Thomas Rymer

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 8th April 2025

1847 - The Courier. Sat 23 Jan 1847. Page 2 LOCAL. THE COUNTERFEIT BANK PLATE CASK.-A trial of more than usual importance came on in the police-office on Thursday, which occupied upwards of three hours. The judges were, Thomas Mason, Esq., P.M. and Thomas Hewitt, Esq., J. P. Thomas Rymer was charged by Joseph Howard with having in his possession, on the 10th December lost, an engraved copper plate of the character, likeness, and similitude of the £1 promissory notes of the Bunk of Van Diemen'« Land. District Goldsmith conducted the. prosecutlon, and the «".'?"*£*--defended himself with great adroitness and ingenuity. The trial occupied upwards of three hours. The followingare'ttie main facts:-Constable Howard, on the evening of the day mentioned; was on duty, along with constables William Johnson and Adams, on the road between Brighton and Bagdad, when they met the prisoner. Howard having known Rymer in England, and aware, from a report forwarded to the Brighton district from the Chief Station here, that he was an absconder from the Penitentiary, appre- hended him. The prisoner had in his possession a bundle in a dark-coloured handkerchief; they were.then about a quarter of a mile from the Brighton watch-house,*and whilst proceeding there, the prisoner called Howard on one side, and said there was something in the bundle which would send him ( Rymer) to Norfolk Island, anti begged it might be made away with. Howard, however, refused to listen to the over, ture; threw down his knapsack, and desired constables Johnson and Adams to take it with them, and go and get some refreshment, as they had travelled from Both- well on that day. Ile then proceeded with his prisoner, taking with him the bundle, to the watch-house, where ho charged him with being an absconder. Here, also, the bundle was opened, in presence of the constable who had charge of the night sheet, and of the watch-house keeper. It contained the engraved plate, a small can of copper-plate ink, a number of uncut sheets of paper, and a quantity also cut into slips of the exact size of the Bank £1 note. The paper, however, although what is called " bank post," was not of the exact quality and description of that used for the genuine note. On the following morning Howard produced the engraved plate before the magistrates, and at his request the prisoner was remanded to Hobart Town for examination on suspicion of having engraved the plate, besides having it in his possession the constable having known Rymer as au engraver in London, and that he was transported for life for having engraved a counterfeit plate of the notes of the Bank of England. Con. stable Johnson deposed to having seen Howard take the bundle from the person of the prisoner; and constable Michael M'Grath, who took the charge at the watch-house, swore that Rymer acknowledged the bundle to have been his ; that he further said, " the plate would make Judge Pedder grin ; that it was a ' bel low ser,' and would send him ( Rymer) to Norfolk Island.** Thomas Giblin, Esq., accountant to the V. D. L. Bank, deposed that the plate, if not an exact similitude, was a very close representation of the plate from which the genuine notes were struck. It differed, however, in this, that on the genuine notes the number was filled in in writing; but in this plate a number wai engraved, so that all copies struck from it would be of the same number. The Bank had no engraved plate In this colony ; all the copies of the notes were struck off in England ; neither had authority been given to any person in this colony to engrave a plate. It turned out, on the cross-examination of Howard by the prisoner, that the witness was also an engraver in London, and transported for life for the like offence as himself, viz , a forgery on the Bank of England. On this fact the prisoner founded a long address, the object of which was to make it appear that Howard had engraved the plate, and fearing detection, bud "bulled it" upon him, as he (Rymer) never had the bundle in his posses- sion, but that it was taken out of Howard's knapsack I The' I Police Magistrate observed "it would be an extraordinary I coincidence indeed if Howard, when on duty with other constables, at a place twenty miles distant from where the prisoner ought to have been, should have been prepared with an engraved plate, printing ink, and paper, in order that he might prefer this charge against you. The thing is too preposterous to be listened to for a moment. Howard was in the performance of duty, and had done it satisfactorily." The bench pronounced the prisoner guilty, without hesitation, and sentenced him to four years' hard labour in chain https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2972836?searchTerm=Thomas%20Rymer

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 8th April 2025

Place of origin: London, Middlesex 1846 - ABSCONDER from Prisoners' Barracks, Hobart, on the 31st October Thomas Rymer 1846 - The Courier. Wed 16 Dec 1846, Page 2 LOCAL. Forgery.-Engraved Bank Plate. - Yesterday afternoon, Thomas Rymer, probationer, an absconder from the Prisoners' Barracks about six weeks ago, was fully committed for trial on a charge of having engraved, and in his possession a plate in imitation of the one pound notes of the Bank of Van Diemen's Land. The prisoner, having been described and advertised by the police authorities at the various station was met on the Brighton Road, near that town, by constable Howard, who, recognizing the man, took him in charge. 1855 - COLONIAL TRIAL Colonial Times 20 Oct 1855 Page 2 THE FORGERS. Thomas Rymer and Alfred Watkins were yesterday brought before E Abbott, Esq., acting police magistrate charged with feloniously uttering, disposing of, and putting off, two forged five pound notes purporting to be of the Commercial Bank 1855 - Launceston Examiner. Sat 8 Dec 1855. Page 4 HOBART TOWN. At the Criminal Sittings of the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, Thomas Rymer and Alfred Watkins were convicted of forging and uttering a promissory note for £5 the former was sentenced to penal servitude for life, and the latter for ten years. 1864 - Port Arthur: Discharged from Port Arthur - 21 Mar 1864 Pauper or/and invalid To; Melbourne POL709-1-1 page 51 (21 Mar 1864) 1869 - Darlinghurst Goal Description Book, aged 53 years old, Born: London

2

Rebecca Nesvet on 24th August 2015

He was convicted of forgery: Tim Hitchcock, Robert Shoemaker, Clive Emsley, Sharon Howard and Jamie McLaughlin, et al., The Old Bailey Proceedings Online, 1674-1913 (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 7.2, 25 March 2015). Like Collins, I would tell you more, but this is a paid site, and it's such a very good story. Keep attending the tale...

1

Dick Collins on 2nd September 2012

Mr Rymer was the son of alcolm Rymer, of Edinburg, and Louisa Dixon of London. He was born in Clerkenwell, London, on 1 February 1816, in Coldbath Square. His brother James was an author, and the creator of one of the most popular and enduring villains in English literature. If this were not a pay site, I would tell you more. Dick