John Marshall

342

Maureen Withey on 15th December 2024

John Marshall, aged 17, and Thomas Parr, 18, were charged with stealing two lambs, the property of William Lacey, at Snenton.—Mr. Whitehurst,  with whom was Mr. Martin, called Thomas Wilkinson, who is bailiff to the prosecutor; on Saturday, March 26, his master had sixteen ewes in the first close, and seventeen lambs; in the other close twenty six ewes, and as many many lambs ; there were two little grass fields between these closes ; had counted them on the Saturday morning ; about eight on Sunday morning, he missed two lambs. On going into the hovel close, found the skin of a lamb, with the head in it, within the hovel; found also a strange shovel and a little basket near the skin. In the other close missed also a lamb. When there at ten o’clock, the night before, all was quite quiet, and no alarm among the sheep, as would be the case if a lamb was lost. —Susannah Wilkinson, daughter  of last witness, knows the Long-hedge lane, it is one field from the hovel close ; was in a field adjoining in the lane, on Monday afternoon, about two o’clock ; saw the prisoner Parr in the lane, who asked if we were not a lamb  short the morning before, and laughed ; had seen him before at Nottingham but did not know his name. — … ... Nottingham Review, 29 July 1831. The following prisoners convicted at the last assizes, were removed Sunday night, by Mr. Brierley, from the county jail, to be placed on board the Retribution hulk, Sheerness:—John Marshall and Thomas Parr, for stealing lambs from Mr. Lacey, Colwick, for life; and ... Nottingham Review, 4 Nov 1831.

342

Maureen Withey on 15th December 2024

John became a bushranger in the notorious Jew Boy Gang, and was executed. Supreme Court. John Shea, convict per Calcutta, was indicted for the wilful murder of John Graham, by shooting him at St. Alban's, on the 21st December; and John Marshall, convict per Clyde, James Everitt, convict per Mangles, Edward Davies, otherwise Wilkinson, convict per Camden, Robert Chitty, convict per Sophia, and Richard Glanville, convict per Lord Lyndoch, were indicted for being present, aiding, abetting, and assisting in the commission of the murder. A second count stated the murder to have been committed by some person unknown, and charged all the prisoners as accessories. .... Sydney Herald, 25 Feb 1841. (The case is fully reported in the above newspaper on this date.) EXECUTION.-On Tuesday morning the six bushrangers, James Everett, Robert Chitty, John Marshall, Richard Glanville, John Shea, and Edward Davies, who were convicted at the last criminal sittings of the wilful murder of John Graham, at Scone, on the 21st December last, all paid the forfeit of their lives by expiating their offences on the scaffold. An immense crowd was collected to witness the last awful scene of these men’s career, as they had been long notorious for the many burglaries which they had committed in various parts of the interior, but chiefly in the Hunter's River district. At a few minutes past nine o’clock the wretched men were conducted from their cells to the area in front of the drop, where they knelt for some time in the exercise of their devotions. Chitty, Everett, Marshall, and Glanville, were attended by the Rev. Mr. Cowper and the Rev. John Elder; Shea by the Very Rev. Mr. Murphy ; and Davies, being of the Jewish persuasion, was attended by Mr. Isaacs, the Jewish Rabbi. They all appeared to be deeply impressed with a full sense of their awful situation, and paid the greatest attention to the instruction and prayers of their spiritual attendants. After about ten minutes spent in devotion they arose, and Everett in a very hurried manner ran up the steps leading to the scaffold, and was followed by Chitty, Glanville, and Marshall; they all four in a loud and clear voice sung the first verse of the hymn commencing ‘Awake my soul, and with the sun.’ Shea was the next to ascend, and Davies, who was dressed in a suit of mourning, was the last to ascend; he cast his eye with a keen penetrating glance upon the crowd assembled in the gaol yard as if to recognise any acquaintance, and then with a firm step mounted the ladder. A few minutes more were spent in devotion, and then the ropes were adjusted and the caps drawn over their faces; they still continued (particularly Everett and Glanville) in loud and apparently fervent prayer till the bolt was drawn, and they were launched into the presence of their Maker. They all died almost without a struggle. They had long been a terror to the inhabitants in the district of the Hunter, and it is to be hoped that awful example which has been made of them will deter others from the pursuing such law The above report of the Execution was published in The Australasian Chronicle, dated Thursday 18 March 1841. They would have been executed on the 16 March 1841.