This is a list of some trials in Britain between 1837 and 1849.
This is not, of course, a definitive inventory. It is likely that details of the case were reported in the news. If you can find the name you are searching please make contact by using the enquiry form. I will see if any archive material is available. If you cannot find the person you are searching don’t worry – please enquire anyway. I will do a search and get back to you.
The data for these British trial pages is sourced from references more than 100 years old and took a long time to transcribe and digitise for the internet. They make fascinating reading and create temptation for us to find out more. They cover all life from murder to executions, libel, slander, bankruptcy, love affairs, divorce, wills, land disputes – it’s all there for us to discover and read about in the newspapers generations on.
I have transcribed these pages as faithfully as possible with little change to the language and style. I have taken time-out to remove any references that, today, we might find racist or offensive (as language and attitudes towards life has changed dramatically since the days of these court proceedings).
Bolam, for murder of Mr Millie verdict manslaughter, 30 July, 1837
Rev Mr Stephens, at Chester for inflammatory language, 5 Aug, 1837
John Frost, an ex-magistrate and others for high treason guilty sentence commuted to transportation, 31 Dec, 1837
Benjamin Courvoisier, for murder of lord William Russell hanged, 18 June, 1840
Gould, for murder of Mr Templeman transported, 22 June, 1840
Edward Oxford, attempted the life of the queen adjudged insane and confined in Bethlehem, 10 July, 1840
Madame Lefarge, in France for the murder of her husband guilty, 2 Sept, 1840
Captain J W Reynolds, 11th hussars by court-martial guilty the sentence excited great popular displeasure against his colonel lord Cardigan, 20 Oct, 1840
Lord Cardigan, before the house of peers capitally charged for wounding captain Harvey Tucket in a duel acquitted, 16 Feb, 1841
The Wallaces, brothers merchants for having wilfully caused the destruction of the ship Dryad at sea to defraud the underwriters transported, 4 March, 1841
Josiah Mister, for attempting the life of Mr Mackreth guilty, 23 March, 1841
Bartholomew Murray, at Chester for the murder of Mrs Cook, 5 April, 1841
Earl Waldegrave and captain Duff, for an aggravated assault on a police constable guilty judgment six months’ imprisonment and fines of £200 and £20 3 May, 1841
Madame Lefarge again for robbery of diamonds, 7 Aug, 1841
The great case Allen Bogle v Mr Lawson, publisher of The Times newspaper for an alleged libel in stating the plaintiff to be connected with numerous bank forgers throughout Europe in their schemes to defraud Messrs Glyn and Company bankers of London by means of fictitious letters of credit damages one farthing This exposure so honourable to The Times led to The Times Testimonial, 16 Aug, 1841
Mr MacLeod, at Utica America for taking part in the destruction of the Caroline commenced acquitted after a trial that lasted eight days, 4 Oct, 1841
Robert Blakesley, for murder of Mr Burdon of Eastcheap hanged, 28 Oct, 1841
Mr Beaumont Smith for forgery of Exchequer bills to an immense amount he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to transportation for life, 4 Dec, 1841
Sophia Darbon v Rosser, breach of promise of marriage damages £1600, 8 Dec, 1841
Mr John Levick and Antonio Matte, principal and second in the duel in which lieut Adams was killed at Malta both acquitted, 10 March, 1842
Vivier courier of the Morning Herald at Boulogne for conveying the Indian mail through France for that journal contrary to the French regulations, 13 April, 1842
Daniel Good, for murder of Jane Jones the Roehampton murder found guilty and sentenced to be hanged, 13 May, 1842
John Francis for attempting to assassinate the queen, 7 June, 1842
Thomas Cooper, for the murder of Daly the policeman hanged, 4 July, 1842
Nicholas Suisse, valet of the late marquis of Hertford at the prosecution of that nobleman’s executors charged with enormous frauds acquitted, 6 July, 1842
M `Gill and others, for abduction of Miss Crellin guilty, 8 Aug, 1842
Nicholas Suisse, again upon like charges and again acquitted 24 Aug, 1842
Bean, for pointing a pistol at the queen a months’ imprisonment, 25 Aug, 1842
The rioters, in the provinces under a special commission at Stafford, 1 Oct, 1842
The Cheshire rioters, under a special commission before lord Abinger, 6 Oct, 1842
The Lancashire rioters, also under a special commission, 20 Oct, 1842
