at some point in the coming four years, the pickingill family moved to canewdon, where another son, george, was born in 1876. the couple and their four children were then recorded in the 1871 census, where pickingill was again listed as working as an agricultural labourer. in the 1881 census, the couple were recorded as living with two of their children, mary ann and george, and pickingill was again identifying as a labourer. on 17 august 1887, a homeless man named james taylor stole a jacket and pair of leather gloves from pickingill. taylor was arrested and brought to trial in rochford on 24 august; in october, he pleaded guilty to the theft of the jacket, although not to those of the other items. he was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour.