County of Southampton No. 216 19 October, 1849 2.15 am “Defence” Convict Ship Portsmouth Harbour for Thomas Armant

General Register Office, England. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death, Registration District Saint George in the East 1850 Death in the Sub-district of St Mary in the Parish of St. George in the County of Middlesex No. 390 23 March, 1850 5 John Street name: Sophia Arment, wife of George Arment, a carman

General Register Office, England. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death, Registration District Saint George in the East 1850 Death in the Sub-district of St Mary’s in the County of Middlesex No 482 12 July, 1850 in Betts Street name: George Arment


Image: 

By Infant School Depository; after W. Clark - http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/142966, Public Domain, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62118338  

The Arments - Saints or Sinners?

The malefactor's register; or, the Newgate and Tyburn calendar

Sarah Arment's petition for clemency for the two Thomas Arments, her husband and son, would have you think that the men were innocent dupes unknowingly in the possession of stolen goods. When I first read her plea, I thought that even if the men were guilty of the crime, on the part of the elder Thomas at least, it was one of necessity as he was barely scraping by due to having to work with failing health. Then I did more research on the family.

The first entry found for an Arment on the Old Bailey website seemed innocent enough. In 1828 George Arment, aged 14, was assaulted and robbed of a bundle of clothes that he was delivering. Called as a witness in the trial of John Atridge, George said he lived with his father, a carman, and was employed by Edward Brown to do deliveries. Atridge was found guilty on the evidence of several witnesses and sentenced to death. Atridge was 16. It was a harsh sentence and the trial transcript noted a recommendation of mercy. The sentence was commuted to transportation in 1829.

So far, the Arments seem like fine upstanding citizens but that was to change in 1835. Again, it was George who was called to the Old Bailey but this time he was the accused. He was collecting money for his employer and was charged with pocketing some of the proceeds. He was found guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to imprisonment for one year. 

Is it just me or does there seem to be a wide variance in sentences? Death for pushing someone own and stealing a bundle of clothes versus a one year sentence for embezzling from your employer feels off. Maybe the light sentence George got encouraged the two Thomases to traffic in stolen goods believing they would get off lightly too. It also makes me wonder whether the Arment family was steeped in crime, although as a crime family they weren't very successful unless they had gotten away with shady dealings for years and were finally caught. 

Story to be continued next week

Sources:

The National Archives (UK), reference HO 8/212 petition of Sarah Arment 1849

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey. 1674-1913 https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/

  

 Images:

Fleuron from book: The malefactor's register; or, the Newgate and Tyburn calendar. Containing the authentic lives, trials, accounts of executions, and dying speeches, of the most notorious violators of the laws of their country; Who have Suffered Death, and other exemplary Punishments, in England, Scotland and Ireland, from the year 1700 to Lady-Day 1779              By Unknown - https://fleuron.lib.cam.ac.uk/static/ornament_images/084220010400010_0.pngRecord: https://fleuron.lib.cam.ac.uk/ornament/084220010400010_0, Public Domain, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60837344