Though vices are undoubtedly the chief instruments that bring unhappy
persons to that ignominious death which the Law hath appointed for
enormous offences, yet it very often happens that folly rather than
wickedness brings them first into the road of ruin; in which, led on by
delusive hopes, they continue to run until a disastrous fate overtakes
them, and puts an end at once to their vicious race, and to their lives.
The criminal whose memoirs at present employ our pen is such an example
as I hope, while it entertains, may also instruct my readers to avoid
his errors.
This unfortunate man was the son of reputable and honest parents in the
town of Brigg in the county of Lincoln. Their circumstances were such as
enabled them to give him an education; and the desire they had of doing
everything that was possible for their son inclined them not to be
wanting in this particular. His mother, was fond of him to a fault, and
being permitted by her indulgence to run up and down amongst young
people of his own age, riding across the country to friends and other
diversions of a like nature, he lost all liking to things of a serious
nature, and without thinking how to procure the necessaries of life, was
altogether taken up in enjoying those pleasures to which he had the
greatest inclination. In the midst of this pleasant situation of things
(at least as it appeared to him at that time) the prospect was darkened
by the death of his mother. His friends retained for him a due paternal
affection, but had no notion of permitting him to go on the life he
led, and therefore to break him of that as well as to make him
acquainted with an honest method of getting his living, his father put
him out apprentice to a baker in Hull.
But as kindness seemed of all things the most fatal to this unhappy man,
so the acquaintance and friendship which his master had for Cornwall's
family became a new means of leading him into misfortune, for treating
the young man rather with a tenderness due to a son than that severity
which is usually practised towards apprentices and servants, it gave him
an opportunity of renewing his old course of life. Instead of inclining
him to behave in a manner which might deserve such lenity, it gave him,
on the contrary, occasion frequently to abuse it by running from one
dancing bout and merry-making to another, without the least care of his
master's business, who out of downright affection forbore to restrain
his follies with that harshness which they deserved, and which any other
person would have used.
At length, having acquired so great a habit of laziness and so strong an
aversion to business that he found it impossible for him to live longer
in the country, he came up to London, that great receptacle of those who
are either unable or unwilling to live anywhere else. Here he got into
service as a footman with several persons of worth, and discharged his
duty well (as indeed it was a kind of life which of all others suited
him best), so that he obtained a tolerable reputation whereby he got
into the service of one Mr. Fenwick, a gentleman of affluent fortune.
Here it was that through desire of abounding in money he either drew in
others, or was drawn in himself to commit that crime which cost him his
life.
It seems that in Mr. Fenwick's family there was a great deal of plate
used, which stood on a buffet. This tempted Cornwall, and it is highly
likely gave him the first notion of attempting to rob the house. When he
had once formed this project he resolved to take in one Rivers, a
debauched companion of his, as a partner in the designed theft.
This Rivers was certainly easy enough prevailed on to join in the
commission of this fact, and after several meetings to consult upon
proper measures, Rivers at last proposed that their scheme should be put
in execution as soon as possible; and that he might the more perfectly
conceive how it was to be managed, he went home with Cornwall, and
looked upon the house. Soon after this they held their last
consultation, and Cornwall saying to Rivers that he must bring some
other persons to assist him, Rivers made choice of one Girst, and coming
with him at the appointed hour, Cornwall in his shirt opened the door
and let them in. In the buffet there stood a lighted candle in a silver
candle-stick, by which they were directed to the rest of the plate,
which as soon as they had taken out, they placed all together upon the
carpet, and fell next to rifling Mr. Fenwick's bureau, and took out a
great quantity of linen, a lady's lace, the tea equipage, and two silver
canisters. Then making it up in a bundle, it was carried to River's
lodgings in Vinegar Yard, Drury Lane.
All this could not be performed with so little noise as not to disturb
the family. Mr. Fenwick himself heard the noise, being awakened by his
wife, who had heard it for some time, but it ceasing they fell asleep
again until one of the servants came up in the morning, and told his
master that the house had been robbed, the plate taken away, and a
window in the back parlour left open, about which, as he could observe
no marks of violence, he was led to suspect it was opened by somebody in
the family; upon which Cornwall and a maid in the house were immediately
thought to have a hand in. However, as there was no sort of proof, Mr.
Fenwick forbore seizing them at that time, and contented himself with
advertizing his plate; which advertisement coming into the hands of a
pawnbroker, to whom a part of it had been pledged, he immediately gave
notice that it was pawned to him by Rivers. A warrant being upon this
obtained for the searching of River's lodging, a note was there found,
directed to Thomas Rivers, Glover, in Guy's Court, Vinegar Yard, Drury
Lane, in which were these words:
Dear Tom,
Let me see you at seven o'clock to-morrow morning, at the Postern
Spring, Tower Hill, be sure.
Joshua Cornwall.
Upon this Cornwall was immediately taken up and Girst readily offered
himself an evidence. In a few days after, sessions coming on, Joshua
Cornwall and Thomas Rivers were indicted for burglariously breaking the
house of Nicholas Fenwick, Esq., and taking thence divers pieces of
plate, to the value of eighty-five pounds nineteen shillings, holland
shirts to the value of twenty pounds, and other goods of the said Mr.
Fenwick, on the 8th day of September, 1730. This indictment being fully
proved, the jury found Thomas Rivers guilty thereof. But being dubious
whether Joshua Cornwall, as a servant within the house of Mr. Fenwick,
could be properly convicted of burglariously breaking into his said
master's house, they found their verdict as to him special; which the
judges having considered, they were unanimously of opinion that the
crime was in its nature a burglary. Whereupon, at the following
sessions at the Old Bailey, the criminal was brought to the bar, and
being acquainted with their lordships' opinion, received sentence of
death.
Under conviction, he behaved himself with great penitence, said he had
not been guilty of many of those atrocious crimes commonly practised by
such as come to that fatal end whither his folly had led him. At the
place of execution he, with great fervency, justified the character of a
young woman who had lived fellow-servant with him at Mr. Fenwick's. He
declared, as he was a dying man, that she was not in the least privy to
the injury done her master, and that he had no other than an
acquaintance with her, without either having, or attempting any criminal
conversation with her. Having done this justice, he seemed to die with
much composure, in the twenty-second year of his age, on the 23rd of
December, 1730.