Frederick Bicknell

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

1871 England Census: Emma Bicknell, 28, a stay and belt maker, married, was a visitor in the house of James Wood of 16 Northey Street, London, on census day. Her four children were with her: Emma Hannah aged 9, Frederica aged 8, Edith aged 6, and Frederick aged 4 (1871 England Census for Emma Bicknell; London; St Anne Limehouse).

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

His WA Convict record also lists his four children by name and age, presumably in 1868: Emma 7 years Fredericka Ann 5 years Edith 3 years Frederick 1 year. His wife, Emma, is listed as 26 years old, and living at York Street, Commercial Road, London (Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930; Convict Department, Registers; General Register for Nos 9059-9598 cont., 9599-10128 (R15-R16)). --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

1861 England Census: Frederick Bicknell, 21, a cooper, and his wife Emma, 19, are living with his aunt Hannah Sorrell at 2 Suffolk Place, Stepney (1861 England Census for Frederick Bicknell; Middlesex; Stepney; Ratcliff; District 07). --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

OTHER: 1839: Birth of Frederick Bicknell registered in the 3rd quarter of 1839: Name: Frederick Bicknell Registration Date: 1839 Quarter of the Year: Jul-Aug-Sep Registration Place: Wandsworth, London, England ( England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915). --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

IN WA: From his Fremantle jail record: BICKNELL, Frederick Hickson; inmate #9666, arrived 10 Jan 1868 per Hougoumont Date of Birth: 1839 Date of Death: 2 Jun 1836 [clearly a typo] Place of Death: Claremont, Old Men's Home Marital Status: Married 4 children Occupation: Cooper Literacy: Literate Crime: Arson with intent Sentence Period: 10 years Ticket Leave Date: 1 Jul 1871 Certificate of Freedom Date: 25 Jan 1877 Comments: Self-employed, as cooper. To South Australia, 9 Apr 1880, returned to Western Australia (https://fremantleprison.com.au/) --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

30 September, 1867: Frederick Bicknell was sent from Millbank to board the Hougoumont for transportation to WA (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Fredk Bicknell; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1866-1867). “The hired convict ship Hougoumont, which has been taken up by the Government for the conveyance of a numerous party of convicts to Freemantle, Western Australia, left the Nore [anchorage in the Thames estuary] on October 1, and proceeded down Channel, after receiving on board 150 convicts from the establishments at Chatham and Millbank. The convicts from the Chatham establishment, at St. Mary’s, embarked from the dockyard on board the paddle-wheel steamer Adder, Mr. W. J. Blakely, and were in charge of a numerous party of convict guards and wardens, all heavily armed... The steamer Petrel also took down a number of convicts from the establishment at Millbank for shipment on board the Hougoumont, in charge of a strong escort and convict guard." (Sydney Morning Herald, Thu 19 Dec 1867, p4, at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28608271) --00--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

5 February, 1867: Admitted to Millbank prison, Westminster -- inmate #2930. he was listed as 27 when convicted, married with three children, a cooper, able to read and write well; Protestant. Next of kin -- his wife Emma, of York Street East, York Square, Connaught Road East. Two notes concerning visitors read: "visited by wife and child 5.8.67" and "visited by wife and mother 28.9.67". These are written in ink and the latter partially covers a pencil entry that ends "... receipt to embrace his wife" (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Fredk Bicknell; Millbank Prison; Register of Prisoners; 1866-1867). In Millbank, he would have been kept in separate confinement. His behaviour was listed as "good". “After a sentence of transportation[or penal servitude] was handed down, the prisoner entered into a separate stage where he was placed into an individual cell, isolated from others, apart from brief periods of exercise and attendance at chapel. However, no communication of any kind with other prisoners was permitted at any time. The philosophy behind this penal methodology had its provenances in the religious, monastic traditions; i.e., that in the isolation of his cell the malefactor would be able to contemplate the errors of his way, unadulterated by the negative influences of former contemporaries, and be reformed.” (Edgar, 2018, pp39-40) When first put into practice, the mandated period of separate confinement was 18 months. By the late 1840s, authorities had conceded that such conditions of imprisonment were “injurious to many prisoners’ mental health” and the stint was reduced to 12 months. Periods of separate confinement were reduced further “as a prisoner displayed good behaviour tendencies” (Edgar, p40). Millbank, Pentonville, Wakefield and Mountjoy in Ireland were the “Probation” or “Separate” prisons, as were some local jails. --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

