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
There were three more criminals executed with them, that were likewise
convicted at the same assizes at Rochester, viz.:--Samuel Eling, who
was born at Stanmore, in Middlesex, about thirty-five years of age, and
John Davis, born near Hertford Town, aged twenty-two, as companions,
for a robbery on the highway on Bexley Heath; and Richard Watson, born
in Yorkshire, who would not tell his age, but supposed between thirty
and forty, also for a robbery on the highway. These three criminals
behaved themselves penitently at the gallows, as indeed they had done
during the time of their lying under condemnation; and Eling and
Davis declared to the last moment they were both innocent, and that
they had never been guilty of any felonies or robberies; and forgave
their prosecutor, as they expected forgiveness; and declared they died
Protestants. Watson acknowledged his guilt; and said little more than
that he forgave all his enemies, and died in charity with all men.
At the place of execution they all behaved penitently. Potter declared
to the last moment he did not commit the robbery for which he died; and
said he freely forgave his prosecutors, as he hoped for forgiveness for
all his manifold sins, through his Redeemer Jesus Christ. Diprose said
that his greatest consolation was, he never committed murder, or had
been concerned at any time when murder had been committed. They none
added anything to their former confessions, and having done praying and
singing psalms, were turned off, crying to the Lord Jesus to receive
their souls.
Having now finished the accounts of those smugglers, except Kingsmill,
alias Staymaker, Fairall, alias Shepherd, Perrin, Glover and
Lilliwhite, who were tried at the Old Bailey, for breaking open the
King’s custom-house at Poole, we shall next proceed to give their
trials, and conclude this work with a particular account of their
lives, and the last dying words of Kingsmill, Fairall and Perrin, who
were executed at Tyburn, the first two named now hanging in chains in
Kent.
As to the life of Kingsmill, it will appear to be very remarkable; but
for that of Fairall the like was never heard before, he being, even as
he acknowledged himself, the most wicked smuggler living.
Thomas Kingsmill, alias Staymaker, William Fairall, alias Shepherd,
Richard Perrin, alias Pain, alias Carpenter, Thomas Lilliwhite, and
Richard Glover were indicted, and tried at the sessions-house in the
Old Bailey, on Friday, the 4th of April, 1749, for being concerned
with others, to the number of thirty persons, in breaking into the
King’s custom-house at Poole, and stealing out of thence thirty-seven
hundredweight of tea, value 500_l._ and upwards, on October 7th,
1747.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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