or profane swearing, to excess in eating, drunkenness, and but little
to women; to none of these I can charge the errors of my life, my
faults are all my own seeking and doing, without the advice, privity,
or solicitation of any person whatever: I never was fond of even
conversing with thieves and robbers, though at accidental meetings
I have met with several, who guessing I was of their profession,
would set forth the advantage of associates, or appearing in company
to rob and plunder the honest and unwary part of mankind. Pallister
and Duplex, lately executed at Coventry, who called themselves
family men, and the heads of a great gang, pressed me violently
to go on the highway with them and their companions, but all they
could say was in vain. I never would make use of, or indeed knew the
flash or cant language, in which these two men were very expert.
Of all my acquaintance, men or women, Benjamin Campbell Hamilton,
and Mrs. Pembruge[2] were by far the worst; of the latter I have
already given a particular relation; but of the former I neglected
to mention, that after his being acquitted at the Old Bailey, (my
evidence not being sufficient against him, or his mother Catherine
Hall, in Newtoner’s lane) he soon went into foot-pad and street
robberies, with other idle boys, committing a vast number in the
fields and streets; he was with his companions taken, tried, and
executed at Tyburn on the 16th of May, 1750, with Lewis, May, and
Giddis, his associates, and behaved under sentence, on the way, and
at the place of execution, with the utmost hardiness and unconcern,
not at all forced or constrained, but talked to the mob, and his
fellow sufferers in the cart, with as much disengaged ease, as if
he had been going to a ball or merry-making, and continued so to
within a few minutes of his death; for at the place of execution, his
behaviour was most intolerably indecent, talking and laughing aloud
as the executioner was tying them up; making use of most scandalous
and blasphemous expressions, at the instant of his launching into
eternity; and yet astonishing as it may seem, this active, wild and
extravagant youth, had only lived seventeen years.
And now, O Lord God Almighty, who by thy powerful hand, and
out-stretched arm, hast for the salvation of my soul, and the benefit
of thy creatures, (to whom I can make no other reparation, than to
make known to the public the injuries I have done) been pleased
through a series of unexampled acts of injustice, brought me down to
this most deserved sentence and doom; for my benefit, and that of thy
most extensive mercy and goodness. Oh! that I could make recompence
to the multitudes I have injured; but no means have I but this, by
laying all my crimes, as red as crimson, before the world. To thee,
O most merciful God, I most humbly prostrate myself: grant me in
this world, knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come, life
everlasting. Amen.
C. S.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Warehouses or shops for the sale of European goods, are so called
in America.
[2] The Editor has been looking over some papers, shortly to be
published, in which an account is given of a woman, that in all
respects far out-strips Mrs. Pembruge. This creature, it seems,
whose preceding life had been far from good, was met with in the
fields by a person who was vastly taken with the plausableness of her
demeanour, an intimacy began; she being in the utmost distress, was
furnished with money, wearing apparel, and lodging; was supported
in a plentiful manner for five years, and with a house the three
last years, for which she received all the rent, amounting to thirty
pounds a year, besides an allowance of seven shillings per week in
money; but the ingratitude, baseness and corruption of manners of
the wretch, can never be parallelled: sloth, sluttishness, whoredom,
drunkenness, and gluttony, marked all her days; one of the most
merciful and compassionate of men, and the kindest benefactor to
her, was treated with every mark of ingratitude, and loaded with
every kind of reproach; deprived of his peace, happiness, content,
property, reputation, and even an attempt made to take away his life.
What will be the end of this woman, cannot be ascertained; though it
is far from being improbable her days will be either finished on a
dunghill, or at the gallows.
If there is any thing in the marks on human bodies, as the books of
Astrology and Divination would feign, this person is assuredly
“Mark’d on the back, like Cain, by God’s own hand.
Wander, like him, accurst thro’ all the land.”
Bad as this mirror of her sex was, she had an ancient grey-headed
life guardian, for her privy-councellor, confident, and servant, yet
far worse than she: with this old fellow she had lived in adultery
previous to the acquaintance above-mentioned, which continued, as
opportunity offered, to the time the pious old soldier assisted
the woman to rob her benefactor of all his property, with which
they retired, as to a place of refuge, among the foot-guards, and
black-guards, in Peter street, Westminster. This man makes vast
pretentions to religion, and a good name; yet it is plain, as the
account saith, he has no just pretentions to either.
_Maxims, Hints, and Remarks, by way of Caution to the Public, to
prevent or detect the Designs of Thieves and Sharpers from being
carried into Execution._
I. Never place many different articles on the counter at one time;
nor turn your back on the pretended customer, but let some other
person put the different articles up, whilst you are intent upon the
business before you.
