Thomas Papworth

221

D Wong on 30th April 2014

Thomas Papworth was Single, 4"10 1/4"tall, brown hair, hazel eyes, oval face, sallow complexion, middling stout, Pockmarked, illiterate and Protestant. Old Bailey: 2/5/1862 THOMAS PAPWORTH (23) , Stealing 60 yards of ribbon, value 30s. the property of Thomas Sutton and another, having been before convicted; to which he PLEADED GUILTY .— Ten Years' Penal Servitude. A Warder from the House of Correction stated that the prisoner had been eleven times previously convicted. 1/6/1866L TOL 15/6/1871: CP at Bunbury. 19/11/1869: Thomas Papworth, tol. disorderly on his master's premises, and disturbing the public peace ; 1 month's imprisonment, the first 7 days solitary confinement on bread and water. 9/8/1884: Thomas Papworth, a resident of Fremantle, who is better known as ' Punch,' was charged with having been drunk. The prisoner admitted that he taken 'a glass; thereupon Mr. Leake ordered him to pay 10s., but, as 'Punch' was unable to do so, he was sent in for a fortnight. ' 17/2/1885: Thomas Papworth, alias ' Punch,' who admitted he had given the police a little trouble the previous evening, whilst laboring under a state of drunkenness, had to pay 5s. or go to prison for 7 days. The fine was paid, and the Court rose. Many other dates for drunkenness. 4/5/1888: No small amount of amusement is created in Perth by the well-known city bellringer and town crier 'Punch' parading the streets wearing a robe of the proper Mayoral design and cat. 'Punch,' whose real name is Thomas Papworth, has provided himself with and now appears in public vested in a gown of black cotton velveteen, the collar, wide sleeves, and bottom of which are heavily trimmed with either 'possum or cat skins, in imitation of Mr. Shenton's ermine-faced robes of office as Mayor of Perth. What on earth induces the poor fellow to make such a ridiculous figure of himself passes all knowledge and understanding. 18/4/1894: LARCENY:- Thomas Papworth, a well known figure in Perth, for stealing the sum of 2s. 8d. from the Retreat Inn was sent to gaol for a month. 5/3/1901: ILLNESS OF 'PUNCH.' A SERIES OF FITS. While on his beat in 'Wellington-street, at 7.30 o'clock this morning, Constable Brodie found Thomas Papworth, better known as 'Punch,' the bootblack lying on the footpath in front of the Federal Coffee Palace. On examination by the Constable, it was found that Punch was suffering from the effects of a series of fits, brought on by an immoderate manifestation of his anti-temperance principles. The constable obtained the railway ambulance and conveyed the man to the hospital, where he is progressing satisfactorily. 1901: Thomas Papworth died, the WA BDM had his age listed as 85, which would make him born C1816.