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I've come across a log on Ancestry.co.uk which shows that George August was imprisoned in 1854. Below is a screenshot of the entry.

Imprisonment log for George August

I have managed to read it as follows, but this could be wrong as I can't seem to make sense of it:

Name: George August
Crime Tried for: Forgery _ a *equest for the Delius of Good _ 2 Con***t***

The original scan is available here.

Any other information needed, I will try to provide.

Fortiter
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AvieRose
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    Could you provide a picture with more of the surrounding entries? Often it is helpful to see other handwriting by the same clerk. – Luke_0 Jan 07 '13 at 19:03

2 Answers2

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I think the first bit is "Forgery - a request for the delivery of goods" and the bit at the end is probably "2 convictions" but it's hard to be sure of that.

TomH
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    I agree it's very likely "2 convictions". There's a couple of similar entries (less squashed) further down the page. – Rob Hoare Jan 07 '13 at 19:23
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    I also see "Forgery - a request for the Delivery of goods-2 convictions" – GeneJ Jan 07 '13 at 19:35
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The report of a similar (1854) case at the Old Bailey shows that the offence was one which would be described in modern parlance as "false pretences" but which was dealt with as forging and uttering in the nineteenth century (The fraudulent making or altering of a written document to the detriment of another man's right. Includes fraudulently copying or counterfeiting documents other than money, such as stamps or bonds.).

Given that George was sent down for 9 months when other cases got as few as 3 months, it is possible that the judge took account of his previous record - 2 (prior) convictions. It may be worth searching before 1854 for the beginning of his larcenous activities (and after, on the assumption that he was a career criminal).

Fortiter
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