A DIABOLIC ASSAULT. EXETER, 1831.

This report is from The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 14th May, 1831:

"RIVAL CARTERS -    Wm. Crute, a carter, and Wm. Carter, a toll collector, appeared before the Bench, the latter charging the former with a 'diabolic' assault.   It appeared that the carter had been summoned by William Carter for some evasion or contempt of the toll of the Heavitree-gate, and that as the parties were returning fom the Castle, Cruter had purchased a ha'penny cake which he shook at the complainant, and threatened to ram into his victualling office, but not by way of his mouth.  He also called him a jew-looking ---- of an unmentionable sound:  he also grinned at the complainant.

The Bench decided that for all these grinnings, cake shaking and hard names, the defendant should pay the costs, one shilling, and be admonished as to the future."

As might be expected, there was often trouble at the city's toll-gates.  This carter, William Crute, had come out from Rougemont Castle, presumably having been fined by the magistrates, and had bought for himself a ha'penny cake.  When he then, politically incorrectly surely, called Mr Carter, the toll-collector who had summonsed him,  jew-looking and waved his ha'penny cake at him and moreover grinned and used bad language too coarse for the Gazette to print, he found himself in court again.   

One can guess up what the carter threatened to ram his ha'penny cake.   But what diabolic word is represented by the blank?  And was the unmentionable sound  no more than a fart?

     

          

RINGERS AND KNOCKERS, EXETER, 1830.

At the Exeter Guildhall on Monday 8th February 1830 the magistrates had to deal with two 'youngsters' who had been ringing doorbells and knocking knockers.

No problem!

"John Sandy and Thomas Rogers, two out of four youngsters, who had been enjoying themselves in the fashionable amusement of knocking at doors, ringing bells, &c. were directed to find two sureties in 10l. each, for their good behaviour for 12 months, and having failed to do so at the rising of the court were locked up."

£10 was six-months' wages for many a poor man.  There was surely no way in which John or Tom, or their parents if they had any, could be expected to find or guarantee such a sum.  This looks like a court's zero-tolerance of a relatively innocent  mischief. 

The magistrates were dealing with a prevalent offence.  It sounds like the whole of Exeter , in 1830, was plagued with ringers and knockers  and, no doubt, the magistrates were anxious to deter other street urchins.  ergo:  'Send them down!',

How much time, I wonder, did these children spent in prison?

There is no mention of parents in the brief newspaper report:  (The Western Times. 13th February 1830)

A WIFE FOR A SHILLING. (A FOUL AND FILTHY CASE) EXETER, 1839.

This story is probably well  known.  It was thought to be establishing legal precedent at the time and went up to London to the Queen's Bench, but I only know of this newspaper account of 1839 and not the end of the story.  Thomas Hardy 'experts' have also probably met with it but  it happened here, in Exeter and this is the first I have heard of it. 

John Crabb, a cordwainer, and James Glendenning were neighbours.   The lived in Ewing's Lane  in the Parish of St. Mary Steps.   John Crabb, as reported in The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 6th July 1839, sold his wife to James Glendenning:

"a kind of agreement was drawn up by one Inch. at the Round Tree public house in which Crabb agrees to separate from his wife, and to sell her to Glendenning for a shilling!  tenpence of which was spent in beer, and twopence in tobacco!!  This was signed by the parties concerned and the woman went with Glendenning to live, within a few doors of her husband.".

It would seem nothing of this would have come to light had not the Beadle of the Corporation of the Poor managed to obtain John Crabb's conviction by the Magistrates for deserting his wife and child and suffering them to become chargeable to the parish.  John was sentenced to be sent to the Exeter House of Correction for a month.   He, however, appealed against this sentence on the grounds that his wife, by then, had for some time been living 'in open adultery' with James Glendenning.

His appeal case was heard at the General Quarter Sessions at the Exeter Guildhall.  It was something of a field-day for all concerned.  The case 'afforded much latitude for the forensic talent and ingenuity of the learned gentlemen engaged who cited old and new cases pro and con in abundance.'  The witnesses on both sides were 'of a class such as are seldom seen in a Court of Justice except in another character'.  

The conclusion was that the Recorder was of the opinion that:

The woman had deprived herself, by her conduct, of all claim upon the husband, who was not liable to provide either for her or her offspring, under the circumstances."

