The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
The Counsel for the king were Mr. Serjeant Chapple, Mr.
Fortescue, jun. The Counsel for the criminals Mr. Pratt and
Mr. Draper. The Solicitor for the Treasury Richard Paxton,
Esq. was also there on the part of the Crown, he being sent
down purposely to prosecute the affair.
* * * * *
At the assizes at Launceston Henry Rogers and John Street
received sentence of death for a murder they committed in
opposing the Sheriff of Cornwall in the execution of his
office, and were executed on the 6th of August 1735. They
seemed very penitent, particularly Rogers, who did not care
for any sustenance but bread and water. He said he was
guilty of one of the murders, but knew nothing of the other;
but had it been in his power he would have killed as many
more, and thought he committed no crime. Street, who was his
servant, had little to say, but that what he did was to
defend his master, and he was willing to die, for by the
course of years he could not live much longer, and he hoped
God would receive his poor soul.
And lastly, I subjoin an address to the parish of Crowan, by Sir John
St. Aubyn, the gentleman whom I have mentioned as one of the opponents
of Sir Robert Walpole’s administration.
“As I am obliged to attend at the assizes, I must earnestly
recommend the care of the parish in my absence to you, and
hope that you will do your endeavours to prevent the very
great expense and mischief which must otherwise fall upon
us; although you do not at present seem to perceive the
danger that threatens us; for the outrage and murder which
happened in our parish have justly alarmed the government,
and induced his majesty to issue out a proclamation, wherein
he offers a reward of two hundred pounds for apprehending
Henry Rogers, and one hundred pounds for each of the other
offenders, together with a pardon to any who shall discover
and apprehend them. He likewise commands all civil
magistrates, upon pain of his majesty’s displeasure, to be
diligent in suppressing this riot, and bringing the authors
of it to the punishment which their crimes deserve. In
obedience to this, I think myself obliged, in the faithful
discharge of my duty for the preservation of the public
peace, and the good of our own parish in particular, to
admonish you and the principal inhabitants of it, to give me
your aid and assistance in this dangerous and troublesome
affair. His Majesty, as he declares in the proclamations,
being firmly resolved to put an effectual stop to such
enormous practices, hath by his warrant from the Secretary
of War, sent orders to the commanders of regiments of
soldiers at Exeter, to send to the Sheriff so many soldiers
as he shall require and think sufficient to suppress this
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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