Thomas Hawkins

341

Maureen Withey on 30th April 2025

John King, aged 21, John Wickham, aged 19, William Rudd, aged 24, Robert Moats, aged 29, Philip Bryerton, aged 22, and Thomas Hawkins, aged 23, each pleaded guilty to charge of being found with divers others, on the night of the 19th of December, in certain lands of Sir W.B. Proctor, Bart., armed with guns, &c., for the purpose of destroying game. was another indictment against the prisoners charging them with the capital offence, on which the prosecutor wished to offer no evidence, the parties having consented to plead guilty. George Flood was then called into the witness-box and on being sworn said he was the gamekeeper for Sir W. B. Proctor; a person by the name of Hubbard called him up on the night of the 19th of December, and he immediately went with him to the Beech Plantation; when they got in a little distance, they heard a gun fired within twenty yards of them ; he went forward and saw seven or eight men a little distance before him, some with guns and some with sticks; be was about to lay hold of one of them, and on saying “‘ you are my prisoner,” he was knocked down with a gun or stick, and he heard one of them “ blast your eyes, come on”’ he got up, and he again commenced fighting; he heard a man on his left hand say “shoot, shoot, blast your eyes, why do not you shoot?” he turned round and they fired, but not at him; he was then going towards the man who shot, but was again knocked down by a blow on the head; he got up a third time, and began fighting again; he engaged with man, and he thought he was getting the advantage of him, when some one rushed between them and gave him a blow on the head, which again knocked him down ; he was — much injured ; his head was fractured and laid bare in five different places; another of bis party, by the name of Nichols, got some some hurt, and several of them had severe blows; he did not know who knocked him down; he had every reason to believe it was John Wickham that shot, and he believed the person who called out “‘ shoot,”’ was Byerton ; he had not got rid of the effects of the and he feared he never should. John King, an accomplice, was then examined, and detailed the particulars of the prisoners going out to poach, and the encounter with the gamekeepers. John Wickham, he said, was the man who fired. The Jury found the prisoners guilty. Baron Vavouan, in passing sentence, said, in the whole course of his experience he had never had a case brought before him that more called for the infliction of the severest punishment of the law. Had death ensued, the firing of the gun would have been a capital offence, for which they would have paid the forfeiture of their lives, and independently of the firing of the gun, the blows struck to produce grievous and bodily harm was also a capital offence. Under these circumstances, he could assure them the law would be carried in this case, to its extremest extent. London Courier, 28 March 1834. On Wednesday, fifty-four convicts were sent from the Castle, according to their sentences. They were conveyed on board the steam packet for London. … 14 Years. ... John King, John Wickham, William Rudd, Thomas Hawkins, Philip Brlerton, ... Norwich Mercury, 3 May 1834.

218

Dianne Jones on 22nd February 2021

NATIVE PLACE: Yarmouth (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON18-1-10$init=CON18-1-10p142).