He concluded the 'conviction must be squashed' but the respondents were not satisfied, they asked  to take the case to the Queen's Bench.    The Recorder granted their request  (more work for the lawyers!) and he told the court : 'a more foul and filthy case I never before heard of''.

The unnamed 'woman' seems to have had no voice in all this....and the child?!!!

The costs, for which John Crabb was liable, must have been altogether crippling.  He must have wished he had gone to prison for a month  (and no doubt he regretted having asked so little money for his wife and child!)

I am intrigued by the man called Inch  who, in the pub?, would draw up documents so that you could sell your wife.  I wonder how often he did that.

The Mayor of Casterbridge was published in 1886.   I imagine someone by now will have worked out if  Hardy knew of this case.   

   

A BODYSNATCHING, EXETER, 1826.

 Mr. Cooke was a surgeon of the city of Exeter who gave anatomical lectures.   He was short of a body to practice on.   He lived close to Saint David's churchyard.   

Elizabeth Taylor lived and died in the parish of Saint David's and was buried on a cold, dusky November evening in 1826.  

Giles Yard, who lived in Mary Arches Lane, was seen by Reynolds the sexton walking up and down in the churchyard.   The grave was there, open, ready for Mrs Taylor's funeral which took place about 5 o' clock when it was not quite dark and the moon was shining.  In his evidence to the Exeter Assizes, in March 1827, the sexton said:

"I went back the next morning and found the coffin  nearly on one side and all the earth out of the grave;  the bran was on the outside of the grave, and the body gone;  I observed tracks and heavy footsteps."

Reynolds informed  Thomas Jerrard,  Elizabeth Taylor's son, that his mother's body had been snatched.   Thomas went to the churchyard the next morning at seven o' clock and, he, four months later, testified to the Assize Court:

"It was hardly light, and (I) found the grave open - the coffin was also open and the body gone  - there had been a frost in the night and I found tracks towards Mr. Cooke's house - I afterwards went for a warrant to search his house-  I went with the officers there between 10 and 11 o' clock - I saw two persons there,  (the second was presumably Giles Yard)  one of whom I believe was Mr. Cooke - the constables went into the house first - I went upstairs, being sent for, and saw the body of my mother on the table, it was covered with a cloth."

At the instance of the parish of Saint David's, Thomas Jerrard brought his action against Cooke and Yard at the March Assizes.  They were charged with breaking and entering the churchyard, (curious?) and wilfully and indecently carying away the body of Elizabeth Taylor.   The jury found them both guilty.  

They were sentenced at the Court of King's Bench in May.  Cooke, who had been on bail, benefitted from an affidavit from Mr. Abernethy,  the celebrated Exeter surgeon,which advised that he, Cooke, had  a high character for science, morality,  and humanity. William Cooke was sentenced to pay a fine of £100.   Giles Yard, who, probably had been imprisoned since November, did not, as far as I can see, make the newspapers.   It would seem that it was thought nobody in Exeter much cared what had happened to him.

I find no mention of what happened to Elizabeth Taylor's body.  Perhaps it was reinterred but Cooke gave his lecture later in November 1826 and maybe Elizabeth's corpse was on the demonstration table.

Sources:  The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 24th March and 27th May 1827.  

A DIVINER INTO FUTURITY, EXETER, 1827

 The Western Times in George IV's reign was a truly 'moral' and often pompous newspaper, plenty of prêchi-prêcha, and was so even in the Births and Deaths column.  This notice of the death of a fortune-teller of Frog Lane from the issue of 17th November 1827 doesn't hesitate to speak ill of the dead.

"On Saturday last, in Frog Lane, (died) Mr. Saml. Cox of this city, aged 70.  He was renowned as a diviner into futurity, and was remarkable for his singular habits, a necessary requisite, for imposing on the ignorant and credulous; from which source he derived a living.

"The folly of his dupes often afforded amusement to his intimates; and though, in other respects a worthy member of society, deception can never be paliated by pleading the ignorance (of) the deceived."

One would want to know what were Mr. Cox's singular habits.

These days even unworthy members of society as well as otherwise worthy citizens of Exeter who make their living imposing on the ignorant and credulous, can rely on only fragrant comments being made in their death notices. 

 I  imagine though that there still exist, in this city, plenty such practitioners and still plenty of dupes whose folly affords amusement.  

