Newspaper Articles Shap

Lancaster Gazette Oct 1 1814

On Saturday the 17th ult about two o'clock, Thomas Nicholson, pursuant to his sentence, for a rape committed upon the body of Elizabeth Hall, on Shap Fell (on Sunday morning of the 24th July last) was conveyed from the County Gaol, at Appleby, to Gallows-hill, the place of execution, accompanied by the Under Sheriff, two Ministers, a party of horse guards, &c - some appropriate hymns were sung during the procession. When arrived at the fatal tree, he made a short address to the spectators, and after some time spent in prayer, on a signal given, the cart was drawn from under him, and he was launched into eternity. Thos. Nicholson was a native of Wetsleddale, in the parish of Shap, about thirty-four years of age, and has left a wife and six small children. It is seventy years since there has been a Westmorland man executed at Appleby, and, if we mistake not, Nicholson was the first convict left for execution on this summer circuit. Eliz. Hall is nineteen years of age, bears a good character, had been visiting some relations in Kendal, and was returning to Carlisle, when she had the misfortune to meet with him.

Newspaper articles Shap

One of the things that interests me is what our ancestors lived through, what was of interest to them. So as well as putting names into the search of newspapers I also put in place names of where they lived. The first article really affected me - so so sad. I wanted to find out what happened to those involved. Although the Garnetts were not yet at Shap the Lowis family were. And probably the whole of the surrounding area knew about this.

The Times

Wed. Aug 12 1846

Northern Circuit

Appleby August 10

The assizes for the county of Westmoreland commenced here today; Mr Justice Wightman presiding on the civil side, and Mr Justice Cresswell in the Crown Court. Five causes are entered for trial. The calender contain the names of 13 prisoners, the greater number of whom are charged with petty thefts. The charge of rape against four men engaged on the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway has caused a great deal of excitement in the county, as well an account of the respectability of the persons who suffered from the outrage, as of the peculiarly brutal circumstances by which it was accompanied.

(Before Mr Justice CRESSWELL)

Thomas Burrows, aged 18, George Lees, aged 18, John Smith, aged 21, and William Smith, aged 19, were indicted for a rape on the person of Jane Dover, at Shap, on the 19th of April last.

Mr. Matthews and Mr James conducted the prosecution. The prisoners were defended by Mr Ramshay.

The prisoners were striking specimens of the class to which they belong, strong robust youths, but evidently utterly ignorant, and who conducted themselves throughout with apparently a total indifference to their position.

Mr MATTHEWS opened the case, and called the following witnesses:- Jane Dover, a delicate-looking girl about 17 years of age, stated that she was the daughter of a farmer at Scarside, near Shap. He is now dead, but the farm is still kept by her mother. Her brother Matthew and her sister Elizabeth lived in the house. Her sister Mary lived at Hackinthorpe Hall, and on Sunday the 19th of April last, had come over on a visit to her mother. The witness and her sister Elizabeth accompanied her part of the way home, along a footpath leading from a place called Bampton Grange, past Scarside, towards the high road leading from Shap to Penrith. On reaching the high road they parted, the witness and her sister Elizabeth returning home by the footpath. From Thrimby Grange where they left Mary there was no house in the neighbourhood of the path except their own home, which was about a mile distant. When within about a quarter of a mile from home they met four men, whom they identified as the prisoners. In consequence of an elevation in the ground, the witness and her sister did not see them until they were within 30 yards, and on their coming up the young women went off the footpath to let them pass. Two of the men, the two Smiths, siezed hold of Elizabeth. Jane attempted to run away, but was caught by Burrows and Lees. She was thrown down upon the ground, and Burrows attempted to perpetrate the offence with which he now stood charged. He called to Lees to hold her feet, and succeeded, not withstanding her screams and struggles, in accomplishing his object. Lees then committed the same offence, being in a similar way assisted by Burrows. During this time she was aware that her sister was struggling with the other two men, but one of them now left her and came to the witness. He also perpetrated the crime. Both the young women were detained in this struggle for upwards of an hour and a half; and before the witness finally succeeded in getting away from her assailants, one of them, she could not tell which, repeated the offence. Another of them then took her up and carried her towards a plantation, at some distance from the path, where he again attempted to violate her person. While he was struggling with her her sister who had finally got away from those by whom she had been attacked, came up to her on her hands and knees, on which the man left the witness Jane and went to her sister. Jane then got to her feet, and ran home, where she gave the alarm to her brother. He immediately mounted a horse and rode off to the spot, where he found Elizabeth lying insensible; she also having been repeatedly outraged in the same way as her sister. Both were in a dreadful state when they reached home. their clothes torn to pieces, their faces bleeding from blows inflicted upon them by the hands of their assailants, and their persons severely bruised in the long and desperate struggle which they had maintained. Early the next morning the police went in search of the prisoners, who had all been together drinking at a public-house at Bampton on the evening in question, and had been seen very shortly before the time when this outrage must have taken place, proceedifng from Bampton along a path leading to the spot, and it its immediate neighbourhood. It was found that at a very early hour on the Monday morning they had left the "barrack," a cluster of temporary huts in which they lived, and they were traed step by step across the county of Westmaorland, and finally into Durham, where they were taken into custody near Hartlepool. On examing their persons it was found that Burrows had but one of his braces on. It was of a rather remarkable pattern, and corresponding precisely with one which eas found in the field the morning after the outrage. The spot, it was stated by the witnesses, was so trodden in the struggle that it was some weeks before it was again covered with grass as before, and it was strewed with portions of the dress of the young women, crushed fragments of their bonnets, torn gloves, and broken combs.