JAILS: 12 December, 1866: Admitted to Newgate prison -- described as a cooper from Wandsworth, aged 27; committed to stand trial by Thames Police Court. Following his conviction at the Old Bailey he was sent to Millbank prison (UK, Prison Commission Records, 1770-1951 for Fredk Bicknell; Newgate Prison; Registers of Prisoners; 1863-). --0--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

TRIAL contd: Witnesses for the Defence. HENRY STRANNICK. I am assistant warehouse keeper in St. Katherine's Docks, and have been in their employ eleven or twelve years—I am twenty-seven years old—I have known the prisoner almost the whole time, but was not in the habit of going to his house till seven months ago —I called there on the night of the fire about twenty minutes to seven to pay a bill for a pair of stays made by his wife, which the girl Margaret had brought to my house a few days previously—his family had left, the girl Lizzy was there, and the prisoner was asleep in the back parlour—I knew he was not well and did not wake him, but sat in the parlour till he awoke—I then offered him the money for the stays, but he said that he would not take it, he never interfered in the business—he was going upstairs to change his clothes, and said, "Do not remain there by yourself, come up with me," and he went into a bedroom over the shop—I went into the room with him and remained while he changed a portion of his clothes, we went down together; he had a lamp which he had taken up with him, but I cannot say whether it was brought down—we went into the back parlour, and he finished dressing himself there—the shop was not closed then, he did not shut up till about nine—he shut it up himself—I saw the girl Stevens there, she brought some ale and steak, I ate a portion of it, he was too ill to eat any, and the girl Stevens ate some—she loft at about half-past nine, and we left about ten—the prisoner shut the shop up—the house was closed, he put up the shutters about nine, but did not close up then, he closed up directly the girl left—when he bolted the door he said, "I do not think it is safe to leave the house like that, it is not secure," and that he had got a board which he had prepared some time before, which was too long, and he would go down in the kitchen and saw an inch off—I did not see him saw it, I did not go down with him, but he brought it up and I held it while he fastened it up over the fanlight—it was done that night because he said that he did not think it was safe to leave the fanlight, as there were many bad characters in front of the house, and the house had not been left empty before—we went out at the back entrance—he was perfectly sober—I saw no ladder, nor any paraffin oil on the floor—the shop seemed secure—he left one gas burner burning in the shop, I cannot say how many burners were alight, but all the burners were not alight, he turned down some, but not all—those which were not turned out were full on I think—I did not see the time, but I should think it was ten or a quarter past, I am sure it was not later—we went into the Commercial Road near Whitechapel Church, and through Aldgate, Leadenhall Street, Cheapside, and Holborn, to Weston's—they had left Weston's, and the prisoner asked a gentleman if they were all out; he said that there might be a few gentlemen left—the prisoner said that most likely he should see his wife at the Exchange waiting for a bus—we went to the Exchange and saw them there at a few minutes after twelve o'clock; I returned with them and went into the house, which was in the possession of the police and the firemen, but the fire was out—from the time I left the house with the prisoner, between ten and a quarter past, till we returned with his wife neither he or I went back to the house. Cross-examined by MR. METCALFE. Q. How did you go from Weston's to the Exchange? A. We walked back and got there at a few minutes after twelve—I cannot say whether people come out of Weston's at twelve o'clock, it is two years since I went there—it was not as late as eleven when we came out of the prisoner's house, because the girl left at half-past nine, and I do not think we were in more than half an hour afterwards—we came out together at the back entrance—the prisoner bolted the shop door inside—he screwed the bit of wood into the fanlight—he first proposed to do that after the girl had gone, after he bolted the door—the fanlight is seven or eight feet from the ground —there was a pair of steps in the shop—I did not know that he cut up a door—I had not been down in the kitchen—he did not go upstairs again after the girl left—I remained in the back parlour—I could not see the staircase from there, but I could hear if he went upstairs ordinarily—when we went out at the back door he locked it after us and took the key with him—I did not notice anybody as we went out—we did not go into the York Road, but into the Commercial Road—the back door is about ten yards from the Commercial Road—it opens into the York Road, or else we could not leave the house—you get from York Road into the Commercial Road—I saw some crinolines hanging about the shop—I did not notice the ceiling—I went upstairs, because the prisoner said, "Do not stop there by yourself, come up with me"—he changed his clothes soon after I went there—I noticed nothing about the flooring at that time, and I think I should have noticed if it had been raised, because I walked to the window and looked out into the street—I think I can say that the floor was not damaged—he only went up once—I should not like to swear that he did not bring the lamp down with him and blow it out—I am almost positive he blew it out, but I do not remember it—he did not continue to burn it, because there was gas—I do not know where I saw it last, but I think it very probable he brought it down and blew it out—I do not remember whether he took any light when he went down to saw the wood; he must have had the lamp—I cannot remember whether he brought the lamp back when we were screwing the wood up—I have been joint security for him, and a borrower as well, at Aldgate—he was joint security for me when I borrowed 25l. there about three months ago—it is nearly two years ago that I was joint security for him—he renewed it again—it was for 20l.