Elisha Sinkler

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D Wong on 13th July 2016

Brother John Sinkler arrived per ‘Blundell 1844’ to VDL. Both brothers returned home and enough money to purchase property in the area and continued their poaching. In 1871 they appeared before Ripon Court for poaching and threatening a gamekeeper. This time Elisha was fined £2 with costs and John was sentenced to 2 months hard labour in the Liberty Prison.

6

Jon Price on 12th July 2016

This is a contemporary report about Elisha's first trail in 1833 The Leeds Mercury, Saturday, March 16, 1833; YORKSHIRE LENT ASSIZES CROWN COURT, SATURDAY, March 5. MALICIOUS STABBING AT RIPON Elisha Sinkler was charged with aiding and abetting, and Wm. Lonthorne with having maliciously cut and wounded Thomas Dinsdale, of Ripon, on 18th September, 1831, with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm. Mr. ALEXANDER and Mr. BLANCHARD appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. DUNDAS for the prisoner. In the month of May, 1831, the chief constable of Ripon received a warrant to apprehend Elisha Sinkler and John Sinkler for a felony. Till September however, he had not the opportunity of executing it, and on 22nd of that month, Winn, the chief constable, together with Dinsdale, Binns, and Sweeting, left Ripon to go to Pateley for this purpose. When they got to the house where the father-in-law of Sinkler lived, Dinsdale and Winn went to the back part of the house, lest the prisoners should escape that way; and Sweeting and Binns went to the front. As the last two mentioned were going up to the door they met the prisoner, Elisha Sinkler, coming out, when they immediately laid hold of him, informing him that he was their prisoner. A scuffle ensued, and they all fell upon one another. They were immediately surrounded by several females, who attempted to rescue the prisoner. Having given an alarm, Binns and Dinsdale came up, and the prisoner was handcuffed. They had not proceeded above 200 yards, however, during which time Elisha Sinkler was struggling dreadfully, and calling out for Bill and Jack to come and bring their proper tackling with them, before John Sinkler and Wm. Longthorne came up with knives in their hands, and demanded Elisha Sinkler, and swore if they did not give him up they would have their lives. They then ran away, and soon returned, and cut and kicked Dinsdale dreadfully, the prisoner Elisha Sinkler also assisting them; while two of the constables followed them, Elisha Sinkler, who was left in the charge of the other constable, made his escape with the handcuffs on. Dinsdale was ill some time from the effects of the wounds he had received. The Jury found the prisoners Guilty, and his LORDSHIP, having the black cap on his head, said – “Prisoners at the bar, you are melancholy instances of the length to which a spirit of vileness will carry men in opposition to the law and the officers of the law. You resisted with deadly weapons, utterly regardless of the safety and value of the lives of those whom you assaulted; you were in intention murderers; you inflicted injuries which would probably have occasioned murder, but God in his mercy has spared the wounded man to be a witness this day. It is necessary to make examples, to teach persons that those who resist must suffer the utmost penalty of the law. I think I cannot discharge my duty to the public, without warning you not to expect mercy. Ask for mercy of God for all the misdeeds of your past life.” His Lordship then passed a sentence of death upon them. I have other information regarding Elisha and his brother. Could D. Wong please get in contact so we could share resources and sources of information.

221

D Wong on 7th November 2012

Pardoned in 1856 and returned home.

221

D Wong on 7th November 2012

Elisha Sinkler was the illegitimate child of Jane Hebden and John Sinkler of Pateley Bridge. After John Sinkler was widowed he married Jane Hebden in 1828 so Elisha became Elisha Sinkler otherwise knowas and Elisha Hebden. 1827: Elisha married Esther Moor. 1832: Elisha was committed for trial at York assizes for "feloniously and maliciously cutting and wounding Thomas Dinsdale a policeman, when he tried to arrest Elisha and John Sinkler(His brother) who were committing an offence, for which they were sentenced to death by hanging. Elisha was 25 when he arrived per Lord Lyndoch, protestant, 5'6" tall, sallow complexion ad brown hair and eyes, tattoo of a flower on the inside of his lower right arm and marks on the inside of his left wrist and back of his left hand. 14/1/1839: £4 reward for the capture of 2 assigned servants of Jemima Jenkins, absconded from Bamballa, near Barber's Creek, one was Stephen Tinsey(Roslin Castle) the other was Elisha Sinclair (alias Sinkler) per Lord Lyndoch. Apparently Elisha made good his escape and managed to return to his native Yorkshire and his family, but, in 1843 he was charged with having, "at Fountains Earth, feloniously & of his malace aforethought presented a loaded pistol at and against Thomas Robinson with intend to murder him". He was found guilty of being at large before the expiration of the term for which he had been ordered to be transported. He was then again transported for life and returned to Australia on the Maitland (1843). There is on the wall in Pateley Bridge museum a copy of a pardon for Elisha Sinkler who helped quell and uprising the jail. With his previous determination to return home to Yorkshire, and no record of him on the NSW BDM, perhaps he made it back home again.