Family History

Suggested search: Murder, Horse stealing, Hanged

220 results - see our factsheet to learn more

  • Mary Bateman of Leeds, and a native of Aisenby, 41

    Date: 20 Mar 1809

    Crime:
    Murder of Rebecca Perigo of Leeds of Bramley, near Leeds, in May 1807, and attempted murder of her Rebecca's husband William Perigo by poison administered as part of a wise woman's spell.

    Notorious case, in which Bateman became known as the 'Yorkshire Witch'.

    Leeds Mercury, 17 Mar 1809. Rede, York Castle, p 30. Criminal Chronology, p 145.

  • John Darcy / John D'Arcy of Hunslet, Leeds, jobbing clock-mender, Roman Catholic, 26

    Date: 27 May 1879

    Crime:
    Murder of William Metcalfe, retired gatekeeper, 85, at Oulton-cum-Woodlesford, near Leeds, on 4 Mar 1879.

    Metcalfe lived in the lodge at the gates of Oulton Park, owned by the Calverley family, his former employers. Darcy had previously been convicted of sacrilege at Dublin for which he had been sentenced to 5 years' penal servitude. His was the third private execution at York Castle, but the first from which the press were excluded, a fact which excited much comment in the press under headings such as 'Secret Executions'.

    Leeds Mercury, 7 May 1879. Newcastle Courant, 30 May 1879.

  • William Dove of Cardigan Place, Kirkstall Road, Leeds, about 35.

    Date: 9 Aug 1856

    Crime:
    Murder of his wife Harriet Dove n?e Jenkins, 28, at Leeds on 1 Mar 1856 by poisoning with strychnine.

    William Dove was the son of the late Christopher Dove of Park Square; before his father's death he had been a farmer at Woodhouse, near Normanton. Harriet Dove was the sister of Mr Jenkins, Professor of Mathematics at Madras, India. Dove pleaded insanity, which was rejected. The case generated a lot of newspaper coverage and much debate about the use of medical and psychiatric evidence in a trial.

    Chaplain's Journal: 9 Aug 1856. Leeds Mercury, 8 Mar 1856; 11 Mar 1856; 18 Mar 1856; 19 Jul 1856; 22 Jul 1856; 31 Jul 1856, 12 Aug 1856.

  • John Hannah of Manchester, tailor, 27

    Date: 27 Dec 1856

    Crime:
    Murder of Jane Banham, n?e Jane Hope, estranged partner and mother of Hannah's illegitimate children, at Malt Mill Inn, Armley, Leeds on 11 Sep 1856.

    Banham, who had been abandoned by her husband, was the principal dancer in a travelling corps of entertainers headed by her father, John Hope, formerly of India. Hannah's supporters, who attempted to get a respite for him, argued that he had been driven into a frenzy by Banham's refusal to live with him and her refusal to give him access to her children. Hannah was the son of William Hannah of 15 Lombard Street, Deangate, Manchester. His last letters to his family were published verbatim in the Leeds Mercury and other papers.

    Morning Chronicle, 16 Dec 1856. Leeds Mercury, 24 Dec 1856; 30 Dec 1856.

  • Michael Stokes, private in 57th Regiment of Foot, Roman Catholic, about 20

    Date: 13 May 1848

    Crime:
    Murder by shooting of Mary Ann Garrad, 28, wife of Private William Garrad, at Leeds Horse Barracks, Chapeltown Road, Leeds on 20 Jan 1848.

    Chaplain's Journal: 13 May 1848. Leeds Mercury, 29 Jan 1848; 25 Mar 1848.

  • Thomas Knapton of Potternewton, Leeds, yeoman

    Date: 3 Aug 1784

    Crime:
    Murder of Hannah Wood, 'his sweetheart', by poison at Leeds on 10 Nov 1783.

    See also TNA: ASSI 45/35/1/113-117.

