Benjamin Barnes

343

Maureen Withey on 3rd May 2025

Burglary at North Fleet. —ln the night of Monday the 5th instant, the dwelling house of Jeremiah Rosher,  Esq. Crete Hall, on the bank of the Thames at Northfleet, was entered and plundered of eight superb paintings, the massive frames of three of which were left behind by the burglars, a silver inkstand, and many other articles, among which were several hams  A pane of glass in one of the dining-room windows was in the morning found broken and the window open ; one of the basement gratings had also been forced from its stone sills, and the window under it was open, and there were marks of blood near the broken window, as if a wound had been caused the fracture of the glass; every room on the ground floor had been ransacked, and there were left evident marks of the instruments used in forcing the different doors, &c. On Wednesday one of Mr. Rusher's dogs discovered to him several of the stolen hams, hidden in a hedge near the cliff at a short distance from his residence ; in consequence of which Mr. James Everist, a constable of Northfleet, was placed with assistants to watch them as evening came on, and about ten o'clock they apprehended two men, named Benjamin Barnes and James or David Barnes, close to the spot; the former has been for some time a journeyman Mr. M. Throughton, ironmonger  of Gravesend, and was considered highly trustworthy. The prisoners state themselves to be brothers. They had with them a small terrier, which was observed in the morning to have its dugs distended  with milk, and the constable concluded from this circumstance she would, if set at liberty, hasten to her pups, and thus conduct him to the residence of the prisoners; accordingly affixing a string to her, he let her take her course when she proceeded directly to Gravesend, and in Garrick-street stopped and scratched at a door, on knocking at which  it was opened the wife of Benjamin Barnes, and on obtaining admittance he found the eight pictures and all the frames that had been stolen, secreted in a cupboard, the key of which the constable had taken from one of their pockets the previous evening; there was also found in the same house, which has been recently hired by Benjamin Barnes, a jemmy or bar, corresponding to the marks found on Mr. Rosher 's premises, a dark lantern, and several implements of housebreaking, and the larger part of a ham boiled. A centre bit was taken from the pocket of  one of the prisoners, at the time ... and underwent an examination before the Rev. Dr. Joynes and Wm. Brown, Esq. and were fully committed for trial at the next Assizes. Benjamin Barnes has a wife and children, and it is supposed came to Gravesend from Sheffield or Birmingham, and as frequent depredations had caused many persons to look to their fastenings, he had in many cases been employed   for the purpose of adding to their security.  Kentish Gazette, 20 Aug 1833. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. MAIDSTONE, Thursday Evening. Benjamin Barnes, 25, and James Barnes, 19, were indicted for a burglary in the dwelling-house of Jeremiah Kosher, and stealing eight pictures and five frames, his property. It appeared that early in the …. Globe, 14 Dec 1833. The undermentioned Convicts were on  Thursday last removed from the County Gaol and put on board the Retribution Hulk at Sheerness:—... Benjamin Barnes, Jas. Barnes, ... — Transported for Life. ... South Eastern Gazette, 21 Jan 1834.