Charles died when Stephen was 11 years old. Elizabeth ​worked as a charwoman, spending hours a day away from the children. Could this be why Stephen became a habitual offender?

Stephen Oxborough

The prison photograph was taken on 10 SEP 1883 when Stephen was 30 years old.

Born: 1852 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Father: Charles Oxborough (1813 to 1863)
Mother: Elizabeth Brady (1819 to 1883)

Spouse: none

Married: none

Children: none

Died: 19 APR 1921 in Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire County, England

Burial: Fulbourn Hospital Burial Ground

Timeline:

1861 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1863 Death of father, Charles
1871 Thorndon All Saints, Suffolk County, England
1875 Death of sister, Elizabeth
1881 Hammersmith, London, England
1883 Death of mother, Elizabeth
1891 Lydford, Devon County, England
1894 Death of brother, Walter
1899 Death of sister, Frances
1901 Carisbrooke, Hampshire County, England
1911 Death of sister, Selina
1911 Carisbrooke, Hampshire County, England
1912 Death of brother, George
1921 Death and Burial

Occupation: general laborer

Records:

1861 to 1911 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892
UK, Police Gazettes, 1812-1902, 1921-1927
The UK, Registers of Habitual Criminals and Police Gazettes, 1834-1934
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current

Variations of Surname: Oxborrow

Stephen’s Early Life:

Stephen’s father died in 1863 when he was 11 years old. His mother did not remarry. Elizabeth worked as a charwoman. This meant she was away from the house for several hours a day. She must have struggled to feed her five youngest children. They ranged in ages from 3 to 15 years old.

Was it the lack of a father figure that caused Stephen to turn to a life of crime? Was it because his mother worked long hours and could not give the children the attention that they needed?

A Wikipedia article entitled “Statistical Correlations of Criminal Behaviour” explains that genetics could cause a person to have criminal tendencies. Under the section “Early Life”, the article lists several factors that might make a person more susceptible to commit an illegal act:

“Associated factors include maternal smoking during pregnancy, low birth weight, perinatal trauma/birth complications, child maltreatment, low parent-child attachment, marital discord/family discord, alcoholism and drug use in the family, low parental supervision/monitoring, family size and birth order, nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting, bullying, school disciplinary problems, truancy, low-grade point average, dropping out of high school and childhood lead exposure.”

The Long List of Convictions:

By the time Stephen served his first seven-year prison term, he became what is called a habitual offender. Recidivism is the term used when a person continues to commit criminal acts after being released from prison.

I am sure Stephen was fully institutionalized by the time he reached his mid-30s. This means he could not cope with life outside the prison environment.

Below, I have listed all of Stephen’s convictions. These documents came from four sources on Ancestry.com:

England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892
The UK Calendar of Prisoners, 1868-1929
The UK Police Gazettes, 1812-1902, 1921-1927
The UK Registers of Habitual Criminals and Police Gazettes, 1834-1934

15 years old: On 23 DEC 1867, Stephen was convicted of stealing a Guernsey and a pair of boots. He was sentenced to two months of hard labor. Lowestoft Petty Sessions.

16 years old: On 27 JUN 1868, Stephen was convicted of stealing fruit from an enclosed garden. He was sentenced to 14 days of hard labor and three years in reformatory school.  Beccles Petty Sessions.

23 years old: On 12 AUG 1875, Stephen was convicted of breaking into a shoemaker’s shop and stealing boots. He was sentenced to six months of hard labor. Assizes, Bury St Edmunds.

24 years old: On 18 FEB 1876, Stephen was convicted of desertion from the army. He was sentenced to 84 days of hard labor.

25 years old: On 30 JUN 1877, Stephen was convicted of burglary.  He was sentenced to seven years in prison. Assizes, Northumberland.

NOTE: In 1877, Stephen’s older brother, Walter Stephen Oxborough, was living in Little Benton, Northumberland, England. When Stephen enlisted in the British Army, he may have been stationed in Northumberland.

30 years old: On 9 JAN 1882, Stephen was convicted of feloniously stealing two fowl. He was sentenced to four months of hard labor.  Bury St Edmunds Petty Sessions.

31 years old: On 3 AUG 1883, Stephen was convicted of being a convict license holder and failing to report himself. The license was revoked and he was sent back to complete the term of his sentence. Beccles Petty Sessions.

33 years old: On 3 JUL 1885, Stephen was convicted of being on licensed premises during prohibited hours. He was sentenced to seven days or he had to pay a fine of 12s 8d. Beccles Petty Sessions.

 

List of convictions found in the UK, Calendar of Prisoners, 1868-1929. These were documented when Stephen was convicted on 12 JUL 1886 in Bury St Edmunds.

 

34 years old: On 12 JUL 1886, Stephen was convicted of burglary. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. Bury StEdmunds Petty Sessions.

43 years old: On 10 APR 1895 Stephen was convicted of stealing fowl. He was sentenced to 12 months of hard labor. Harleston Petty Sessions.

45 years old: On 20 OCT 1897, Stephen was convicted of burglary. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Norwich Petty Sessions.

51 years old: On 5 OCT 1903, Stephen was convicted of larceny. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Saffron Walden Quarterly Sessions.

51 years old: On 21 OCT 1903, Stephen was convicted of possessing burglary implements. He was sentenced to five years in prison. This conviction was to run concurrently with the larceny charge. Saffron Walden Quarterly Sessions.

56 years old: On 27 May 1908, Stephen was convicted of breaking into a counting-house. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Essex Petty Sessions.

NOTE: Stephen was described as weak-minded on this document.

61 years old: On 3 OCT 1913, Stephen was convicted of breaking into a shop. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Cambridge Petty Sessions.

NOTE: Stephen was described as insane on this document.

It was on this last conviction that Stephen used the alias, George Darby. This was the name of his sister, Selena’s, husband.

Stephen was considered a Habitual Criminal in England under the Prevention of Crimes Act of 1871, Section 5, 7, and 8.

Newspaper Articles:

You can find a transcript of newspaper articles about Stephen’s arrests on The Foxearth and District Local History Society.

Special Thanks:

I would like to thank Kate Chenneour for her research of the Oxborough family. There were three men named Stephen Oxborough who were born around the same time in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Her notes were invaluable in guiding me in the right direction!

Notes:

The surname, Oxborough, originated in Norfolk County, England. It appears in church registers as early as the mid-16th century. As the world population grew, these Oxborough ancestors moved to other counties in England. By the late 19th century, some had immigrated to Canada and Australia.

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