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07-10-2016, 06:27 PM
21

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

How many children did he have? Glad some were safe. Their poor Mother, she must have been in bits.
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07-10-2016, 07:03 PM
22

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

Originally Posted by Tiffany ->
How many children did he have? Glad some were safe. Their poor Mother, she must have been in bits.
I think there were three. I haven't had the time to look too deeply into this as I've been researching a few other people. I suppose I could track them down through the birth and marriage records. This story might be as part of an exhibition into mental health and attitudes next year. We've also toyed with the idea of turning it into a play and having it performed in the cathedral, a good setting as that was the place the children were buried. This is just one of quite a few interesting stories I've come across. It all started as research into Thomas Sweeting, the policeman, and his attempt to arrest some local poachers. Once you start on something like that, the other characters start coming forward and demand to be heard. The great thing about the reports on court proceedings in the newspapers is that they are quite detailed and often contain the actual voices of the people.

Anyway more on this story to follow. If there is any more interest I can post a few more stories.
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07-10-2016, 09:05 PM
23

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

I would like to know what happened to William Marshall, Graculus.
Some years ago I had a book about a murder trial, it was the transcript of the trial, taken from a London paper, can't remember which one now, I sold it amongst other old books to a dealer, wish I'd kept that one now.
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11-10-2016, 07:26 PM
24

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

After the hearing in Ripon, Marshall was taken the following day to York Castle Prison. Accompanied by a constable (probably Sweeting), the journey would have been made with Marshall clamped in irons. As with other cases he would have been taken to York on the mail coach, which left from outside the Unicorn Hotel (it's still there), on the Market Place. His trail took place at The York Assizes on Wednesday 19th July, 1837. Several witnesses were present to give evidence.

SUMMER ASSIZES
CROWN COURT - YORK CASTLE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

MURDER AT RIPON


WM. MARSHALL (35) was charged with the murder of Elizabeth and Wm. Marshall, at Ripon, in the West-Riding. Mr. ELSLEY and Mr. BLANSHARD were for the prosectution, and Mr. COTTINGHAM and Sir GREGORY LEWIN for the prisoner.

About nine o’clock on the morning of 16th of June last year, a neighbour of the prisoner’s, named Mary Harrison, had occasion to go into Mr. Wm. Addison’s dye-shop, when she saw the prisoner (who was a shoemaker,) in the loft belonging to Mr. Addison, which had formerly been used as a dye shop, and he was sitting in the corner. Mrs. Harrison on seeing him, said, “Marshall, what are you doing there,” and he gave a loud shriek, and was like a madman. About a quarter of an hour after this time, she heard the prisoner and Wm. Addison talking together. She said to the prisoner, “Marshall, what’s to do, you have frightened me.” He said, “Oh, mistress, I have drowned two of my children.” Mrs. Harrison said, “oh, nonsense, you have done no such thing;” he said “Oh, but I have, I have drowned my William and my dear bairn.” She said “don’t talk in that way;” he said “Oh but I have.” Shortly after this, she and Caroline Balmforth went up the prisoner’s stairs and found the deceased boy laid on the bed and the baby in the cradle, both naked.

When Mrs. Harrsion again went into her own house, she found the prisoner extended his whole length on the kitchen floor. Prisoner had four children, and was, apparently, in good circumstances; he had two boys and two girls, and his wife was a dress-maker, and was out working the morning this happened. The eldest boy had previously left Ripon, having been taken by his father to Oldham, in Lancashire. For some time previous to the murder, it appeared that the prisoner had been in a low dejected state, resulting from an affection of the nerves. It was also proved that he had spoiled some boots a few weeks before the melancholy deaths of the unfortunate children, and after an attack upon his nerves, on being asked how he felt, he would say that it was from the nerves, and struck up into his brain, and he could not describe his feelings at the time, and he could not tell what would befall him, but he could not avoid it.

It also appeared that the prisoner had always been a sober industrious man, and that on the morning of the 16th, Mr. Septimus Tutin, a surgeon, ordered a strait waistcoat be put upon the prisoner, as he was in a state of excitement almost approaching to delirium. Mr. Alfred Smith, surgeon, of Ripon, was also impressed with the conviction that when the prisoner had the strait waistcoat on he was insane. -

From the evidence of Thomas Sweeting, one of the constables who apprehended the prisoner, it appeared that one the morning of the murder, the prisoner was asked if he knew what he had been doing that morning, when he said he had had a strong battle with a black cow, and he thought she would have beat him once, but he had got on the far side of her and beat her; she was a good cow and had come from Manchester.

After all the evidence had been gone through, Mr. COTTINGHAM addressed the Jury on behalf of the prisoner. He contended from what all the witnesses had stated, that the prisoner was insane at the time when he committed the dreadful deed, and therefore not responsible for what he had done. He could with confidence rest his case upon the two surgeons’ testimony alone, and called upon the Jury to acquit the prisoner, on the grounds he had stated. The learned Judge then summed up, and when the Jury retired, and after an absence of about ten minutes, found the prisoner Not Guilty, on the grounds of insanity.

The prisoner was arraigned on a second indictment, charging him with the murder of Wm. Marshall. No further evidence being offered against the prisoner, he was acquitted on the ground as stated.

