Smuggling & Smugglers in Sussex: The Genuine History of the Inhuman and Unparalleled Murders of Mr. William Galley a Custom-house Officer, and Mr. Daniel Chater, a Shoemaker, by Fourteen Notorious Smugglers, with the Trials and Execution of Seven of the Criminals at Chichester, 1748-9Anonymous
History
Smuggling & Smugglers in Sussex: The Genuine History of the Inhuman and Unparalleled Murders of Mr. William Galley a Custom-house Officer, and Mr. Daniel Chater, a Shoemaker, by Fourteen Notorious Smugglers, with the Trials and Execution of Seven of the Criminals at Chichester, 1748-9
Anonymous
Crime -- England -- History; Smuggling -- England -- Sussex -- History
He was taken up at first on suspicion of being a smuggler with Richard
Mills, who was executed at Chichester, Richard Perrin, alias Payne,
Thomas Kingsmill, alias the Staymaker, and William Fairall, alias
the Shepherd, the three last now under condemnation in Newgate, for
breaking open his Majesty’s warehouse at Poole; and being carried
before Justice Hammond, in the Borough of Southwark, he committed them
all five to the county gaol for Surrey, from whence he was removed by a
Habeas Corpus to East Grinstead to take his trial.
He was not so very penitent as a person should be under his unhappy
circumstances, but he frequently prayed to God to forgive him, and
lamented most for the disgrace he had brought upon his family.
Lawrence Kemp and Thomas Kemp, two brothers, whose trials have been
before related, refused to give an account of themselves, only that
they were born near Hawkhurst, in Kent, and that they had been
smugglers for many years and had committed many robberies, but said
they never were concerned in any murder.
Thomas Kemp being asked if he was guilty of the indictment he was tried
upon at the Old Bailey before he broke out of Newgate, he at first did
not care to answer the question, but at last said he was.
They married two daughters of a farmer near Nettlebed, in Oxfordshire;
but as the father of the unhappy young women lives in good reputation,
and the women themselves having the character of very virtuous persons,
we think it improper to mention any particulars concerning them, their
own misfortunes being sufficient trouble to them.
As to Thomas Kemp, he broke out of Newgate soon after he was tried and
acquitted at the Old Bailey, being charged with a large debt due to the
crown; the circumstances attending his escape being somewhat more than
common, we shall here insert them.
Thomas Potter and three other smugglers came into the press-yard of
Newgate to see Thomas Kemp and William Grey, who was also one of the
Hawkhurst gang, when they agreed at all hazards to assist in getting
them out; and accordingly the time was fixed (Kemp having no irons,
and Grey had his so managed as to let them fall off when he pleased),
and Potter and the other three came to the press-yard door, and rung
the bell for the turnkey to come and let them in; when he came and had
unlocked the door, Potter immediately knocked him down with a horse
pistol, and cut him terribly, when Kemp and Grey made their escape, and
Potter and his companions got clear off without being discovered.
There were three other prisoners got out with them, but were taken
directly, having irons on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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