To prevent any Convict coming back before their limited Time is out, is for the Government to lay a Charge or Fine on such Merchant or Captain not to free them before hand, and for the Colonies in America to do as they do in the Islands in the West Indies, that no Person or Persons can go on board any homebound Ship, without publishing his or her Name on the public Crosses such a Number of Days before; and for such Person or Persons to bring a Certificate from the Governor, with Proof that he or she is not indented, nor a Convict; that would prevent such a Number of Convicts coming back again before their Time is expired.
[On pp. 29–42 are outlines of the different techniques used by thieves and fraudsters, it is printed, ‘To caution all Shopkeepers and Salesmen against Shoplifters of both Sexes, and the best Way to prevent their Villainies is as follows:’; on pp. 42–3 is a cant dictionary.]
[p. 43] It being necessary that some Account should be given of Mr. POULTER’s Birth, (which was omitted in the former Part of this Book,) we have thought proper to insert it here, as it was wrote by Himself.
I Was born at Newmarket; in Cambridgeshire, the noted Town for Horse Races, in the Year 1715, and in the Year 1728, I went to live with his Grace the Duke of Somerset, in the Running Sta[p. 44]bles, which Place I stayed in till the Year 1734, and then went to live with Lord James Cavendish untill 1737, and then to Colonel John Lumley, the Earl of Scarborough’s Brother untill 1739, and have been in France three Times with Horses and Hounds; once to his Grace the Duke of Kingston another Time to King Stanislaus near Sankelne, and once with Captain Rutter. I afterwards went to Bristol, which Place I sailed out of several Voyages to Africa, and to all Parts of America, and one Voyage out of Weymouth, in a Ship commanded by Captain Tivitoe, and another Voyage from London to Jamaica.
A LIST of Persons informed against by John Poulter, alias Baxter, before Francis Drew, Esq; and others of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace at the City of Exon; and before John Halliday, Esq; John Tripp, Esq; Mayor, and Benjamin Hall, Esq; all of Taunton.
JOhn Brown, alias Dawson, John Allen, alias Robert Jones, alias Robert Graham, Thomas Tobin, Christopher Feterstone, Sarah Cagan, John Hurst, William Elger, Charles Handy, Thomas Walker, Elizabeth Ford, Mary Gea, John Small, John Dean, William Trinder, and Hannah Trinder, John Bishop, Thomas Burk, Thomas Brooks, and Abraham Garing, these are not taken.
James Ramscroft, in Westchester gaol, Edward Lines and Margaret Lines, in Stafford gaol, John Ford, in Shepton Mallet, bailed out, Stephen Gea, in Salisbury gaol, bailed out, Robert Lyte, in Winchester gaol, bailed out, Joseph Shotton, in Worcester Gaol, William Nipps, in Gloucester Gaol, Mary Brown, and Frances Allen, in Ivelchester-Gaol, John Roberts, in Shepton Mallet, dead, John Allen, of Devizes, bailed, William Cooper, and two Women and one Man in Exon Gaol, bailed out.
A List of Persons returned from Transportation, now in England before the Expiration of their Time.
MAry Dawson alias Brown, from Lincoln, in the year 1746, for picking Pockets; Margaret Brown, alias Wilson, alias Long Peg, from Lincoln in the year 1750, for picking Pockets; Rosey Brown from Lincoln, for ditto, in 1751; she took Shipping from London, and has got a Child at Nurse at Bath-Ford, and two at the Bell Inn near Bromsgrove. Elenor* Connor, alias Tobin, transported from Bristol in 1748, for picking Pockets; Eleanor Wilson, alias Sparrow, from Litchfield, in the Year 1750, for Shoplifting; William Evean, alias Sparrow, and Robert Jones, alias John Allen, from Warwick, in the Year 1750, on Suspicion of robbing on the Highway; John Brown, transported in the Year 1743, fourteen Years for House breaking. James White, from York, transported in the Year 1740 for picking of Pockets. William Evean, alias Sparrow, made his Escape from Ivelchester Gaol the latter End of November 1752. 54
FINIS
[The following section was not included in the ninth edition: it comes from the eleventh edition.]
