1820

 As I was sitting and thinking about the number 1820 (the number of people who died within 28 days of a positive covid test yesterday) a WhatsApp message popped up from the Moot Hall group. 

In our last meeting we had been talking about Transportation.  It turns out that our little town court had the power to send people half way around the world for petty crimes.  My Emily had to go to Chelmsford for her final sentencing after she drowned her child in a pond  but petty sessions were concluded in the Moot Hall. Some of the group had gone off to find out more.

The message included a screenshot of a page from the convict records of Australia.

It said, "Berry Bradbrook.  Date of Birth 21st January 1820"

I thought that was a coincidence.  I was thinking about 1820 and today would have been his birthday. 

The 1820 is actually a typo.  We already know quite a lot about Berry Bradbrook and know that he was born in 1823, which made him just 14 when he was sent to Australia for his terrible crime.

It was September the 20th 1837 and young Berry Bradbrook was at the Maldon Fair.  It was busy with farmers selling their cattle and other goods.  He lived in Layer Breton with his mum, Elizabeth and his dad, also Berry but coming to Maldon Fair was a trip out that all the youngsters made.  It seemed as though it was a cattle market in more than one sense of the word.  In the rush and crush, Berry saw an opportunity.  He might have gone to the fair with the intention of committing his heinous crime or it might just have been a set of circumstances that led to a chance he couldn't pass up.  We will never know but Berry Bradbrook was caught taking a pocket handkercheif out of Mr John Baldwin's pocket, probably by Head Constable John Beale, who would have been patrolling Fair field with his eleven officers on the lookout for the crimes, which he knew would rise that day.

Berry was taken into custody at the Moot Hall, put in the jail and then tried for his crime, where they sentenced him to seven years.  

Recoloured photo of a Christmas card painted by Penny Gooden-Marsh

Those seven years were to be served in Australia.  After his conviction was spent he would be free to return home (if he could work out how to get there).  The fourteen year old was taken to Rat Island or maybe a Prison Hulk at Portsmouth before being put on the Minerva, which left for Van Diemens Land on the 25th May 1838.  It was a four month journey and only the fittest survived.  Berry, being just 14 stood a good chance of making it.  

After his seven years were up Berry stayed in Australia and became a Market Gardener with a big plot of land in Athelmstone, Adelaide, which he worked until is death on the 2nd October 1865 at 45 years of age.  His wife (Harriet) and children carried on the business and the future generations were unaware (and completely shocked) to discover their criminal past.  

1820 isn't a great number but I think we can all wish Berry Bradbrook a happy birthday and hope that we never get to thinking about numbers that are close to the current year.