William Gritton1
M, #3227, b. circa 1730, d. circa 1780
Relationship=5th great-grandfather of Robert Lynn Adams.
Relationship=4th great-grandfather of Robert George Adams.
Last Edited=17 Jun 2000
William Gritton was born circa 1730 at Middlesex, England.2 He was born circa 1730 at St.Lukes, Middlesex, England.1
William Gritton married an unknown person circa 1754 at Virginia ?.1
William Gritton died circa 1780 at Pennsylvania.1
William Gritton William was the probable father of John. Transported to the Virginia Colony for theft of a shirt. (Jan 1749) ship Laura, captain Gracie master, 120 passengers.
In the book, English Convicts in Colonial America by Peter W. Coldham, vol. 1 Published by Polyanthus. William was sentenced in the Sept- Oct. court to come to the colonies. He immigrated in January 1749 on the ship,'Laura'. Captain Gracie was the Master with 120 Passengers. When my husband and I took a trip to England and Wales with Elderhostel we selected a visit to London which offrd a weeks course in 'Ancestor Tracing'. So I did some homework before we went and found where these records were kept. Sessions Roll, Greater London Record Office (County Hall), London SE. 7 PB.Landing Certificates were held at London Record Office (Guild Hall), London EC2. British Library and Guild Hall Library in the City of London hold copies of Old Bailey Sessions Papers for the City of London and county of Middlesex.
From there proceeding on to the Kings Commission of the Pease, Oyer and Terminer and Gaol Delivery. Justice Hall in the Old Bailey Printed Books Department.
The course on 'Ancestor Tracing', taught by Arthur Howard, Certified Geneaologist and Fellow of the Society of Genealogists was excellent.
I showed him my records and what I had brought with me. He smiled and said 'No Problem'. He directed me to the Guild Hall Library and told me what to ask for. On August 6, 1985, I walked to Victoria Station, got on the Subway to Mansion House Station , and walked to the Guild Hall Library. There I found the original court Indictment and record of William Gritton's Trial and sentencing, as follows:
WILLIAM GRITTON of St. Lukes, Middlesex, was indicted for stealing a shirt, value 3 shillings (15 pence ) today, the goods of Daniel Bromfield, September 20.
DANIEL BROMFIELD; On the 20th of September I lost a shirt out of the kitchen.
MARY SOFTLY; I was cleaning my kitchen between 12 and 1 at noon, and my uncle called to me to air his shirt, and I put it up on the back of a chair, and went for a half penny worth of sand; and when into the house I saw the prisoner coming out of the kitchen, with the shirt under his coat.
QUESTIONER; Did you stop him then?
MARY SOFTLY; I did not miss it till I went into the kitchen and found the shirt was gone, and then I went and cried out, 'Stop Thief.'
QUESTIONER; Did you know the prisoner before?
MARY SOFTLY; I never saw him before.
QUESTIONER; Did you see the shirt taken from him?
MARY SOFTLY; Yes, and it was delivered into my hands.
Guilty. (T)
*(The four listed punishments: D= Death; T=Transported; B= Branded; W= Whipped).
So there it was-- the T for Transported-- his passport to a new world. All evidence points to his being a youth of 16 or 18, probably poor. The worth of the shirt being only 3 shillings and the owner getting it back, one wonders, it being so trifling, could this have been a way to get transported to the New World with its many opportunities and a brighter future?
We do not know whether he was indentured or had to serve any kind of sentence, or was merely dumped on his own in this wilderness. We do know that he was married and lived in Winchester, Va. and thus started the Gritton family in America. G. 929.12 C688C
Coldham, Peter Wilson ENGLISH CONVICTS IN COLONIAL AMERICA. Polyanthus, Vol I Middlesex 1617 - 1775. 1976
William Gritton sentenced Sept.-Oct. Court. 1748. Transported 1749 on ship 'Laura'.1
William Gritton married an unknown person circa 1754 at Virginia ?.1
William Gritton died circa 1780 at Pennsylvania.1
William Gritton William was the probable father of John. Transported to the Virginia Colony for theft of a shirt. (Jan 1749) ship Laura, captain Gracie master, 120 passengers.
In the book, English Convicts in Colonial America by Peter W. Coldham, vol. 1 Published by Polyanthus. William was sentenced in the Sept- Oct. court to come to the colonies. He immigrated in January 1749 on the ship,'Laura'. Captain Gracie was the Master with 120 Passengers. When my husband and I took a trip to England and Wales with Elderhostel we selected a visit to London which offrd a weeks course in 'Ancestor Tracing'. So I did some homework before we went and found where these records were kept. Sessions Roll, Greater London Record Office (County Hall), London SE. 7 PB.Landing Certificates were held at London Record Office (Guild Hall), London EC2. British Library and Guild Hall Library in the City of London hold copies of Old Bailey Sessions Papers for the City of London and county of Middlesex.
From there proceeding on to the Kings Commission of the Pease, Oyer and Terminer and Gaol Delivery. Justice Hall in the Old Bailey Printed Books Department.
The course on 'Ancestor Tracing', taught by Arthur Howard, Certified Geneaologist and Fellow of the Society of Genealogists was excellent.
I showed him my records and what I had brought with me. He smiled and said 'No Problem'. He directed me to the Guild Hall Library and told me what to ask for. On August 6, 1985, I walked to Victoria Station, got on the Subway to Mansion House Station , and walked to the Guild Hall Library. There I found the original court Indictment and record of William Gritton's Trial and sentencing, as follows:
WILLIAM GRITTON of St. Lukes, Middlesex, was indicted for stealing a shirt, value 3 shillings (15 pence ) today, the goods of Daniel Bromfield, September 20.
DANIEL BROMFIELD; On the 20th of September I lost a shirt out of the kitchen.
MARY SOFTLY; I was cleaning my kitchen between 12 and 1 at noon, and my uncle called to me to air his shirt, and I put it up on the back of a chair, and went for a half penny worth of sand; and when into the house I saw the prisoner coming out of the kitchen, with the shirt under his coat.
QUESTIONER; Did you stop him then?
MARY SOFTLY; I did not miss it till I went into the kitchen and found the shirt was gone, and then I went and cried out, 'Stop Thief.'
QUESTIONER; Did you know the prisoner before?
MARY SOFTLY; I never saw him before.
QUESTIONER; Did you see the shirt taken from him?
MARY SOFTLY; Yes, and it was delivered into my hands.
Guilty. (T)
*(The four listed punishments: D= Death; T=Transported; B= Branded; W= Whipped).
So there it was-- the T for Transported-- his passport to a new world. All evidence points to his being a youth of 16 or 18, probably poor. The worth of the shirt being only 3 shillings and the owner getting it back, one wonders, it being so trifling, could this have been a way to get transported to the New World with its many opportunities and a brighter future?
We do not know whether he was indentured or had to serve any kind of sentence, or was merely dumped on his own in this wilderness. We do know that he was married and lived in Winchester, Va. and thus started the Gritton family in America. G. 929.12 C688C
Coldham, Peter Wilson ENGLISH CONVICTS IN COLONIAL AMERICA. Polyanthus, Vol I Middlesex 1617 - 1775. 1976
William Gritton sentenced Sept.-Oct. Court. 1748. Transported 1749 on ship 'Laura'.1
Child of William Gritton
- John Gritton+ b. 1755, d. 7 Aug 18391