[p. 45] AN ACCOUNT OF the Behaviour of John Poulter alias Baxter, during his Confinement under his Condemnation, the Examinations he went through, the Motives that made him attempt an Escape; and the probable, tho’ secret Reasons, of his being at last executed, with his Behaviour at the Place of Execution.
THIS unfortunate Man, after having made very important Discoveries of great Use to the Publick, and for much less than which many a Man has not only receiv’d Pardon for capital Offences, but even Rewards had the Fate, by a Series of unlucky Circumstances and Incidents, to be brought to suffer, after having entertained the most flattering and assured Hopes to the contrary. When he first made his Informations against his Accomplices, which was soon after he was taken up at Exeter, for robbing Dr. Hancock of Salisbury, he desired that they might be kept very secret; and particularly he gave a Charge to the Officer who was sent to Bath to apprehend his Accomplices, not to divulge his Errand at his Arrival to any one Person there except the Mayor, because there were several Persons who lived in good Credit in the Eye of the World, who yet had Intelligence with his Gang: But notwithstanding this strict Charge so much Imprudence was committed, that it was universally known all over Bath upon what Errand the Officer was come within a Hour after his Arrival; and the very next Morning even the Names of all the Persons, as well as those who harboured in Bath, as in other Places, whom Poulter had informed against, was printed and publickly sold. This Affair being managed so imprudently (not to say worse of it) his Accomplices had Notice of it every where, and consequently Time to escape, which they took Care, especially the principal ones, to make use of.
Dr. H—k hearing of the Informations Poulter had made, and having received back some of the Things he had been robb’d of, gave him Hopes that he would be very favourable to him in the Prosecution; however, when the Day of Trial came, the Doctor acted against him with the greatest Inveteracy, and used all his Interest to prevent the Judge from granting him any Respite from Execution; however, one of six Weeks was granted him, and he was ordered back to Ivelchester Goal. Here he behaved very so[p. 46]berly and seriously, and as the Corporations of Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Taunton, besides many private Gentlemen, interested themselves greatly in his Favour; and as the Discoveries he had made to several of his Majesty’s Justices, and particularly what he had wrote and published in his Book, were thought to be of very great Importance to the Publick, and further Respites from Time to Time were given him, not only himself, but every one else imagined that a free Pardon would at last be granted, or, at least, that his Life would be saved. A very eminent Attorney of Sherborne in Dorsetshire, by Order from above, went over to Ivelchester several Times to examine him, to whom he declared the same he had published in this Book, without any material Difference or Addition, except only the Mention of one Person, who now lives in good Credit, and, tho’ not concerned, knew of the Proceedings of himself and Gang, and could bear Evidence to corroborate all he had declared; but he desired very earnestly that the Name of this Person might never be mentioned, except it was necessary to call upon him to corroborate his Evidence in a Court of Justice. But during this Time he had the Misfortune to have the ill Will of the Gaol-Keeper, who treated him with great Severity, and even seeming unnecessary Cruelty; for tho’ he was in a very ill State of Health, yet he would not let him have, in the severest cold Weather, any Thing to lie on but Straw, tho’ he offered to pay more than the accustomed Fees for a Bed. Several Gentlemen of the County who thought the Life of a Person, which was prolonged for the Good of the Publick should not be destroyed by Severity of Usage, wrote to the Gaol-Keeper in his Favour, to allow him a s but no Regard was paid to their Remonstrances, till the Sheriff of the County sent a positive Order that a Bed should be allowed him. Whether these unhappy Differences with the Gaoler might not occasion Representations, little in his Favour, to be made to the M—m—r of the Town, who has great Influence at Court, is very doubtful; however this was, when every one expected a Pardon for him it was given out that he would certainly suffer on the first of March, and Poulter declared, in a Letter he wrote to a Gentleman a little while before his Death, that the Gaol-Keeper was constant
ly sounding in his Ears that he would certainly be executed the first of March: This being repeted so often, first tempted him to try to make his Escape, as from the Gaoler’s Representations he thought, that notwithstanding all the Discoveries he had made, and the great Hopes he had received, he should at last suffer; accordingly on Sunday the 17th of February, observing a fit Opportunity, he made his Escape from the Gaol in Company with a Debtor, by forcing an Iron Bar out of a Window.
