James Rowley

342

Maureen Withey on 9th May 2026

Thursday —Arson.—John Rowley, Rich. Clarke, John Old, and James Rowley were indicted for having set fire to a stack of corn, the property of Benjamin Poole, of Kenn, and William Wall and Mary Wall were charged with having counselled, procured, aided, and abetted the other prisoners. In a subsequent part of the indictment, the prisoner, James Rowley, was charged as an accessory before the fact, with Wall and his wife, instead  of a principal. Benjamin Poole—l am a farmer, and have a field called Short-Lands ; had three stacks of wheat in that field on 31st October last. James Clarke lived about 140 yards from where the mows stood ; he came to me three o'clock in the morning 31st October, and in consequence of what he told me I went to the field, and  found all the stacks on fire, and a noble fire it was. The stacks were yards apart. called neighbour,  Mr. Baker, and we extinguished the fire after some hours. The damage done amounted to about £50. About a week after this, Richard Clarke, John Old, James Old, and John Rowley, were wheeling a cask of cider opposite house, about three o'clock in the afternoon ; they stopped and sung a profane song, flung up their hats and gave cheer ; they remained for five minutes. I was afraid to go out. Cross-examined Mr. Erie—Wm Wall is small farmer, and has about 15 acres of land, and a cow. I had quarrel with James Old, and had Rowley and John Old before the magistrates, about some hay. James  Miles, supervisor of excise, laid an information against William Wall, for selling cider without a licence. Parsons, a servant  of Poole, was the witness. Wall was convicted, and the penalty was £20, which witness received from Mary Wall .  He said to her it was a pity those ricks were set fire to ; she said it served Poole right, and it was a pity he had not been one of them. Ann Howe lived with Farmer Poole in September last. About a week before the fire, as she was milking, Mary Wall overtook her; she said it was Farmer Poole's fault that they were informed against, and if it cost them £50, it should be more than £100 loss to Farmer Poole. James Clarke, uncle to Richard Clarke—On the night of the 31st October I was awake; I saw a light on a sudden ; I got up, and looked out of the window, and saw a light in the same direction as the wheat-stack went out of doors and saw the three mows on fire; they were burning furiously ; alarmed Poole. The next morning as soon as it was day-light, saw some foot-steps about twenty or thirty yards from the mows; they appeared to be the steps of two or three different persons. They came out of Mitchel's ground into Poole's through shard, or gap the hedge ; they also appeared to have gone back. Sarah Clarke—The last witness is my father. I saw the fire, and alarmed the neighbours ; and in doing that, I had to go near Wall's house, and I heard someone laugh towards it. Mary Gaston saw the light of the fire ; heard a noise, but cannot tell what sort of a noise, whether it was a laugh or an alarm of fire. Wall is her uncle. Joshua Mitchell—l went to Bristol with Wall on the morning of the fire; saw the fire on our road ; Wall asked me what I thought it was. Isaac Old—l was at Wall's in October last, and brother to John Old, the prisoner. I recollect Wall being convicted for selling cider ; the other prisoners were lodging with Wall at that time. Parsons was witness. I have heard Wall say that Farmer Poole was the author of his paying the £20; this was before tbe stack was burnt; I beard Wall say on the Friday evening that it would be a good night to put fire to Farmer Poole's mows ; Rowley said, We'll go and do it by and by. William Wall said he had bought the brimstone on purpose; there had been large roll of brimstone in the cupboard for some time before. I heard Wall say to Rowley and Clarke some time before, that they were d—d fools if they did not do Farmer Poole some injury. brother James and Poole had some words about some hay; Wall said, said, if he was in my brother's place he would do him some injury; he would chop the horses' legs off if they had made him pay the money. I have heard Mary Wall say that she would not begrudge giving jgl to any one who would  set the mows on fire; Rich. Clarke and James and John Rowley were present. About two o'clock on the morning of the fire, Wall called me and my brother, and Clarke, and the Rowleys, to help load some potatoes Mary Wall also got up. Soon after Wall left for Bristol, his wife got