The life, travels, exploits, frauds and robberies of Charles Speckman, alias Brown, who was executed at Tyburn on Wednesday 23d of November, 1763Speckman, Charles
History
The life, travels, exploits, frauds and robberies of Charles Speckman, alias Brown, who was executed at Tyburn on Wednesday 23d of November, 1763
Speckman, Charles
Criminals -- England -- Biography; Speckman, Charles, -1763
His body was taken care of by his friends, put into a coach and
carried to an Undertaker’s in Moorfields, where on searching his
pockets, there was found a prayer copied by him from a printed one,
two farthings, half a walnut-shell, into which was thrust a long
narrow slip of paper, on which he had wrote, “_I beg of you to
let your trust be in God, for there is your trust, and in no man
living_;” intending it for the young woman before mentioned. His
body was decently interred on Sunday evening the 27th of November,
in Tindall’s Burying-ground, Bunhill-fields; aged 29 years: and the
service of the church of England, at his own request when living, was
there performed.
Since writing the above, I have seen the Ordinary’s Account of
Speckman and the other criminals, and that he hath given what he
calls the Life of Speckman; which if the reader will give himself
the trouble of perusing, he will find nothing but absurdity and
contradiction; and that the unhappy man, at the instant of his
being turned off, told him was nothing but deceit, asked Master
Ordinary forgiveness, whose truly Christian disposition was on this
imminent occasion pleased to comply, and pray for the sufferer. This
undoubtedly is a laudable act, though the Ordinary did no more than
his duty, which I hope he’ll not think too much for him, to make his
only rule and guide for the time to come: as a pastor of such a flock
he hath much to do, and his constant presence and residence as near
the scene of action as the keeper; the necessity and obligation of
taking care of the souls of the prisoners, should go hand in hand
with that of the care of their bodies.
Such a wretched paper as the public is drenched with every execution,
it is hoped they will be no more bothered with, but if that should
be the case, it is confounded hard to pay six-pence for two sheets
of whited brown paper rubbed over in a very slovenly manner, but
the writing itself is truly inimitable, none but himself can be his
parallel; finally, should it ever fall in Mr. Ordinary’s way, to find
any of his brother pastors neglecting their duty, he will recommend
to them the following spirited admonition of a most famous poet on
occasion of the corrupted state of our national clergy, and under
the similitude of a shepherd; which cannot fail of bringing them back
to their original purity and usefulness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account