[p. 47]He was obliged to travel as far as Glastonbury on Foot, with one of his Irons on, but there found Means to get it off; but his Legs were so galled by them, and he was in so weak a Condition, that he found he was not able to travel with any Manner of Expedition; however, they travelled forwards on Monday Night, (having concealed themselves the greatest Part of the Day in a Hay Rick) intending to have steered their Way to Pill, and so have got a Passage over into Wales; but not knowing the Country well, about Eight o’Clock on Tuesday Morning, they came into the Parish of Wookey near Wells, thinking they had been got near Axbridge; Poulter being quite fatigued to Death, they went into a little Public-house there, where he went to Bed, and lay till about 2 o’Clock in the Afternoon, then got up. While they were proposing to set out again, a Mason who was employed on a Building near by, went in for a Mug of Drink, and knowing Poulter he immediately went out and calling several of his fellow Workmen, they took him without any Resistance, and he was again back to Ivelchester Goal, on Wednesday.55
As soon as he was brought, a Petition was drawn up by the Gaoler and some other Inhabitants of the Town of Ivelchester, and sent by Express to their Member, desiring him to use his utmost Interest that Poulter might be ordered for immediate Execution, tho’ according to his last Reprieve he had then only nine Days to live. Accordingly, by the Interest that was made, an Express was sent on Purpose from London to Ivelchester, to order his Execution within twenty-four Hours after his Arrival at Ivelchester. This Resentment, Prejudice, Interest, and other unlucky Causes, perhaps contributed to shorten the Life of a Man, the Preservation of whom would in all Probability have been for the Welfare of the publick, for it is agreed on all Hands, that he was sincere in his Discoveries, that he would strenuously have endeavoured to have taken his Accomplices, and that whilst he was living, his Gang would never have dared to have staid in England, because as he well knew their Haunts, &c. it would be impossible for them to have abided any Time here without being taken.
Poulter received the News of his speedy Execution with Surprize, as it was quite unexpected, and so short a Warning,56 yet he declared he should be very willing to die provided he could first see his Wife, upon which a Messenger was immediately dispatch’d for her to Bath.
After receipt of the Dead Warrant he spend the Day in fervent Prayer, receiving the Sacrament, &c. and being solemnly questioned about his Book of Discoveries, he declared there was not a Word in it but what was Truth; and being asked about the Report that was spread, concerning the Gaol Keepers having re[p. 48]ceived a Sum of Money to favour his Escape, he declared it was absolutely false, and that neither of the Keepers were privy to it. He expressed very firm Hopes of receiving Pardon from God, as though his Crimes were many, yet he had never been guilty of Murder, or injured the Person of any one.
When he came to the Place of Execution57he behaved very Penitently, but with a decent Resolution. He stood up in the Cart, and declared three Times aloud, that the Report of the Gaol Keepers having been privy to his Escape, was false and without any Foundation. Hearing that F—d [Ford] of Bath, was among the Spectators, he called out for him to come to him, and then told him that every Thing he had related of him in his Book about being privy to their Robberies, and melting down Plate for them was true; F—d denying this with bitter Imprecations, Poulter affirmed, that as he was going to appear before his great Judge and hop’d to receive Mercy from him, what he had said was true, he then desired the Spectators to take Warning by his sad End, and to avoid all ill Company, acknowledging he deserv’d to die, but most of his Accomplices much more so.58
FINIS.
NOTES
1 According to Devon, (To wit) The voluntary Information, Examination, and Confession, of John Poulter, otherwise Baxter, [no place or date of publication], Brown was sentenced to transportation for fourteen years in the early 1740s.
2 A woman’s cloak with a hood.
3 According to The further Information, Examination, and Confession of John Poulter, otherwise Baxter, [no place or date of publication], Harper was rescued by ‘a Gang of Irish People’ and Tobin was acquitted.
4 Roberts kept the Pack Horse Inn (Bath Journal, 2 April 1753) and the Turk’s Head at Bath (Devon…The voluntary Information…of John Poulter). There were at least two Pack Horse Inns in Bath: one was in the centre, near St Michael’s Church, and was the starting point for the carriers to and from Exeter and Tedbury; the other was on Claverton Street and was allegedly a centre of Jacobitism: T.Strange Cotterell, Historic Map of Bath, Bath, n.d., p. 7.
