This is a list of some trials in Britain between 1850 and 1859.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t worry \u2013 please enquire anyway. I will do a search and get back to you.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
Walter Watts lessee of the Olympic theatre for forgery &c, 10 May, 1850<\/p>\n
Robert Pate, a retired lieutenant for an assault on the queen, 11 July, 1850<\/p>\n
The Sloanes man and wife, for starving their servant Jane Wilbred, 5 Feb, 1851<\/p>\n
The Board of Customs v the London Dock Com\u00adpany, on a charge of defrauding the revenue of duties a trial of 1 days ended in a virtual ac\u00adquittal, 18 Feb, 1851<\/p>\n
Sarah Chesham, for murder of husband by poison she had murdered several of her children and others by the same means hanged, 6 March, 1851<\/p>\n
Thomas Drory, for the murder of Jael Denny hanged, 7 March, 1851<\/p>\n
Doyle v Wright, concerning the personal custody of Miss Augusta Talbot a Roman catholic ward of chancery before the lord chancellor protracted case, 22 March, 1851<\/p>\n
The murderers of the rev George Edward Holiest of Frimley Surrey guilty, 31 March, 1851<\/p>\n
Achilli V ‘Newman, for libel tried before lord chief justice Campbell in the Queen’s Bench verdict for the plaintiff Nov 1851, 31 Jan, 1852<\/p>\n
Miller v Alderman Salomons MP, for voting as a member without having taken the required oath ver\u00addict against the defendant, 19 April, 1852<\/p>\n
The case “Bishop of London v the rev Mr Glad\u00adstone” judgment of the Arches court against the defendant, 10 June, 1852<\/p>\n
Lord Frankfort, for scandalous and defamatory libels guilty, 3 Dec, 1852<\/p>\n
Richard Bourke Kirwan for the murder of his wife guilty, 10 Dec, 1852<\/p>\n
Eliot Bower, for murder of Mr Saville Morton at Paris acquitted, 28 Dec, 1852<\/p>\n
Henry Horler, for murder of his wife hanged at the Old Bailey, 15 Jan, 1853<\/p>\n
James Barbour for murder of Robinson hanged at York, 15 Jan, 1853<\/p>\n
George Sparkes and James Hitchcock, for the mur\u00adder of William Blackmore at Exeter guilty, 19 March, 1853<\/p>\n
Five Frenchmen (principal and seconds), for the murder of a sixth Frenchman in a duel at Egham verdict manslaughter, 21 March, 1853<\/p>\n
Moore and Walsh, for the murder of John Black\u00adburn at Stafford hanged, 21 March, 1853<\/p>\n
Saunders, for murder of Mr Toler hanged at Chelmsford, 30 March, 1853<\/p>\n
The Stackpole famil, four in number two of them females and wives to the others for the murder of their relative also a Stackpole hanged at Ennis, 28 April, 1853<\/p>\n
Case of Holy Cross Hospital Winchester, decided against rev earl of Guildford, 1 Aug, 1853<\/p>\n
Smyth v Smyth ended in the plaintiff being com\u00admitted on a charge of forging the will on which he grounded his claim, 8 Aug, 1853<\/p>\n
The Braintree, case respecting liability to church-rates decided by the house of lords against the rate, 12 Aug, 1853<\/p>\n
Case of Lumley v Gye, respecting Mdlle Wagner decided, 22 Feb, 1854<\/p>\n
Mr Jeremiah Smith, mayor of Rye convicted of perjury 2 March, 1854<\/p>\n
Duchess of Manchester’s, will case, April, 1854<\/p>\n
Mr Carden, for abduction of Miss E Arbuthnot and assault upon John Smithwick convicted, 28 July, 1854<\/p>\n
Mary Anne Brough, for murdering her six children not guilty (insanity), 9 Aug, 1854<\/p>\n
Case of Pierce Somerset Butler v viscount Mountgarret, verdict for plaintiff who thus came into a peerage defendant being proved illegitimate, Aug, 1854<\/p>\n
Courts-martial on lieuts Perry and Greer, sen\u00adtences reversed by lord Hardinge, 29 July-Aug, 1854<\/p>\n
Courts-martial on sir E Belcher captain McClure &c, for abandoning their ships in the Arctic regions acquitted, Oct, 1854<\/p>\n
