A MAN who damaged a fox cover (whatever that might be) and stole a bag or two of wheat, some hens and a cock would probably be subjected to a magistrate’s most severe frown and a conditional discharge these days.

Such was not the case in 1835. For Milnsbridge-born Richard Horsfall Hall, the punishment was transportation to New South Wales, Australia.

Richard’s story has been sent to us by Max Wilson, Richard’s great great grandson who still lives in Bathurst in New South Wales, the town where in 1849, Richard was married.

Richard’s story is a complex one. Though it’s dangerous to hypothesise, it may be that the youth who was transported at the age of 19, probably didn’t have much of a family to influence him, even though he was the youngest of five children.

His father Thomas Hall ( born 1778) died when he was 11 and his mother Martha Horsfall (born 1799) died in 1831 when Richard was just 16.

Thomas and Martha were married at Almondbury Parish Church and were buried at Longwood Parish Church.

Richard’s grandparents were long dead. On his mother’s side they were Richard Horsfall (1745-1831) and Sarah Hepworth, and on his father’s side, Joshua Hall (living in Stainland in 1778) and Mary Hitchin (1749-1792) from Elland.

Richard’s siblings were James, John, Elizabeth, Emily and Hannah Hall.

The punishment for criminal damage and theft was not a life sentence, though it was as good as one. For Richard, it was 14 years.