—the 25l. was lent to me when he was security—after the fire I went to business and remained there all day—I did not hear of the prisoner being taken till after four o'clock that day—all the next day I remained at business, and on Friday I went to business in the morning and was taken ill at two o'clock, and obliged to go into one of the water closets—I remained there till about half-past three or four o'clock—my illness was the rupture of a blood vessel—I remained in the water closet on the premises an hour and a half—I vomited blood before I got to the closet—no one came while I was there—besides the vomiting, there were some sores on my arm—I did not show the inspector and the doctor marks and cuts on my arm; I have-a sore place here, and another here—one is a chilblain and the other a boil—I did not afterwards show a wound on my upper arm—this (produced) is not my knife, I have never seen it before—I did not notice it in the closet—on my oath I had not this knife in the closet at the time I was there—I do not see an S on it—I had a doctor previous to seeing the police inspector—I did not write and tell the doctor I had cut my arm by a tin case, I said by a box of fruit—I showed him the sore and told him about my vomiting blood—I did not cut my arm in two or three places in the closet, and it was not from that that the blood came in the closet—I went home after I got out of the closet, and remained at home all day and the next day, but I went up to Mr. Lewis's, at Ely Pluce, the prisoner's attorney, on Monday—I was well enough to do that—I was very bad, but it was necessary, and I went—after that I went back home—I went back to work last Monday week—I did not give Mr. Lewis an anecdote of what took place—I did not go to the police-court. MR. METCALFE. Q. Had you been ill before that day? A. No, but unfortunately the whole family suffer from the complaint—I lost a sister six months ago from decline—the doctor's name is Clark—I actually vomited blood that day—there is no truth in the suggestion of my cutting my arm—on the Thursday, the day after the fire, I went to work as usual, and the prisoner was there—I heard after business that he was apprehended—I was going to leave, with the intention of going to the police-court, and had got as far as I could get, when I was taken with that feeling in my throat, and was so ill in the closet that I was obliged to remain—the doctor saw me next day—I have lived at 2, Wellesley Street, Stepney, four years—I heard of the prisoner's remand and went to Mr. Lewis on Monday, and what was done was under his directions—the prisoner's brother was with Mrs. Bicknell when we met her at the Royal Exchange—the prisoner's house is in Ratcliff, it is a long way from there to Weston's—he and I walked to Weston's—I can say that from the time he and I came down stairs together, before the girl left, he never went up stairs again. CHARLES BICKNELL . I am a brother of the prisoner, and have been a clerk at St. Katherine's Docks, from eighteen months to two years—on he night of the fire I went to his house at about half-past five, and left with Mrs. Bickneli and the two children between six and seven o'clock—we walked to Whitechapel Church and then took an omnibus and went to Weston's Music Hall—there was an arrangement that if the prisoner did not meet us at Weston's, he was to meet us at the Royal Exchange—we rode in an omnibus which was passing Weston's to the Royal Exchange—it was ten minutes to twelve when we passed Bennett's clock, and a few minutes after twelve when we got to the Exchange—we waited a few minutes there and saw my brother "coming from the Poultry, accompanied by Mr. Strannick—that would be the way from Weston's—he joined us and we returned home, we went in the back way and found the police and firemen in possession. Cross-examined by MR. METCALFE. Q. Did the people all leave Weston's by the time you did? A. Yes; the place was not closed, but other people were leaving also—they were all leaving—it is closed I believe at twelve o'clock—that was the first time I was there. JAMES PULLEN. I am a general dealer, of Queen's Terrace, Queen's Road, two doors from the prisoner—I was the first that saw the fire at his house—I saw smoke from the upper windows about eleven o'clock, and went for the engines—I looked down the York Road and saw a man about my height coming out of the premises, that was two or three minutes after I saw the smoke—I am not able to say who it was. Cross-examined by MR. METCALFE. Q. Have you ever said to Inspector Griffiths that you saw one or two men come out, you could not say which? A. I told Mr. Griffiths only one man—I did not go to Bow Common for the engine, but to Wellclose Square, that is about half a mile—I got one in' about half an hour and came back with it—I knew the driver of the horse, a man named Orchard—there was no engine there before that—I know the prisoner, but am not a companion of his. MR. RIBTON. Q. How long have you known him? A. Only since he moved into the house, I never spoke to him—I have only seen him coming out of the house—I knew his personal appearance—I made it my business to speak to Griffin next day—there is no truth in the suggestion that I said one or two men. CHARLES WILLIAM BATEMAN. I am a foreman cooper in St. Katherine's Docks, and have known the prisoner ten years—he bears a very good character—I visited him at his house on the night of the fire, and saw the family—I went about five o'clock, and stayed till about a quarter to six—I left Mrs. Bicknell there—the prisoner asked me to stay and have a cup of tea with him, I declined, and he said, "Do you mean to say you are going away and won't have a cup of tea?"—I said, "I have somewhere to go to"—he said, "I shall take it as an insult if you do not, for I don't think it will be right." JAMES GRAHAM LEWIS. I am a member of the firm of Lewis and Lewis—on the Monday afternoon after the fire, Strannick called at our place and made a communication to me, in consequence of which it was under my advice that he was not called before the Magistrate—I considered it a useless expense to the prisoner if there was conflicting evidence, and therefore I declined to attend at the police-court. GUILTY .— Ten Years' Penal Servitude." (https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/) --00--