Emanuel Barthelemy for murder of Charles Collard and Mr Moore (executed), 4 Jan, 1855<\/p>\n
Handcock v Delacour otherwise De Burgh (cruelty<\/p>\n
to Mrs Handcock and charges against lord Clanricarde) compromised
\nEarl of Sefton v Hopwood (will set aside), 1855<\/p>\n
Luigi Baranelli, for murder of Joseph Latham (or Lambert) (executed 30 April), 12 April, 1855<\/p>\n
Charles King, a great thief-trainer transported, 13 April, 1855<\/p>\n
Wm Austin (governor), for cruelties in Birming\u00adham gaol acquitted, 3 Aug, 1855<\/p>\n
Sir John Dean Paul William Strahan and Robert M Bates, bankers for disposing of their cus\u00adtomers’ securities (to the amount of \u00a3113625), 27 Oct, 1855<\/p>\n
Joseph Wooler, on charge of poisoning his wife acquitted, 7 Nov, 1855<\/p>\n
Westerton v Liddell, (on decorations &c in church in Knightsbridge decision against them), 5 Dec, 1855 [Decided again by privy council partly for both parties each to pay his own costs 21 March 1857]<\/p>\n
Celestina Sommers, for murder of her child convicted (but reprieved), 6 March, 1856<\/p>\n
William Palmer for murder of J P Cook by poison, 14-27 May, 1856 [He was executed at Stafford on 14 June in the pre\u00adsence of 50000 persons If he had been ac\u00adquitted he would have been tried for the murder of his wife and brother]<\/p>\n
William Dove, for murder of his wife (executed 9 Aug), 19 July, 1856<\/p>\n
Ditcher v archdeacon Denison, respecting the doc\u00adtrine of the eucharist defendant deprived and appeal disallowed [verdict set aside by privy council], 22 Oct, 1856<\/p>\n
W S Hardwicke and H Attwell, convicted of forgery, 31 Oct, 1856<\/p>\n
William Robson, for frauds of Crystal Palace Com\u00adpany (to the amount of about \u00a328000) trans\u00adported for twenty years, 1 Nov, 1856<\/p>\n
Earl of Lucan v Daily News<\/em>, for libel verdict for defendant, 3 Dec 1856<\/p>\n Pearce Burgess and Tester, gold robbery, 14 Jan, 1857<\/p>\n Leopold Redpath, for forgeries (to the amount of \u00a3150000) upon Great Northern railway com\u00adpany transported for life, 16 Jan, 1857<\/p>\n Jem Saward, a barrister (called the Penman) William Anderson and others convicted of extensive forgery of bankers’ cheques, 5 March, 1857<\/p>\n Miss Madeline Smith, on charge of poisoning Emile L’Angelier at Glasgow not proven, 30 June-9 July, 1857<\/p>\n Thos Fuller Bacon, for poisoning his mother con\u00advicted, 25 July, 1857 [He was acquitted on a charge of murdering two children 13 14 May same year His wife con\u00adfessed the murder but appeared to be insane]<\/p>\n James Spollen, on charge of murder of Mr Little near Dublin acquitted, 7-11 Aug, 1857<\/p>\n W Attwell, and others convicted of stealing the countess of Ellesmere’s jewels (value \u00a315000) from the top of a cab, 15 Dec, 1857<\/p>\n Strevens v Campion, for slander in charging the plaintiff with complicity in the murder of his aunt Mrs Kelly damages 6d, 31 Dec, 1857<\/p>\n The directors of the British Bank, Humphry Brown Edw Esdaile H D Macleod alderman R H Kennedy W D Owen James Stapleton and Hugh Tunes Cameron for fraud convicted, 13-27 Feb, 1858<\/p>\n Rev S Smith and his wife, for murderous assault on John Leech convicted, 6-7 April, 1858<\/p>\n Edward Auchmuty Glover MP, for false declaration of qualification of MP, 9 April, 1858<\/p>\n Simon Bernard as accessory to the conspiracy against the life of the emperor Napoleon acquitted, 12-17 April, 1858<\/p>\n The earldom of Shrewsbury, case earl Talbot’s claim allowed, 1 June, 1858<\/p>\n James Seal, for the murder of Sarah Guppy con\u00advicted (and executed), 23 July, 1858<\/p>\n The Berkeley, peerage case, 23 July, 1858<\/p>\n Patience Swynfen v