Luke Broadhead

341

Maureen Withey on 29th April 2026

Yorkshire Assizes. 48. Richard Clough (31), 49. Luke Broadhead (24), 50. Charles Musgrave (48), 51. Michael Hanson (24), 52. Joseph Ambler (26), 53. John Dinsdale (36), 54. James Connor (22), 55. John Chadwick (25), 56. Geo. Cullingworth (24),j 57. Joshua Mellor (30), 58. John Wilkinson (20) charged with having, in the night of the 5th day of Nov. unlawfully entered, together with other persons unknown, into certain inclosed lands at Barwick-in-Elmet, being then and there armed with bludgeons, for the purpose of destroying game. charged with poaching at Hunsworth. Mellor is also charged with attempting to shoot Joshua Taylor, of Oakinshaw. York Herald, 20 March 1830. CONVICTS. —The following male convicts were removed from the Castle yesterday, to be delivered on board the Retribution Hulk at Sheerness, in the county of Kent, viz Joshua Mellor, Benjamin Bulmer, Richard Clough, Luke Broadhead, Charles Musgrave, and ... to be transported 14 years ; —Michael Hanson. Joseph Ambler, John Dinsdale, James Conner, John Chadwick, George Cullingworth, ... for seven years. Yorkshire Gazette, 24 April 1830. Hulk Record. Sheerness, Retribution Hulk. HO-9-7_3 page 26/47. Received from York, 25 April 1830. Luke Broadhead, age 24, Poaching, Tried York, 20 March 1830, 14 years. Transported to NSW 20 May 1830. Was one of a group of twelve poachers who were tried at the York Assizes commencing on 20 March 1830, and who were all found guilty. They were charged with “having, in the night of the 5th of November 1829, unlawfully entered, together with other persons unknown, into certain enclosed lands at Barwick-in-Elmet , being then and there with bludgeons for the purpose of destroying game.” They were sentenced on 8 April 1830, and eleven of the twelve were sentenced to transportation to New South Wales. Eight of the transportees were married and, of those, seven had children. Of the eleven transported men, five men were given fourteen years transportation and sailed on the ‘Lord Melville’ arriving in October 1830. The other six men were given seven years and departed in the Florentia which arrived 12th December 1830. The judge, in sentencing all the men, noted that each of them had prior convictions. THE NIGHT OF THE POACHING In summary of what happened, here are the words of the prosecuting attorney: YORSHIRE GAZETTE Sat 10 April 1830 p.2 ‘York Assizes; Mr Hardy stated the case: “R. O. Gascoigne, Esq of Parlington, is a gentleman who has very extensive preserves of game. “Sometime after the 5th of November, [Mr Gascoigne’s] watchers, who went in small parties, were frequently defeated. They were therefore ordered to keep in a body. On the night of the 5th November 1829, they went out on Mr Gascoigne’s estate in numbers of about 10 or 12 and after being out some time, came up with a large body of poachers, all armed with bludgeons. “They were drawn up in the middle of the field, and upon the keepers making their appearance, Clough, one of the poachers, shouted, “Go it, go it, we’re a match for them.” “A general fight then took place, the keepers armed with thick sticks, and the poachers with bludgeons. The keepers were defeated and several of them much hurt.” James Agar was a Keeper for Mr Gascoigne. He noted one of the poachers carried a dead hare. Agar said “ … We stood and the poachers struck at us with their bludgeons. I was knocked down by a blow on the forehead and after I was down I received several other blows. There was a general cry amongst them of, “Kill him – kill him!” As soon as I was down they said, “Stick to him,” I saw Richard Teal, one of our assistants down and three or four men beating him. I fired a pistol of alarm. They were eleven of our party to fifteen of this. We retired from them, got away, and they went away towards Leeds. The prisoners, Clough, Musgrave, Connor, and Chadwick, were amongst the number.” [YORK HERALD, Sat 10 April 1830 p. 3] The sentences were as follows: 14 years, and sent on ship “Lord Melville” were • Richard Clough, 34 • Luke Broadhead, 24 • Charles Musgrave, 48 • Benjamin Bulmer, 49 • Joshua Mellor, 29 7 years, and sent on ship “Florentia” were: • John Chadwick, 25 • Michael Hanson, 25 • Joseph Ambler, 23 • John Dinsdale, 36 • James Connor, 23 • George Cullingworth, 23