According to the testimony of the medical men, Jane Dover had suffered extreme violence from the persons by whom she had been assailed. The particulars of the injuries sustained by her sister Elizabeth (whose case was the subject of another indictment) did not transpire on this trial, but they were understood to be of a most serious kind.

The prisoners were convicted.

His LORDSHIP, in passing sentence, said they had been conviced of a most aggravated offence, under circumstances of such atrocity as reflected the greatest disgrace on the country in which they were born. When men at their early age were so brutified, any observation would, as to them, be thrown away. There was no possibility of exciting in such minds either regret or shame, and he (the learned Judge) had never seen four men apparently more lost, more shameless, more dead to every manly feeling. As an example to others, however, it was necessary to refer to the fate which awaited them. They were about to leave a free country for a state of perpetual servitude, without intermission of their toil, without wages, without any reward but that daily bread which would enable them to continue their daily labour, to spend the remainder of their lives in suffering and degradation. The learned Judge concluded by sentencing the prisoners to transportation for life.

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The Leeds Mercury Sept 5 1846

Local News

THE WESTMORELAND RAPE CASE-

The four young men convicted at the recent Westmoreland assizes for the atrocious rape committed upon the two unfortunate women at Knife Scar near Shap, were removed on Tuesday week from Appleby, to the Penitentiary, near Milbank. Intelligence of their approach having reached Barnard Castle, Darlington, and the intervening villages, numbers of men, women, and children, who had collected together to show their disgust at the heinous conduct of the prisoners met them at each place, and it was feared from the strong feeling evinced against them, that an attempt would be made to do them some personal injury. At Bernard Castle the yells, hisses, groans and execrations of the assembled crowd were so violent, as to render it necessary to obtain the assistance of the police to protect the men during the stay of the coach. Another large mob had assembled about a mile north of Darlington, and it was evident from the ferocity displayed there on the coach coming up that an attack upon the prisoners had been meditated. The governor of the gaol, however, and his assistants were fortunately successful in resisting their efforts until they reached Darlington, when the police were immediately called to their aid. The prisoners were taken to an inn for a short time to enable the police to disperse the mob, and they were afterwards conveyed privately in a coach to the railway trains, happiily without any fresh outbreak. No doubt whatever was entertained but that some personal violence would have been used towards the prisoners had not effective protection been afforded them.

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1841 Bampton

Matthew Dover 60 Farmer

Margaret 55

Joseph 45

Elizabeth 25

Matthew 20

Mary 15

Jane 12

possibly (M004851 Croglin Cumberland Matthew Dover married Margaret Dixon 12 June 1813.

C003172 Newbigging following baptisms for Matthew and Margaret - Ann Dover 1 Feb 1818, Matthew Dover 12 Oct 1820 and Mary Dover 10 Jun 1824)

1851 Bampton

Margaret Dover 65 Farmer b. Kirkoswald

Elizabeth 37 b. Newbiggin

Matthew 30 b. Newbiggin

Jane Dover 21 sevant in Knaresborough

1861 Bampton

Matthew Dover 40 Farmer

Margaret 76

Elizabeth 47

Jane Dover 31 sevant in Wardleworth

1871 Bampton

Matthew Dover 50 farmer

Margaret 86

Elizabeth 57 dairymaid

Jane Dover 41 servant in Walmersley with Suttleworth

1881

Matthew Dover 60 farmer

Elizabeth 67

Jane Dover 50 Head unmarried laundress in Spotland

1891

cannot find any of them

1901

Matthew Dover 81 inmate at Shap Workhouse.

So it would seem this family died out. But what happened to Mary the other sister? and maybe another sister Ann?

What were the fate of the four convicts sent to Australia? Unfortunately they have common names. (I think I found three arrivals in Australia but cannot find the notes I made. Did they serve for life? or did they go on to have families. )

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