Joseph Rock

1833? – Estimated year of birth.

1855 – 22^nd December – Richard Stone committed in Chorley and transferred to a prison in Preston. His behaviour there was Good.

1856 – 2^nd January – Josh Rock, metal grinder, single and aged 22, is convicted of shop-breaking at the Quarter Sessions in Preston and sentenced to 4 years penal servitude.

1856 –5^th January –Extract from the Preston Chronicle – “Charles Ford, 24 and Joseph Rock, 2, breaking and entering the shop of George Elliott, at Chorley, and stealing therefrom ten pistols, twenty-three carving knives, twenty-two carving forks, eight porte monnaie[purses], three brushes, one time-piece and one time piece – Four years’ penal servitude.”

1856 – 4^th March – Transferred to Millbank Prison, his prisoner number is 2272. He is listed as being Good, with 3 previous summary convictions, a Roman Catholic and his next of kin is his mother, Mary Coyle, living at Leigh Street in Chorley.

1856 – 14^th April – Transferred to Pentonville Prison, his prisoner number is 6578. He is described as being Good.

1857 – 27^th March – Transferred to Chatham Prison, his prisoner number is 865. He is described as very good.

1859 – 6^th May – Received at Woking Convict Invalid Prison. Prisoner Number 59.

He is described as having a fair complexion withbrown hair and grey eyes and his height is 5’6 1/2 and is generally described as having ‘a regular cut of a tramp and thief’.He is noted as being Single and as having a mole in the bend of his left arm, a mole above his left wrist and a flesh mark above his left elbow. Joseph’s behaviour in Woking was Bad and so he was swiftly moved on to Millbank.

1859– 18^th July– Transferred to Millbank Prison, his prisoner number is 2272. Whilst in Millbank he switches his religion to Protestantism.

1859 – 31^stDecember – Released from Woking Convict Invalid Prison on expiration of sentence and discharged to the Prisoner’s Aid Society in Chorley.