Alice Lowe, at the prosecution of lord Frankfort acquitted, 31 Oct, 1842
Mr Howard, attorney v sir William Gosset serjeant-at-arms, 5 Dec, 1842
Mr Egan, in Dublin for the robbery of a bank parcel acquitted, 17 Jan, 1843
Rev W Bailey LLD, for forgery guilty transportation for life, 1 Feb, 1843
MacNaughten, for the murder of Mr Drummond secretary to sir Robert Peel acquitted on the ground of insanity, 4 March, 1843
The Rebeccaites, at Cardiff under a special commission, 27 Oct, 1843
Samuel Sidney Smith, for forgery sentenced to transportation for life, 29 Nov, 1843
Edward Dwyer, for the murder of his child at Southwark guilty, 1 Dec, 1843
Mr Holt, of the Age libel on the duke of Brunswick guilty, 29 Jan, 1844
Lieut Grant, second to lieut Munro in his duel with col Fawcett acquitted, 14 Feb, 1844
Fraser v Bagley, for criminal conviction verdict for the defendant, 19 Feb, 1844
Lord William Paget v earl of Cardigan for criminal conviction, verdict for defendant, 26 Feb, 1844
Mary Furley for the murder of her child in an agony of despair, 16 April, 1844
The will-forgers William Henry Barber (since declared innocent) Joshua Fletcher Georgiana Sir Home Popham by court-martial reprimanded 7 March, 1844 all found guilty 15 April sentenced 22 April 1844 [In 1848 Mr Barber returned to England with a free pardon and an acknowledgment of his innocence by his prosecutors he was re-admitted to practise as an attorney and on the 3rd of August 1859 in conformity with the recommendation of a select committee of the house of commons the sum of £5000 was voted him “as a national acknowledgment of the wrong he had suffered from an erroneous prosecution”]
Crouch for the murder of his wife found guilty 8 May hanged, 27 May 1844
O’Connell senior O’Connell junior Steele Ray Barrett Grey Duffy and rev Thomas Tierney at Dublin for political conspiracy the trial commenced 15 Jan and lasted twenty-four days all the traversers were found guilty 12 Feb Proceedings on motions for a new trial &c extended the case into Easter term and sentence was pronounced upon all but the clergyman on whom judgment was remitted, 30 May, 1844
Augustus Mamas, for the murder of Sarah Macfarlane guilty, 14 June, 1844
Wm Burton Newenham, for the abduction of Miss Wortham guilty, 17 June, 1844
Bellamy, for the murder of his wife by prussic acid acquitted, 21 Aug, 1844
John Tawell, for murder of Sarah Hart hanged, 14 March, 1845
Thomas Henry Hocker, for murder of James Delarue, 11 April, 1845
Joseph Connor, for murder of Mary Brothers, 16 May, 1845
The Spanish pirates, for murder of ten Englishmen at sea, 26 July, 1845
Rev Dr Wetherall, for criminal conviction with Mrs Cooke his own daughter, 16 Aug, 1845
Captain Johnson, of the ship Tory for the murder of several of his crew, 5 Feb, 1846
Miss M A Smith v earl Ferrers, breach of promise of marriage, 18 Feb, 1846
Lieut Hawkey, for the murder of Mr Seton in a duel acquitted, 16 July, 1846
Richard Dunn, for perjury and attempted fraud on Miss A Burdett Coutts, 27 Feb, 1847
Mitchell, the Irish confederate transported for 14 years, 26 May, 1848
Wm Smith O’Brien Meagher and other confederates sentenced to death the sentence afterwards commuted to transportation (pardoned in 1856), 9 Oct, 1848
Bloomfield Rush, for murder of Messrs Jermy at Norwich hanged, 29 March, 1849
Gorham v the bishop of Exeter, ecclesiastical case judgment given in the court of Arches against the plaintiff 2 Aug, 1849 [The bishop had refused to institute the rev Mr Gorham into the living of Brampton-Speke in Devonshire alleging want of orthodoxy in the plaintiff who denied that spiritual regeneration was conferred by baptism the court held that the charge against the plaintiff of holding false doctrine was proved and that the bishop was justified in his refusal Mr Gorham appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council which pronounced its opinion (8 March 1850) that ” the doctrine held by Mr Gorham was not contrary or repugnant to the declared doctrine of the church of England and that Mr Gorham ought not by reason of the doctrine held by him to have been refused admission to the vicarage of Brampton-Speke” This decision led to subsequent proceedings in the three courts of law successively for a rule to show cause why a prohibition should not issue directed to the judge of the Arches court and to the archbishop of Canterbury against giving effect to the judgment of her majesty in council The rule was refused in each court and in the end Mr Gorham was instituted into the vicarage in question 7 Aug 1850]
Manning and his wife, for murder of O’Connor guilty death, 27 Oct, 1849
Victorian Trials – 1837-1849