Have you obtained the transcript of the Assizes Records - and when Elizabeth MORGAN married - what names did she give her children? i.e. family names.

As James & Sarah MORGAN gave their children these names

Thomas, James, Sarah, Frances, Elizabeth

There is a John & Ann JONES having children baptised in Newent from 1771
onwards and includes

Thomas 1771, Sarah 1780, Elizabeth 1786 etc. etc

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James MORGAN born Brinsop age 72 (1851 census)

CLDS

James MORGAN - christened 3 May 1778, Brinsop, parents: John & Elizabeth

Worcester Journal 21 May 1829

REMOVAL OF CONVICTS.- On Monday last, the following female convicts were removed from Worcester County Goal to Woolwich:- Elizabeth Morgan, for robbing her mistress, Mrs Markham, of Severn Terrace. [details of other convicts]-The vessel to which they were consigned is named-The Lady of the Lake.

Ancestry has this marriage,

Name: Sarah Taylor
Event Type: Marriage
Marriage Date: 24 Aug 1802
Parish: Whaddon, Gloucestershire, England
Parish as it Appears: Whaddon
Spouse: James Morgan
Register Type: Bishop's Transcripts

I imagine this is the Whaddon just south of Gloucester rather than the district of Cheltenham. I can’t tell if this of any relevance but there are two Sarah TAYLERs baptised in Newent in 1779, both on this site. (Later note - There are Sarah TAYLER marriages in Newent as well so maybe not so relevant).

To add to those supplied by Paul Andrews there is another entry in the BNA concerning Elizabeth MORGAN’s offence

Cheltenham Chronicle - Thursday 15 January 1829

A few weeks ago, Mrs Markham, who resides in the neighbourhood of Worcester, engaged a young female servant, who referred for her character to persons at Cheltenham. About five days after her engagement, she decamped with a variety of articles, including some spoons, children’s clothing, &c. After she was gone, it was ascertained that no such persons as those she referred to, lived in Cheltenham; had this been ascertained before the engagement, the subsequent mischief would have been prevented. The girl was traced to Ledbury, Cheltenham, and Newent, at which latter place she was apprehended with some of the stolen articles in her possession, and being conveyed to Worcester, she was committed for trial. Her name is Elizabeth Morgan.

Firstly thank you all for responding, your input has been very useful and some of it quite exciting!

The identification of Elizabeth MORGAN in the newspaper articles matches what I know. The convict ship "Lady of the Lake" is mentioned in her convict records, and also the Hobart registers at her marriage to fellow convict Francis EDESON, younger brother of my 3x great-grandmother. It is interesting to read of her crimes, she seems a foolish girl who probably got what she deserved!

The fact that she "laid low" in Newent strengthens my belief that she was the daughter of James and Sarah MORGAN as identified in my original post.

Whilst you have been beavering away on my behalf I have also been working on this. I tried looking for transcripts of the Worcester Assizes but the best I can come up with is ASSI 5 at the National Archives so I think a trip to Kew will be needed. Are there likely to be any records still in county archives? I tried looking at their website and couldn't see any.

Regarding names (being passed down the family), there is little to go on. The Edeson's eldest surviving child was Eliza, probably after Francis' sister. They had a daughter Sarah Ann. Then Eliza had children named Frances and Sarah Ann, so possibly these names are linked to their MORGAN heritage, also to Sarah JONES and her mother Ann from Newent. It's a bit flimsy though, but these names do not occur in the EDESON line. For now I conclude Sarah JONES is plausible but that is all.