In my former volume I have taken occasion, in the life of Barbara
Spencer, to mention the laws against coining as they stand at present in
this kingdom. I shall not, therefore, detain my readers here with the
unnecessary introduction, but proceed to inform them that a multitude of
false guineas being talked of--the natural consequence of a few being
detected--great pains were taken by the officers belonging to the Mint
for detecting those by whom such frauds had been committed.
It was not long before information was had of one Robert Harpham and
Thomas Broom, who were suspected of being the persons by whom such false
guineas had been made. Upon these suspicions search warrants were
granted, and a large engine of iron was discovered at Harpham's house,
with other tools supposed to be made use of for that purpose. On this,
the mob immediately gave out that a cart-load of guineas had been
carried from thence, because those instruments were so cumberous as to
be fetched in that manner; though the truth, indeed, was that no great
number of false guineas had been coined, though the instruments
undoubtedly were fitted and made use of for that purpose. Harpham, who
well knew what evidence might be produced against him, never flattered
himself with hopes after he came to Newgate, but as he believed he
should die, so he prepared himself for it as well as he could.
At his trial the evidence against him was very full and direct. Mr.
Pinket deposed flatly that the instruments produced in Court, and which
were sworn to be taken from the prisoner's house, could not serve for
any other purpose than that of coining. These instruments were an iron
press of very great weight, a cutting instrument for forming blanks, an
edging tool for indenting, with two dies for guineas and two dies for
half-guineas. To strengthen this, William Fornham deposed in relation to
the prisoners' possession, and Mr. Gornbey swore directly to his
striking a half-guinea in his presence. Mr. Oakley and Mr. Tardley
deposing further, that they flatted very considerable quantities of a
mixed metal for the prisoner, made up of brass, copper, etc., sometimes
to the quantity of 30 or 40 pound weight at a time.
The defence he made was very weak and trifling, and after a very short
consideration the jury brought him in guilty of the indictment, and he,
never entertaining any hopes of pardon, bent all his endeavours in
making his peace with God. Some persons in the prison had been very
civil to him, and one of them presuming thereon, asked him wherein the
great secret of his art of coining lay? Mr. Harpham thanked him for the
kindnesses he had received of him, but said that he should make a very
bad return for the time afforded him by the law of repentance, if he
should leave behind him anything of that kind which might farther
detriment his country. Some instances were also made to him that he
should discover certain persons of that same profession with himself,
who were likely to carry on the same frauds long after his decease. Mr.
Harpham, notwithstanding the answer he had made to the other gentleman,
refused to comply with this request; for he said that the instruments
seized would effectually prevent that, and he would not take away their
lives and ruin their families, when he was sure they were incapacitated
from coining anything for the future. However, that he might discharge
his conscience as far as he could, he wrote several pathetic letters to
the persons concerned; earnestly exhorting them for the sake of
themselves and their families to leave off this wicked employment, and
not hazard their lives and their salvation in any further attempt of
that sort.
Having thus disengaged himself from all worldly concerns, he dedicated
the last moments of his life entirely to the service of God; and having,
received the Sacrament the day before his execution, he was conveyed
the next noon to Tyburn in a sledge, where he was not a little
disturbed, even in the agonies of death, by the tumult and insults the
mob offered to Jonathan Wild, which he complained much of and seemed
very uneasy at. He suffered on the same day with the last mentioned
malefactor, appealing to be about two- or three-and-forty years of age.