The York Herald, and General Advertiser (York, England), Saturday, July 22, 1837; Issue 3384

Marshall was committed to be detained during the Queen's pleasure in York Prison. However this was not the end of the story of William Marshall, for two years later his name would reappear in newspapers across England
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11-10-2016, 10:11 PM
25

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

I don't understand that last paragraph. I thought he was guilty & insane, why didn't they send him to a mental asylum?
Have you the rest of the story, Graculus?
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11-10-2016, 11:28 PM
26

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

Originally Posted by Tiffany ->
I don't understand that last paragraph. I thought he was guilty & insane, why didn't they send him to a mental asylum?
Have you the rest of the story, Graculus?
They found him to be be insane and so detained him in the lunatic wing of York prison. He was lucky. Three years earlier they hung a woman for getting a girl to burn down some haystacks. Yes I have the rest of the story. I thought the trail was the end, and then came across what happened next, purely by chance.
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12-10-2016, 12:00 AM
27

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

Share it please.
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12-10-2016, 01:05 PM
28

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

Two years later the following advert, offering a reward for escaped prisoners, appeared in several papers.

The York Herald, and General Advertiser (York, England), Saturday, November 30, 1839.

£15 REWARD


Escaped from YORK CASTLE, during the Evening or Night of the 27th November, 1839,

JAMES COATES, 38 Years of Age, formerly of Leeds, 5 feet 7 or 8 inches high, brown hair, grey eyes, pale complexion, by trade a joiner and cartwright, person small, thin face, with a wound on the elbow joint of his right arm. - Was convicted of Larceny at York Summer Assizes, July 1835, and sentenced to be transported for seven years.

WILLIAM MARSHALL, late of Ripon, 37 Years of Age, about 5 feet 6 and a half inches high, brown hair, grey eyes, pale complexion, by trade a shoemaker. Was tried for the Murder of his Children, at York Assizes, 11th July, 1837, and acquitted on the ground of insanity; to be confined during the Queen’s pleasure.

WILLIAM SELLER, late of Old Malton, aged 48, about 5 feet 7 inches high, brown hair, bald on the fore part of the head, hazel eyes, sallow complexion, by trade a gardener. Was tried and acquitted on the ground of insanity, for the Murder of his Mother, at York Assizes, in July 1838, to be confined during the Queen's pleasure.

The above three Prisoners before their escape effected an entrance into the Store Room of the prison, and got possession of their own Coloured Clothes.

Whoever will apprehend the above-named prisoners, and lodge them in York Castle, shall receive the above reward, on application to the Keeper of the said Castle.

November 28, 1839
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12-10-2016, 01:13 PM
29

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

The advert as it appeared on page 2 of the York Herald.


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12-10-2016, 08:28 PM
30

Re: Tales from the mid 19th Century

A little background on the two who escaped with Marshall.

This is a transcript of the trail of James Coates.

The York Herald, and General Advertiser (York, England), Saturday, July 25, 1835.

YORK CASTLE _ Crown Court
Monday, July 20.


JAMES COATES, (33) and WILLIAM DOHERTY, (26), were charged with having on 11th of May last, feloniously entered the dwelling house of Mr. Wm. Massey, of Leeds, and stolen therefrom forty sovereigns, one silver watch, two silver tea spoons, six linen shirts, and other articles.

Messrs. MILNER and ADOLPHIS conducted the prosecution, and Mr. COTTINGHAM defended the prisoner Coates.

Mr. William Massey, who said he lived in the corner of Elwood Street, Camp Road, when the robbery was committed. On the 11th of May, he left his house, about half past two in the afternoon, and did not return till half past eleven at night. When he left the house he made all safe, but on his return he found the doors open. The house had been ransacked, forty sovereigns taken from a drawer, and two suits of clothes, seven shirts, six pairs of stockings, a silver watch, and a handkerchief, taken away; the shirts were marked W.M.
Cross-examined. - Witness’s own son lives in the house and no one else; they each had a key.

Mr. Edward Reed, chief constable of Leeds, on receiving information of the robbery, went on the 16th to Doherty’s house, in East Lane, but did not find him at that time.- Saw him afterwards when he took from him a watch, &c. and three shirts he found in the house. He then went to the other prisoner’s house, in Little London, when he found some shirts, a silk handkerchief, and some cotton stockings, which he said were his own, as did also his wife. - Witness here produced the articles.

James Ingham, constable, went along with last witness to Doherty’s, where he found three shirts in a drawer upstairs, on one of which the initials, “W.M.” were quite visible. In the cellar kitchen witness found upon a table a number of skeleton keys and some files. Witness found a dark lantern and some matches in Coates’s house.

Mr. Reed recalled. - He brought the prisoners to the castle, and on the road Coates said to him, “I wonder you didn’t bring the darky;” meaning the dark lantern.

The shirts were identified by a relative to the prosecutor, who made them; and the stockings and handkerchiefs by a person who had been in the habit of washing for the prosecutor.

Other witnesses were examined to substantiate the above facts; and the jury, after his lordship had recapitulated the evidence to them, found a verdict of Guilty against both the prisoners of common larceny. - To be transported for seven years.

Note:

In the 18th century, York always appointed its hangman from the inmate population at the Castle. This practice continued in the 19th century. Between 1802 and 1835, John (or William) Curry had the job. Known as “Mutton Curry” he had twice been convicted of sheep stealing, but had his death sentence commuted on each occasion. On the second occasion, he was awaiting transportation when the post of hangman became vacant and he accepted it. He lasted until 1835, when Coates took over to avoid his sentence of transportation. Coates executed Charles Batty in 1836, and Thomas Williams the following year, both for attempted murder. In 1839 his duties came to an end when he escaped from York Castle Prison.
 
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