    TNA: ASSI 41/8. Whitehall Evening Post, 10 Aug 1784. Criminal Chronology, p 95.

  • Ann Barber, n?e Ann Smirthwaite, of Rothwell, born 1778

    Date: 13 Aug 1821

    Crime:
    Petty treason - murder of her husband James Barber of Rothwell, near Leeds, by poisoning him with arsenic.

    Leeds Mercury, 18 Aug 1821. Rede, York Castle, p 686.

  • Joseph Blackburn of Leeds, attorney

    Date: 8 Apr 1815

    Crime:
    Forgery - creating and applying false revenue stamps on legal documents.

    Leeds Mercury, 1 Apr 1814; 8 Apr 1814. The Hull Packet, 4 Apr 1815.

  • John Wright, formerly a soldier in the 37th Regiment of Foot when it was quartered at Leeds

    Date: 30 Mar 1771

    Crime:
    Breaking and entering at night into the dwelling house of John Green at Leeds and stealing a silver salver valued at ?5.

    Wright was acquitted of the wilful murder of James English on the occasion of the burglary. See also TNA: ASSI 45/30/1/145-160.

    TNA: ASSI 41/6; ASSI 42/8. Calendar of Felons, 9 Mar 1771. Middlesex Journal or Chronicle of Liberty, 28 Mar 1771. Criminal Chronology, p 86.

  • Thomas Malkin, worker at Mr Holdsworth's Mill, Leeds, 17

    Date: 6 Jan 1849

    Crime:
    Murder of Esther Inman, step-daughter of Thomas Watson, a tailor of Hunslet, by stabbing on 8 Oct 1848.

    At trial Malkin protested his innocence. He and Inman, both chapel attendees, had been courting for a year, with Esther's parents' blessing. There were no eye-witnesses and no motive was established. The defence proposed suicide, calling evidence that Esther had a volatile temperament and that she had earlier been found to be carrying a dagger around in her clothes. Malkin reportedly confessed to the murder just before execution.

    Chaplain's Journal: 6 Jan 1849. Leeds Mercury, 23 Dec 1848. Newcastle Courant, 12 Jan 1849.

  • William Prince

    Date: Summer 1765

    Crime:
    Stealing and cutting at night several yards of broad woollen cloth valued at ?7 10d from the tenter of Thomas Peacock of Leeds; reprieved.

    TNA: ASSI 41/5; ASSI 42/8.

  • John Powell

    Date: Summer 1765

    Crime:
    Stealing privately from the shop of John Gumersall at Leeds 12 yards of silk valued at ?2 8s; reprieved 14 years Summer 1766.

    TNA: ASSI 41/5; ASSI 42/8.

  • Robert Johnson / Lancelot Brackien

    Date: Summer 1765

    Crime:
    Horse stealing - one brown bay gelding valued at ?5 belonging to Thomas Lodge at Leeds; reprieved 14 years Summer 1766.

    TNA: ASSI 41/5; ASSI 42/8.

  • Thomas Wilkinson

    Date: Summer 1763

    Crime:
    Horse stealing - a brown gelding valued at ?6 6s belonging to John Bywater of Leeds; reprieved 14 years Summer 1764.

    TNA: ASSI 42/7; ASSI 42/8.

  • John Brown of Hunslet, clothdresser

    Date: Summer 1729

    Crime:
    Breaking and entering house of Edward Johnson of Leeds, clothworker, and stealing money and cloths; reprieved 14 years Summer 1730.

    TNA: ASSI 41/2-78,85,86; ASSI 41/3; ASSI 45/18/6(15-17). Daily Courant, 1 Aug 1729.

  • Joshua Tempest

    Date: Lent 1774

    Crime:
    Stealing 3s of numbered money belonging to Robert Whitwell at the dwelling house of Joseph Towitt of Leeds; transportation 7 years Lent 1774.

    TNA: ASSI 41/6; ASSI 42/8. Calendar of Felons, 5 Mar 1774.