some paper and reached the brimstone, and Rich. Clarke got a spade and put on the fire, and she put the brimstone into the spade ; she cut two or three pieces of writing paper and dipped in the brimstone, and Richard Clarke dipped some; she got some rags and made tinder, and went up stairs and fetched a flint, which Richard Clarke took with the matches, and put them into his pocket; and Mary Wall asked him if he wanted steel, but he said he should strike with his knife. John Rowley, James Rowley, Richard Clarke, and John Old, then went out of the house ; it was about three they went towards the mows I went out in  about ten minutes, and before had gone ten yards I saw three lights in the direction of the mows ; I went back into the house, aHd they all returned; they had been absent about fifteen minutes. John Rowley said Richard Clarke put the light to the mows. Wm. Wall came back about eight o'clock the same evening ; was in bed ; Rowley came to me and said there was plenty of tobacco and cider for any one who would have it that night. got and went down stairs they had been drinking all the afternoon; William Wall 6aid he supposed Farmer Poole was now £20 out of pocket as well as he was. He said, He said, as he was going to Bristol, when two miles from home, he saw the fires, and knew what fires they were. Cross-examined by Mr. Erie—l came from the prison to give evidence ; was taken up and sent to prison on the 8th May ; I was not taken up for stealing lambs ; don't know what was taken for 1 did not eat part the lambs ; I was examined about I them ; I was never examined about setting to the mows ; I knew brother and John Rowley were taken for stealing potatoes ; I did not give the evidence save own life, because was not guilty; I did not expect to have my offences pardoned for giving evidence not know for what I was committed.  I lived in Wall's service six months the winter before last; I left his service March, 1829; I never said to Wall, If f thee doesn't look sharp, thee will have thy house set fire about thy ears never said I would soon swear false as right, and that taking a false oath was nothing; I never said I would swear that which would do it; I never heard of King's evidence in life, nor peaching, nor of the biggest rogue coming to give evidence against the others. Re-examined—l did not know till Tuesday evening that I was to go before the Grand Jury; I did not see my brother after I was taken up , I was kept separate from the other prisoners-in the prison. Mr. James, clerk to the Magistrates, was present when Isaac Old was examined before them ; he was not then under any charge relative to the fire ; was present when  John Old and James Rowley were examined; these are their examinations. Their examinations were then read, in which they admitted a knowledge of the facts, but not that they were implicated. The prisoners said they knew nothing of it. ... ... Bath Chronicle, 26 Aug 1830. KENN INCENDIARIES. The execution of three of the culprits, viz. Wm. Wall. John Rowley, and Richard Clark, lately convicted at the Somerset Assizes of the crime of arson, took place on Wednesday last ; and it having been determined to make a severe example,  the village of Kenn, the scene of the deeds of this villainous gang, was selected as the spot for the expiation of their crimes, a gallows having been erected for that purpose. It was fully expected that all five would have suffered, but an order arrived at Ilchester from the Secretary of State's office, for the respite of two of them. From the lawless character of  the place, it was apprehended that a rescue might be attempted, and therefore the Bath Yeomanry attended to preserve attended to preserve the peace. On Wednesday morning the culprits, under the care of Mr. Hardy, were conveyed to the village, and about twelve o'clock they appeared on the scaffold, all three exhibiting a great degree  of firmness, and being apparently quite resigned to their fate. The usual preparations having been completed, at a few minutes after twelve they were tweed off. The youngest of the culprits, who did not appear to be above 18 years of age, struggled hard for some time, but the others did not appear to suffer much. They all died penitent. After hanging the usual time, the bodies were cut down, put into the prison cart, and conveyed back to Ilchester.   Cheltenham Journal, 13 Sept 1830.

59

greg petersen on 18th February 2017

died 4th August 1831 aged 21, of Apoplexia?, at sea, passage to Van Diemen's Land