John Rooney

Level 351

Maureen Withey on 24th February 2022

National Archives. Criminal Petitions. HO 17/105/95 Prisoner name: Patrick McDonnell [Patrick Donnelly], Owen McDonnell alias John Rooney, Edward McDonnell, Lewis Curtis [Lawrence Curtis, Larry Curtis alias Lawrence McGuire] and John Curtis alias John Mulholland. Prisoner occupation: All labourers of the Parish of Loppington, Shropshire. Court and date of trial: Shropshire Summer Assizes, Shrewsbury, July 1836. Crime: Highway robbery with violence, of four sovereigns, four half-sovereigns, silver coin totalling £3-19s-0d, one handkerchief value three shillings, and bank notes value £25 from Edward Woodward and [Thomas Erwick] at Loppington on 23 March 1836. Initial sentence: Death. Annotated (Outcome): 'Day of execution 12 August 1836' then '13 August 1836'; 'Nil' to Curtis' petition for further clemency. Petitioner(s): Eugene Egan and Richard Colgan (catholic priests of Shrewsbury); Eugene Egan [alone] addressed to Daniel O'Connell MP; Daniel O'Connell; J Peggs; Joseph Hume MP addressed to Mr Fox Maule MP; unsigned note with a newspaper cutting affixed relating to capital punishment and this case; George Hamilton MP (had some knowledge of them in Ireland) two applications; John Curtis (one of the convicts on his own behalf) undersigned by 36 inhabitants of Ballbriggan, Dublin his native town. Grounds for clemency (Petition Details): No intent to murder on this occasion or previous robberies; the prosecutors have recovered; whilst in gaol they helped to defeat a conspiracy to escape; three other convicts have confessed to the crime; their penitence; Curtis has a family to support; it was his first offence and he is contrite. Other papers: A sheet giving full details of the crime inflicted upon Thomas Woodward [Edward Woodward or Thomas Erwick] as tried by the jury; Judge's report on the sentences, with a duplicate under cover of a separate note; letter to George Hamilton MP from Reverend Hugh Hamilton; letter from [Mr Fox Maule MP] to Lord John Russell relating primarily to a case called Gally at Exeter but also referring to the execution date of 13 August at Shrewsbury; copy letter from Mr Fox Maule MP informing Joseph Hume that there is no reprieve for Patrick Donnelly, Edward Donnelly and Lewis Curtis; an unsigned Home Department memorandum refusing to dissent from the judge's decision. Additional Information: Convicted with John Curtis alias John Mulholland who was reprieved [respited] as the judge hoped that his life would be spared; he also reprieved John Rooney. Date: 1836 Aug.