Patrick Fleming

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Maureen Withey on 15th February 2026

Essex Assizes. MURDER James Swiney, Richard Pence, Edmund Buckley, Patrick Fleming, Maurice Brenwick, and John Sullivan, were indicted for the wilful murder of John Bolding, at the parish of West Ham, on the 20th day of May last, The deceased was landlord of the Eagle Child public-house, at Forest-gate, in West Ham. Sarah Cumber, the first witness, deposed, that she lived housekeeper with Bolding. In May last about half past nine m the evening of Sunday, the 20th, there was a quarrel in the kitchen There were present in the house John Farmer, J. Baker, Mrs. Baker, Mr. Simpson, Mary M‘Leary the servant, Wm. Tippett  and Geo. Gay, two soldiers, in the house, one Thomas, a carter, Thomas Scandling, and C. Huy; another Irishman of the name of Morissy, was also In the dispute. Scandling wanted to fight the carter, and Morissy to fight  any body. At that time a servant came in, and he accepted to fight Morissy. She begged them to desist, as it was Sunday but Monssy then wanted two go away, but the deceased at first would not let him.  He, however, went away, and Bolding ordered the doors to be shut and fastened.. Soon afterwards Morissy returned, but was refused. Soon after a person of the name of Daniel Mahoney, not in custody, came, and Scandling, against the directions of the deceased, opened the door and let him in. When he  came into the house, he stormed and swore, and flourished a stick over his head. Shortly afterwards a gang of thirty of them came and demanded admittance, which being refused, they broke the windows and window shutters, and again got to the door and he let them in; when they rushed into the house the carter and the officer’s servant made  their escape by the back door. Mahoney asked what was the affront? Some one exclaimed the English had insulted an Irishman  He said, “that it is and they all made a great clamour. Just then some one, whom she believed Mahonev,... knocked the deceased, continued beating him for some time, The witness cryed out; the man made a blow at her. and swore he would knock her down. She escaped into the parlour, and hid herself under the table. Soon afterwards she returned, and  Bolding was sitting in his chair, bleeding very fast; Scandh was at the door, and  demanding gin, which she was obliged to give him. She saw all the prisoners and others there ; the they were ir sticks,  and apparently rejoicing at what had happened. Patrick Fleming, one of the prisoners, stood flourishing a large stick over her head, and grinding his teeth. They exclaimed, “ who will ... ? After a time they all departed. John Baker, John Farmer, and Mary Farmer, gave testimony to the same purport with  the last witness; with the circumstance, that they swore they would murder some before they left the house. “And by the evidence of Gay and Tiffin, the two quartered at the house, it appeared, that the landlord, the moment the Irish men entered, sent them to bed, to be out of harms way; but that the ruffians searched the whole house to find the carter who had offended them; and Peace swore if they could not find him, they would murder some one else in the house. An old man, of the name of Quand, who was in the house when they came, attempted to run away ; but some of them followed him, knocked him down, beat out three of his teeth, and by kicking him, dislocated his hip, The servant in the house repeated the circumstances nearly in the manner of the first witness. The prisoners, being called upon, left their de- fence to their Counsel, and called several witnesses, who attempted to prove they were not present; but they gave such evident proofs of falsity, and prevarication, that the Jury seemed to pay no attention to their testimony. The Learned Judge then summed up the evidence with minuteness, and stated the Law from Lord Hale, that when a party associated for an unlawful purpose, either of beating a man or any trespass, and a murder was committed in furtherance of the joint design, that all who were present, in law, were guilty of that murder. He then remarked upon the evidence as applied to each, and observed, that acts or words of violence were proved upon all the prisoners, except Sullivan, with respect to him, it was proved he was .. armed with a bludgeon, The Jury found them all Guilty—but recommended Sullivan to mercy; which the Learned Judge said he should attend to. His Lordship immediately sentenced them all to be executed on Saturday morning. Leicester Journal, 24 Aug 1810.

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Maureen Withey on 11th October 2022

Yesterday James Sweeney, Richard Pearce, Edward Buckley, Patrick Fleming, Maurice Brunwick, John Sullivan, and Cornelius Hayes, all Irishmen; were charged, at Whitechapel Office, with the murder of Mr. Bowling, of the Eagle-and-Child, Westham, by violently beating him, on the 29th ult, as mentioned in a former Paper ; when six were fully committed to Chelmsford gaol, and Hayes was discharged. Star, 12 June 1810. -------------------------------------------------- James Sweeney, Richard Pearce, Edward Buckley, Patrick Fleming, Maurice Brenwick, and John Sullivan, were on Thursday night convicted of the wilful murder John Bolding of West Ham, Essex. They were all sentenced to be hung tit Chelmsford this day, and their bodies to be delivered to the surgeons for dissection. Suffolk Chronicle, Saturday 18 August 1810 -------------------------------------------------- Only two of the six unfortunate men, who were found guilty at the late Chelmsford Assizes, were executed. Buckley, Fleming, Brenwick, and Sullivan, were reprieved ; but Sweeny and Pearce underwent their sentence on Saturday morning. Saunders’ News-Letter, 30 Aug 1810.

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Maureen Withey on 11th October 2022

List of 80 male convicts (originally sent on Guildford 1812) be embarked per Ruby of Calcutta to Hobart Town, with the indents from Guildford, master Johnson, in 1812. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-1$init=CON13-1-1P23 Patrick Fleming, tried Essex Assizes, 13 Aug 1810, Life.