  • Joseph Knowles of York Castle, labourer

    Date: Lent 1773

    Crime:
    Stealing 4 yards of woollen cloth valued at 32s and other goods belonging to Thomas Dayson stored at the warehouse of Andrew Hollingsworth of Leeds; transportation 7 years Summer 1773.

    TNA: ASSI 41/6; ASSI 42/8. Calendar of Felons, 24 Jul 1773.

  • John Wilson / John Willson

    Date: Lent 1770

    Crime:
    Stealing goods including stirrups, watch chains and cork screws valued upwards of ?13 belonging to Thomas Bowling [?] of Leeds; transportation 7 years Lent 1770.

    TNA: ASSI 41/6; ASSI 42/8. Calendar of Felons, 24 Mar 1770; 4 Aug 1770.

  • John Gilyard

    Date: Lent 1766

    Crime:
    Stealing goods to the value of 4s 10d from the dwelling house of John Bower and goods to the value of 39s belonging to Mary Wright at Chapel Allerton, Leeds; transportation 7 years Lent 1766.

    TNA: ASSI 41/5; ASSI 42/8.

  • John Stott

    Date: Lent 1768

    Crime:
    Forgery - forging an endorsement on a bill of exchange drawn by James Stott upon Thomas Atkinson for the payment of 120s to James Lord of Leeds with an intent to defraud Christopher Bramley; recommended to mercy and reprieved 7 years Summer 1768.

    TNA: ASSI 41/5; ASSI 42/8. Calendar of Felons, 16 Jul 1768.

  • William Robinson of Leeds, butcher

    Date: 1813

    West Riding.

    London Gazette 16832, 28 Dec 1813, p 2717; 16835, 30 Dec 1813, p 2753; 16836, 1 Jan 1814, p 5

  • John Wright of Leeds, merchant

    Date: 1811

    West Riding

    London Gazette 16505, 16 Jul 1811, p 1350; 16507, 23 Jul 1811, p 1452; 16508, 27 Jul 1811, p 1471

  • Samuel Walker of Leeds, dyer

    Date: 1811

    West Riding

    London Gazette 16505, 16 Jul 1811, p 1350; 16507, 23 Jul 1811, p 1452; 16508, 27 Jul 1811, p 1471

  • Benjamin Simpson of Leeds, cordwainer

    Date: 1811

    West Riding

    London Gazette 16505, 16 Jul 1811, p 1350; 16507, 23 Jul 1811, p 1452; 16508, 27 Jul 1811, p 1471

  • James Whitehead of Leeds, maltster

    Date: 1809

    West Riding.

    London Gazette 16270, 27 Jun 1809, p 986; 16271, 1 Jul 1809, p 1018; 16272, 4 Jul 1809, p 1058

  • Thomas Crispe of Leeds, cropper

    Date: 1809

    West Riding.

    London Gazette 16270, 27 Jun 1809, p 986; 16271, 1 Jul 1809, p 1018; 16272, 4 Jul 1809, p 1058

  • Joseph Dearnley of Leeds, farmer

    Date: 1806

    London Gazette 15942, 2 Aug 1806, p 990; 15943, 5 Aug 1806, p 1023; 15944, 9 Aug 1806, p 1061

  • Thomas Hobson of Leeds, grocer

    Date: 1778

    London Gazette 11885, 20 Jun 1778, p 9; 11886, 23 Jn 1778, p 13; 11888, 30 Jun 1778, p 7

  • William Moss of Leeds, butcher

    Date: 1776

    See also William Moss (1761).

    London Gazette 11675, 15 Jun 1776, p 5; 11677, 22 Jun 1776, p 9; 11678, 25 Jun 1776, p 6

  • Abraham Bateson of Leeds, victualler

    Date: 1776

    London Gazette 11677, 22 Jun 1776, p 9; 11678, 25 Jun 1776, p 6; 11679, 29 Jun 1776, p 5

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