William Clark

342

Maureen Withey on 12th November 2025

Hulk Record – HO-9-7_1 (page 28/47.) (either Retribution or Bellerophon) Received from Chelmsford, 14 May 1817. William Clark, age 21, Capital Respite, Tried Chelmsford 10 March 1817, Life, Transp 3 July 1817.

342

Maureen Withey on 7th September 2021

The cases not reported above are— William, Henry, and Joshua, the sons, and Joseph Clarke, the father; Wm. Haydon, Wm. Giffin, and Aaron Miller; these seven persons, with Thos. Monk, and Elizabeth, the wife of Jos. Clark, accomplices, but who were admitted evidence on the part of the Crown, formed the Elsenham gang of house-breakers that had long infested the county: the house of Joseph Clark was the rendezvous of the gang, from which they sallied forth disguised, their faces blackened, and armed with pistols and bludgeons. Suffolk Chronicle, 22 Mar 1817. -------------------------------------------------- D Wong on 22nd June, 2016 wrote: 18/10/1816: Cambridge Chronicle: - on Monday the 30th ult. or on the morning of the 1st. instant, a gang of armed robbers broke into the house of Mr. James Dennis, of Tye Green, in the parish of Elsenham. He and his manservant went downstairs and were confronted by the gang, one of whom shot Dennis in the face. Enquiries and a reward soon elicited information enabling the police to arrest Monke, and William and Henry Clark (brothers). Monke ‘squeaked’, giving evidence against his fellow gang - members. Joseph Clark (father of the brothers), Joshua Clark, his son, and another brother, John Griffen, Moses Miller, and W. Haydon, all of whom were apprehended at Stortford, Elsenham and Brixton. The charges were numerous and included Mr. Stock, of Henham in Essex who stated that about six weeks since, a party of villains fired three times at his windows; they finally broke into the house, but were strongly threatened and repulsed. Monke also said that Elizabeth Clark, the wife of the elder prisoner, and the mother of the younger prisoners (Clark) generally acted as ‘artist’ when any robberies were committed - she painted their faces black and gave them a tolerable portion of gin prior to their ‘midnight adventures’. The prisoners had long been the terror of the neighbourhood as poachers, sheep stealers etc. The prisoners were heavily ironed and conveyed to Newport gaol to await a further hearing. Mr Shotter, a gentleman in the neighbourhood, had nine gallons of wine stolen from him a few nights previous to the last robbery. Joseph Clarke was hanged at Chelmsford in March 1817 – 2 sons were hanged with him, one being James and the other ???. William, Henry and Joshua were all transported on the ‘Larkins’ 1817.

342

Maureen Withey on 7th September 2021

Escape from Prison.—Eleven prisoners, named Joseph Wilson, William Porter, Abraham Balls. William Clarke, Henry Clarke, Edward Webber, William Dowsett, Solomon Cornwell, John Hunt, John Daffy, and John Remnant, all of whom received sentence of death, at the last Essex Assizes, hut, through the clemency of the Judge, were reprieved, made their escape from Chelmsford Gaol, about one o’clock Tuesday morning last. It appears they got into the sewer, from the privy of their cell, in which they proceeded a short distance, and by excavating the earth about two feet from above the sewer, they were enabled to ascend into the press-yard, near where the gallows is erected; from thence, by the assistance of some pieces of rope, which were in the yard where the rope manufactory carried on, they got over into the garden the prison: from the wall of which they descended, by a line they found, and fixed it round one the trees in the garden. alarm was given about half hour after they had made their escape, by one of the prisoners, who had objected accompany them : when Mr. Cawkwell, the governor, immediately dispatched messengers every direction, which has been the means of arresting several of them in their flight.— Webber and the two Clarkes were brought in the same evening from Good Easter, where they were discovered secreted under some haulm, in field. Hunt and Remnant were retaken Chadwell Heath, by one of the patrole, about twelve o'clock Tuesday night; and Cornwall and Dowsett were brought in on Wednesday night, from Stock, where they were found secreted in a stack of straw. The remaining tour have hitherto eluded the vigilance their pursuers. The whole of the seven, retaken, have been received at the gaol with their irons on. Suffolk Chronicle, 12 April 1817.