Level 218

Dianne Jones on 12th April 2022

TRIAL contd: JOHN ALBERT BANKS. I live at 2, Old Church Road, Stepney, and am in the employ of Mr. Lawrence, who sells paraffin oil, and lives next door to the prisoner—I remember Margaret Stevens coming on the 4th December for some paraffin oil, about half-past four o'clock—I had supplied more paraffin that day to the biggest girl. COURT. Q. To the prisoner's daughter? A. Yes; I supplied a pint on the two occasions. WILLIAM ANDREW REES. I am one of the surveyors of the London, Liverpool, and Globe Insurance Company—on the 6th December I went with Inspector Griffin to St. Katherine's Docks, and asked the prisoner if his name was Frederick Bicknell—he said, "Yes"—I had this proposal sheet in my hand, and said, "You have a policy in our office, insuring property at 3, Queen's Terrace, No. 860,631"—he said that he did not know the number—I said, "It insures household goods for 140l.; stock in trade and utensils for 150l.; business fixtures, 60l.; and cooper's tools, 50l."—he said, "Yes"—I am sure he said, "Yes"—I said, "There has been a fire there; I have seen the premises; can you account for the fire?"—he said, "No"—I said, "I have looked at the articles there, and they appear to be very much over insured; what was the value of your furniture when you took out the policy?"—he said, "About 70l."—I said, "Why have you insured for more than there was there?"—Griffin, who had been standing outside, then came into the prisoner's office, and said, "I am going to take him in custody; you had better not ask him questions." Cross-examined. Q. What was your object in asking those questions? A. Those arc the questions I always ask after a fire—I was instructed to adjust the loss—I only conversed with him for a minute before Griffin came in—his first answer was that he did not know the number of the policy. COURT. Q. You have an easy mode, I suppose, of determining who it is effects a policy of insurance? A. I have no means, but I suppose they have at the office—they only ask the clerk at the counter—private houses are not surveyed and the furniture estimated before issuing the policy—it is the exception and not the rule. MR. STRAIGHT. Q. Would persons whose property is worth 70l. insure for 400l. A. No—when the inspector came in I said to the prisoner, "Are you going to make any claim?"—he said, "Yes"—I said, "Are you going to make it out yourself, or going to employ anybody to do it for you?"—he said, "I think I shall make it out myself; I can do it better"—that was the termination. RICHARD FELIX TAYLOR. I am steam sub-engineer—I saw the prisoner shortly before the fire, I had not known him before—he asked me if he might look at the steamer—I said yes—he looked at it some four or five minutes, and then, asked me how long it took to get up steam—I said it was all according to whether we had the gas under the boiler; if we had gas under it would take four or five minutes, if not, some seven or eight minutes—he said that he was a foreman cooper in St. Katherine's Docks, and his wife kept a crinoline shop in the Commercial Road—he asked me if I remembered the fires which had had happened a few months back at St. Katherine's Docks—I said, "Yes, I was at them"—he inquired how many there were at the station—I said six, and that two of them were special duty men and sometimes were out together for a few hours—he said that he was just insured or just going to insure—he asked me, "How is it I see sometimes three men on the engine and sometimes four?"