I came across this record tonight and it stood out to me. Ann Babb was convicted of Larceny in May of 1852 in Yorkshire “West Riding”. In my travails over the last few years I’ve discovered that there were three destinations in Yorkshire (not including the pudding). You either lived inside York, or you lived to the East or West of the city.

This is how this county in England was laid out. The exact story of Ann’s crime is unknown to me at this time, but what is sure is that she was sentenced to server 3 months for her crime (second from the last entry on the page).

But what is Larceny, I asked. I’ve heard of it in the terms of Grand Larceny, but didn’t know what it meant.

Bing to the rescue:

lar·ce·ny[ˈlärs(ə)nē] NOUN theft of personal property.See also grand larceny, petty larceny.synonyms:theft · stealing · robbery · pilfering · thieving · thievery · purloining · burglary · housebreaking · breaking and entering · appropriation · expropriation · misappropriation · [more]

After reading the above definition I realized that she stole something. I’m not sure what it was, but I hope it was worth 3 months in prison.

Regardless, we have this account of her life to live for all time.

Ann, it turns out is the daughter of John, Grand-daughter of John, Great Grand-daughter of John, 2nd Great Grand-daughter of Joseph Babb, 3rd Great Grand-daughter of John Babb who is the founder of Devon Pedigree 12.

This is one of the untested lineages of Devon, England. So if this story aligns to your family tree please contact me. We need your DNA to help us complete a profile of the Babbs of Devonshire.