"KISS YOUR MOTHER!", EXMOUTH, circa 1810.

I think I have seen this story before but it appears reprinted by The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette (4th September 1830) from the reminiscences of;  a ''Lady of Rank' under the nom de guerre of  'COUSIN ALICE' ' having been published in The Court Journal (not found but presumably of that same year.)  

After Trafalgar both Captain Nesbitt,  Nelson's stepson, and Lady Nelson were living on the Beacon in Exmouth and 'Cousin Alice' was also there somewhere.   She had something to gossip about them and about Mary Anne Clarke and other persons of ton who had been in Exmouth some twenty years before The Court Journal published her reminiscences.  She writes:

"Apropos of Lady Nelson; there was a good story current of her Ladyship that winter.  She was a widow at the time of her union with the 'Hero of the Nile;' and had a son by her first husband.   This son, Captain Nesbitt, resided with her after Lord Nelson's demise; and her daily prayer to him was, that he would marry. 

 'Now, my dear son, do marry.  There is Miss Okes and Miss Ducazel, and Miss Turquand, all fine girls and fine fortunes,  my dear Josiah, why don't you marry?  I beg and entreat you will marry.'

To this strain there was a daily de capo; but apparently in vain.   The captain was proof against all the blandishments which his mother contrived should be brought to play against him,  and held on the even tenor of his course in single blessedness.    One evening, however, the Viscountess turned from the persuasive mood to the authoritative, and after dwelling some time on her favourite subject, rose into this noble peroration:-  

"Josiah, I, your mother, lay my commands on you to marry."  - 

"Mother, they are obeyed ,'  pointing to a very pretty girl, her Ladyship's companion, who sat blushing by her side.  

"Lady Nelson, there is Mrs.Nesbitt.  Fanny, my love, kiss your mother.' "

I have a soft spot for Captain Nisbet/Nesbitt/Nesbit/Nisbett whom I have blogged before. (Josiah Nisbet's Yacht)  If I remember rightly his marriage to Frances Herbert Evans was a happy one but ended in some tragedy.    

I ask myself whether the Misses Okes, Ducazel and Turquand ever existed.  If so, what wonderful names they had, these marriageable Georgian maidens!

I like Alice's description of  Nisbet's bachelor life:  "he held on the even tenor of his course in single blessedness".

Addendum:  re. para 4,  I find that there was indeed a family named Ducarel, not Ducazel, and with daughters, in Exmouth in 18oo, vide the marriages reported in the Flying Post, 9th January 1800.  

I

A RUSTY HA'PENNY, EXETER, 1855

According to the court report of the City Assizes in the newspaper,  (The Exeter Flying Post of Thursday 5th July,1855.) Robert Potter was charged with wickedly and maliciously persuading John Blackmore, a gunner in the Royal Artillery to desert. 

Potter was a newsman, a traveller employed to sell Exeter newspapers in the fashionable watering places.  It doesn't seem to me that he was very wicked or malicious.  I think he just liked a bit of fun.  He met Blackmore at the Bear Inn and they were drinking together.  According to the evidence, (we do not learn who provided it)  their extraordinary conversation included this:     

"Blackmore mentioned that he could play the fife, and prisoner offered him a situation as travelling fifer to a peep-show, of which he was possessed, with which he travelled at country fairs, if he were free."In this situation he was assured he would be able to get a great deal of money.  

Subsequently Potter said he was going a journey in the country, and advised Blackmore to draw a week's pay fom his serjeant and under pretence of going to see his friends to desert.  Blackmore hesitated, and Potter assured him that he was acquainted with a man who could rule the planets and who would give him something to ensure his safety and prevent any person from capturing him.   

"Finding all these devices fail, he advised him to cut his leg behind the calf, bandage a rusty ha'penny to it previous to going to bed at night; and next morning, he was assured, it would appear to be an old wound.  he was then to go to the doctor, say that he was subject to a bad leg, and he would, as a matter of course, be forthwith discharged." 

I suspect Robert Blackmore's suggestions were not at all serious but even so the pub conversation reveals remarkable levels of superstition and gullibility.  Talk such as that of the man who could rule planets and the rusty ha'penny are not likely to be heard these days, at least not in my local.

The court took the offence seriously and, despite positive statements about Potter's character from the editors of both The Post and The Western Times. Robert was sentenced to a month's imprisonment with hard labour.