F Swynfen, a will case the will affirmed, 27 July, 1858 [The plaintiff was Patience Swynfen widow of Henry John Swynfen son of the testator Samuel Swyn\u00adfen Her husband died 15 June 1854 and his father on 16 July following having made a will 19 days before his death devising the Swynfen estate (worth about \u00a360000) to his son’s wife but leaving a large amount of personal estate un\u00addisposed of The defendant F H Swynfen son of the testator’s eldest half-brother claimed the estate as heir-at-law on the ground of the testator’s insanity The issue was brought to trial in March 1856 but proceedings were stayed by Mrs Swynfen’s counsel sir F Thesiger entering into an agreement with the opposite counsel sir Alex\u00adander Cockburn without her consent and in de\u00adfiance of her instructions After various pro\u00adceedings the court of chancery ordered a new trial ‘She gained her cause mainly through the energy of her counsel Mr Chas R Kennedy to whom she had promised to pay \u00a320000 for his extraordinary services Mrs Swynfen however married a Mr Broun and repudiated Mr Ken\u00adnedy’s claim The latter in an action against her obtained a verdict in his favour on 29 March 1862 which was on appeal finally reversed in Feb 1864 Mrs Swynfen was non-suited in an action brought against her counsel (afterwards lord Chelmsford and lord chancellor) in July 1859 and June 1860]<\/p>\n Lemon Oliver a stockbroker convicted of extensive frauds, 10 Nov, 1858<\/p>\n Marchmont v Marchmont, a disgraceful divorce case begun, 30 Nov, 1858<\/p>\n W H Guernsey, for stealing Ionian despatches from the Colonial Office acquitted, 15 Dec, 1858<\/p>\n Evans v Evans and Rose, divorce case, Dec, 1858<\/p>\n Lieut-col Dickson v earl of Wilton, for libel verdict for the plaintiff, 14 Feb, 1859<\/p>\n Black v Elliott, 850 sheep poisoned by a sheep-wash sold by defendant damages \u00a31400 23 Feb, 1859<\/p>\n Wagner Bateman and others, a gang of bank forgers convicted, 13 May, 1859<\/p>\n Earl of Shrewsbury v Hope Scott, and others the earl gains the Shrewsbury estates, 3 June, 1859<\/p>\n The llusson, will case decided, 9 June, 1859<\/p>\n T R Marshall E A Mortimer and H S Eicke convicted of illegal sale of army commissions, 29 June, 1859<\/p>\n Thomas Smethurst, a surgeon for the murder by poison of Isabella Bankes whom he had married during his wife’s lifetime convicted, 15-19 Aug, 1859 [He was reprieved on the ground of insufficient evi\u00addence but was tried and found guilty of bigamy 16 Nov 1859 On 11 Nov 1862 he proved Miss Bankes’s will and obtained her property]<\/p>\n Oakley v the Moulvie Ooddeen, “ambassador of the king of Oude” Verdict for the defendant who seems to have fallen among bill-sharpers, 17 Dec, 1859<\/p>\n Victorian Trials – 1850-1859<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a list of some trials in Britain between 1850 and 1859. 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4082","page","type-page","status-publish","czr-hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oldbritishnews.com\/murder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oldbritishnews.com\/murder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oldbritishnews.com\/murder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oldbritishnews.com\/murder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oldbritishnews.com\/murder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4082"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/oldbritishnews.com\/murder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4082\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oldbritishnews.com\/murder\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}