This month Peter Cooper gave us a very interesting talk on John Thang Harradine, a farmer of Needingworth.

Peter told us how John Thang Harradine was born in Wyton in 1814 the son of John and Susannah Harradine. Peter tracked him through an assortment of sources which included newspaper reports, game licences, directories, poll books and census returns.

The picture is of the church of St Andrew, Sutton, where John Thang Harradine was married to Sarah Tubbs of Sutton on 21 June 1834. He built up a lot of debt and in 1856 he disappeared. He was declared bankrupt and accused of being a bill-forger.

It was generally thought that he had fled abroad but in 1857 he appeared before magistrates in Bedford accused of stealing a horse. In 1858 he was transported to Western Australia for 7 years.

He was eventually granted a conditional pardon and he settled in Greenough, W.A. He became involved in politics and died aged 66.

No one came to his funeral.