The family of Hannah Lawrence were from Monmouthshire in South Wales. In the 1851 census, Hannah's grandfather, John Lawrence, was recorded as a "Farmer of 40 Acres" at Little Hill, Undy. John and his wife, Hannah Edwards, from nearby Magor, had eight children, Samuel (1825), John (1827), Edward (1829, died at 5 months), Edward (1831), Hannah (1834), Anne (1836), Elizabeth (1839) and Susannah (1841).
Hannah's father John, born in 1827, worked as a farm labourer. In the 1851 census, he was with wife Frances, living at Hewelsfield Common in Gloucestershire. They had their first three children in this area, Emily (1846), Tom (1849), and Hannah (1851). In the 1861 census, they were living back at Undy, with three more children, Edward (1855), Ann (1857), and Amelia (1860).
STEALING POTATOES.-James and Jane Jones were charged with stealing a quantity of potatoes belonging to Thomas Richards. Mr. J. Cathcart appeared for the defence. The prosecutor is a labourer, and lives at Carry-hill, St. Bride's, Netherwent. He had a tump of potatoes in his garden. Last Monday he saw that the heap had been opened, and two bags were gone. He also traced some footmarks from the heap to James Jones's door, a quarter of a mile, and from there to his (prisoner's) sister, a distance of half a mile. After giving information to S.C. Pidgeon, he went with him to the prisoner's house, and there saw a lot of potatoes, like those which he had lost. Prosecutor said to prisoner "Are you not ashamed to rob a poor labouring man like me ?" Prisoner replied, It was a foolhardy job, but I did not do it." The prisoner's shoes corresponded with the marks on the track from the tump. There were two marks on the tump as if made by knees, and one looked like cord trousers, and the other plain, but there were no clothes found to correspond with these marks. He acknowledged in cross-examination that labourers' shoes were generally nailed alike. Mr. Pidgeon, the divisional superintendent, gave evidence as to apprehending the prisoner and examining the tracks, which corresponded generally with the prisoner's boots. For the defence, John Lawrence, labourer, who lives at Undy, said, last season, he occupied a piece of land, belonging to John Edwards, and the prisoner had a piece also. They both sowed some of the same kind of potatoes(rattlers) as those lost by the complainant. On Friday, the 12th, witness was at prisoner's house, and on the floor of the lower room he saw a lot of potatoes. Since the prisoners were in custody he heard the prosecutor say, that if he could catch the prisoners on the land again, he would make them suffer. The bench felt there was a doubt in the case, and gave the prisoner the benefit. He was discharged.
SATURDAY [Magistrate: The Rev. Thomas Pope] UNDY. – Samuel Lawrence, a mole catcher, was charged with trespassing in pursuit of game, on Sunday, the 9th inst., on the lands of Mr Joseph Dutfield. Complainant stated that between eight and nine o’clock in the morning, he saw the defendant picking up traps. He called to defendant, who ran away, but complainant though he could not catch him, saw the steel traps on his arm, one of which he had taken up from between a hedge and the brake. When complainant afterwards met the defendant, he said he has nothing else to do all day Saturday, and he considered it was no harm to try and catch a few rabbits. Defendant had frequently been seen on complainant’s land, but it had never been possible to bring anything home to him before. The excuse offered by the defendant was that things in his garden were injured by rabbits, and he was trying in consequence to catch some of them. In answer to the Rev. Magistrate, complainant said he had no desire for the infliction of a heavy punishment. Fined 10s. and costs, or to be imprisoned for fourteen days.
PENHOW. - John Lawrence, a labourer, of Undy, was charged with wilfully damaging growing underwood, at the parish of Penhow, on the 3rd instant. Thomas Baker, of Wilcrick, appeared for W. P. Herrick, Esq. -- P.C. Howe proved the case. -- The offence was committed on a Sunday, and Mr. Baker feared John did not care much about his soul if he would go and pick nuts on a Sunday. -- Fined 2s. and the expenses.
Samuel Lawrence, labourer, of Undy; John Morgan, labourer, of St. Brides; Thomas Williams, Labourer, Magor; and Thomas Wood, innkeeper, of Magor, were ordered to pay the costs for allowing their donkeys to stray on the highway.
ST. BRIDES NETHERWENT. – Samuel Lawrence (43), labourer, was charged with stealing fourteen pieces of timber, the property of William Perry Herrick, Esq., at St.Brides Netherwent, on the 4th December last. – Prisoner pleaded guilty, and former convictions were recorded against him, but the Learned Chairman said, in the hope of giving him one more chance, the Court would inflict the lenient sentence of nine months’ imprisonment, with hard labour.