—I said, "That is all according to the number of men we have at home; if we have four men we leave one to look after the telegraph and take three"—a long time after that he said, "Well, I never had a fire myself and do not want one, and I hope I shall never have one"—he also said, "When you are away with your steamer we shall have no help and no protection whatever if a fire happens in the neighbourhood"—he was talking to me quite three-quarters of an hour. Cross-examined. Q. Had there been a fire a very short time before at Mr. Thomas's, the photographer's? A. Yes, that is 100 or 120 yards from the prisoner's house on the same side of the way—he said that the man was doing a nice business, and it was a bad job for him—I do not think he asked how much damage had been done; he may have—I think my fellow-servant who was with me answered his question—the first question he asked was about the engine, and then about Thomas's fire. WILLIAM JOHN BLISS . I was present at the conversation between the prisoner and Taylor. Cross-examined. Q. Did he first speak about the fire at Thomas's? A. Yes, and I believe I said that it was a bad job, for he had got a good connection. MR. LEWIS. Q. Did he speak about that first? A. He spoke about Thomas's first, and then about the engine. RICHARD GATEHOUSE. I am a fireman in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade—on 5th December, between nine and ten at night, I was called to a fire at Bow Common—I was on the steam engine, and passed through Commercial Road and past the prisoner's house—it was then nine o'clock—I observed no fire or light then. Cross-examined. Q. Have not you stated that you were called between nine and ten? A. If I said so before the Magistrate I said what I knew to be true at the time—I started from Wellclose Square, which is about a mile and a quarter from the prisoner's house—I was four or five minutes getting ready. WILLIAM SMITH. I am an engineer, of 27, King Street, Ratcliff—on 5th December I went to the fire on Bow Common, and in returning I passed the prisoner's house about thirty minutes past eleven, and saw two men leave the back door, and hurry away down the York Road—I was ten or fifteen yards from them, on the opposite side—I did not see their faces, as it was dark—I described one as five feet ten, and the other five feet six—I directly looked up at the house and saw smoke at the back part—I walked to the corner and heard a cracking of glass and a cry of "Fire"—I saw a light both upstairs and downstairs, and ran off to Bow Common for the engines and Inspector Griffin. Cross-examined. Q. Have you ever been asked the height of the two men before to-day? A. Yes, Inspector Griffin asked me—I was before the Magistrate, but was not called—I told Swanton, the chief of the fire brigade—Griffin asked me the height of the two men, and asked if I could; swear to them—I said no. MR. METCALFE. Q. How close did you get to the two men? A. Between ten and fifteen yards, I was on the opposite side of the way; there; was a lamp, but it was dark—I could see their figures. CHARLES WILLIAM YOUNG (re-examined). I gave notice to Messrs. Lewis and Lewis, the attorneys for the defence, that the last witness would be called. INSPECTOR GRIFFIN (re-examined). I know Strannick by sight, I have seen him twice, he is rather more than six feet high, and the prisoner is about five feet eight; there is about four inches difference between them. MR. RIBTON. Q. Were you in Court when I was examining him? A. Yes, when Smith came to the fire he told me that he had seen two men leave the house—I afterwards asked him to describe them, and he gave me their heights—I have not told him that they were taller, but I believe I said, "You are somewhat mistaken as to their heights." MR. METCALFE. Q. In what clothes were they dressed? A. Both in dark clothes, the prisoner had on the same overcoat that he has now. MR. RIBTON contended that there was no evidence on the Count to defraud, and no evidence to make the prisoner responsible for the details of the policy, which might have been obtained by his wife or any other person; unknown to him. MR. METCALFE submitted that the intent was laid under the Act of Parliament, which made the intent to defraud generally, sufficient. The COURT considered that there was evidence for the Jury that the prisoner was insured in the office, and knew the contents of the policy and that it was sufficient to state the intent to defraud generally.