5 Presumably, what is meant is settling days, that is, the days appointed for the settling of accounts between debtors and creditors.
6 Gea kept the Bell in Chapel Plaster, Box, Wiltshire: Bath Journal, 9 April 1753.
7 Bath Journal, 9 December 1751, reported that a Mr Hawkins of West Ashton had been robbed on 30 November in the evening ‘between Claverton down and Stoke-Bridge’ by two people ‘who us’d him in a very barbarous Manner’.
8 According to Devon…The voluntary Information…of John Poulter, Graham was sentenced to transportation for fourteen years at Warwick Assizes in about 1750.
9 Pricking in the belt, or the art of old nobb or mob, is rather inadequately and confusingly described in a later section of this biography; it apparently involved betting on the ability to prick a piece of string, but the most important part of the trick was the way in which the gang tricked an individual into becoming involved.
10 One of the people who takes the main part in the trick is disguised as a foolish and slightly drunken sailor since their profligacy with money was proverbial: as the biography puts it, ‘Sailors get their money like horses, and spend it like asses’.
11 The Rock Tavern was between Kinver and Enville, near Stourbridge: Bath Journal, 5 April 1753.
12 According to Devon…The voluntary Information…of John Poulter, Poulter, Brown and Allen stole roughly 2,000 yards of cloth from a pack horse about 7 miles from Manchester and a mile from ‘Sopforth’; they took it to Margaret ‘Lyne’ who paid 3d. per yard.
13 George Linsdale often bought stolen goods: The further Information…of John Poulter.
14 Fetherstone had been tried at Northampton in about 1750 for highway robbery: see generally The further Information…n Poulter.
15 William S—w is presumably William Sparrow, who was sentenced to transportation at Bridgewater Assizes in August 1752 (see note 54). The other William is difficult to identify: according to one report the only other person with this forename transported at these Assizes was William Golden, but another lists William Green, William Cowling and William Harley as transported: Bath Journal, 17 August 1752; Felix Farley’s Bristol Journal, 8–15 August 1752.
16 Even though smugglers were hunted by revenue officers, they were not necessarily unpopular with the local ruling elite both because they imported desirable luxury goods and because they brought wealth to the local area: W. Page (ed.), The Victoria History of Somerset, London, 1911, vol. ii, p. 325.
17 Blandford races actually started on 30 June: London Evening Post, 7–9 July 1752; Bath Journal, 13 July 1752.
18 Handy or Hardy was described as ‘a little Man, lives in Salisbury, and travels with a Licence as a Pedlar’; Walker or Walter ‘is a little Man, about 30 Years of Age, much pitted with the Small-Pox, of a fair Complexion, is frequently at Horse-Races and cock-Matches, and his Mother lives at the Wells, and serves the Waters near Derby’: Devon…The voluntary Information…of John Poulter. This robbery, which took place on 30 June, was advertised in the Bath Jo
urnal, 10 August 1752. The advertisement includes a lengthy list of the items stolen and concludes, ‘One of the Persons suppos’d to be guilty of the above Robbery, is a short thick Man, and had on a brown Coat, and goes by the Name of ABRAHAM the JEW.’ See also Bath Journal, 2 April 1753.
19 Possibly a coincidence, but a ‘Mr. John Ford’ was listed as one of the subscribers to a fund set up in Bath for the prosecution of thieves: Bath Journal, 22 January 1753.
20 See also Devon…The voluntary Information…of John Poulter.
21 This tankard was advertised as ‘LOST’ from the George Inn, Corsham, on 24 August, and ‘a Handsome REWARD’ was offered: Bath Journal, 31 August 1752. See also Devon…The voluntary Information…of John Poulter.
22This was a familiar theme: see, for instance, H.Fielding, An Enquiry into the Causes of The Late lncrease of Robbers, &c., London, 1751.
23 The attack on Charles the carrier took place at Park Corner, about three miles from Cirencester. Some of the goods were sold to Trinder or Trindle who kept the Swan and others to Robert Lyte of Stockbridge, a publican and former smuggler: Devon…The voluntary Information…of John Poulter.
24 See also Devon…The voluntary Information…of John Poulter.
Drunks, Whores and Idle Apprentices: Criminal Biographies of the Eighteenth Century Page 27
