BECKLEY, Richard James (Grimwade p.436)

[MCB]

He married Sarah Hooper at St Mary, Islington in 1815; both were from that parish.
There is reference in the “Known Journeymen Silversmiths” section of this forum to a trial of Beckley in April 1820 for theft, a charge to which he was found guilty but a question was raised there as to whether the transportation penalty of 7 years had actually taken place.
He entered his only maker’s mark at Goldmiths Hall in 1825 as a plateworker from Southampton Street, Camberwell.
The 1841 UK Census record for Little Sutton Street, Clerkenwell shows he was living there as a lamp maker with his wife and three children, Edward & Mary both aged 20 years and Elizabeth aged 15 years. The christening record of Elizabeth at St Leonard, Shoreditch in 1837 shows her age as 12 years. Her parents’ address was (William?) Street, Clerkenwell where her father’s occupation was as a silversmith. The christening records, if any, of the other two children have not been traced but he had entered a maker’s mark in 1825 and daughter Elizabeth appears to have been born in the same year suggesting Richard was not in New South Wales for the whole 7 years he was ordered to be.
His burial in 1864 aged about 58 years was recorded at Norwood Cemetery, Lambeth. His last address was Willow Cottage, Gypsy House Road, Lower Norwood.