II. It is in general to be suspected if a person pulls out a
handkerchief, lays it down, and takes it up often, some ill is
intended; this was my constant practice with milliners and others, in
what lay in a small compass. It never failed of success.
III. The shopkeeper on seeing such methods as this made use of,
should remove the handkerchief from off their goods; which will give
the sharper reason to suspect his design is seen through.
IV. It is very common at haberdashers and other shops, which deal
in small articles, for every one that is wanted to be paid for,
the tradesman applies to his till for change; his eyes being fixed
thereon, then is the time something the nearest at hand on the
counter is moved off.
V. It is very easy to discover a thief or sharper from an honest
person; for the sharper asks for fifty things, none of which will do,
tosses them backwards and forwards, shuffles what can conveniently be
done aside, and moves off with the prize, promising to come again.
VI. Watch-makers and silver-smiths are imposed on principally thus;
in a morning or evening the sharper, well dressed, as a sea-officer,
will go to their shops, look at watches, buckles, rings, &c. when a
variety of these are laid on the counter, if opportunity offers, the
handkerchief is made use of with great advantage: should that fail,
then the goods are ordered to a tavern, coffee-house, or private
house, as best suits for ellegance or honesty; then the person is
instantly sent back for something omitted, whilst the prize is
secured, and the sharper moved off another way. Though this is an old
and stale trick, it is amazing how successful the practitioners in it
still are.
VII. Watch-makers should be extremely careful of strangers in their
shops; as many watches are always lying on the work-board, and others
hanging up, they should never have their eyes off the person: the
handkerchief is here made use of to great advantage; if the watch
is hung up, it damps any sound or tattling that might be made, and
screens it intirely from the sight of the owner.
VIII. There is something in the very aspect of a cheat and sharper,
which may be easily seen through: I know from experience, he
continually has his eyes fixed on the shopkeeper, or person he has
to deal with; has his body always in motion, whether standing or
sitting. The eye of a thief continually follows the person he intends
to deal upon.
IX. Dyers, scourers, and other persons, who have the property of many
in their possession, should not let the appearance of a sharper, be
it as genteel as it will, ever be parted with, but first by enquiring
the name, and looking in their books for it; and should they by
chance hit on a name, be sure to send the things in question home
to the owner’s house yourself, or send them with necessary cautions,
not to part with them on any account, but to the right owner. Women
and servants should never act on these occasions, in the absence of
the master; or be against sending for him from a neighbouring tavern,
coffee-house, &c.
X. Pickpockets are the most easily guarded against, of any kind of
thieves; it is people’s carelessness makes so many of this kind of
rogues; nor is there more of any kind detested than of these. Whether
through pride or negligence, I cannot say, but if people will go
with their coats loose, a good handkerchief hanging half way out of
their pocket, or the pocket flap thrust within, so that the contents,
as pocket-books, &c. may easily be seen, and as easily taken away.
The fob made so wide, and the chain and seals hanging down so long,
that the watch will draw out as easy as water run through a pipe.
People who go into crowds, or frequent the publick offices, should
have their pockets open on the inside of the coat, which can easily
be done; or else, as is customary with many, to have them on each
side the coat, breast high; and to have a small strong strap, to
button over the watch-chain, on the waistband of the breeches, will
effectually and for ever prevent picking of pockets, and the loss of
things of so much value. The smaller way in cutting women’s pockets,
&c. is but little practiced now; so that warning all people to take
care, and be on their guard in churches and publick assemblies, and
they will scarce have cause to complain.
XI. Footpads and street-robbers are neither to be guarded against,
or prevented, in my opinion, but by the vigilance and continual care
of the magistrates, in putting down bad houses, seizing suspected
robbers, and clearing the streets of whores. None of this kind of
thieves can expect to continue in their trade above a month or six
weeks, and the greatest part of them not half so long.
XII. Highwaymen are also very easily detected, by the method made use
of by Justice Fielding, for stable-keepers to fend an account to him
of the suspected robber’s horse, and a necessary description of his
person, especially if it answers that of the described robber. But
the method of thief-taking rather increase than diminish the number
of robbers. And large rewards for taking highwaymen, &c. is certainly
wrong, as old robbers are left unpunished, or taken, and young raw
thieves hanged in their stead. The former are thief-makers, and who
furnish business for the thief-takers.
C. S.
* * * * *
The preceding narrative, with the hints and remarks, are the work of
the unhappy sufferer himself. The Editor has been very faithful in
adhering to the letter of the narration; and cannot help looking on
it as the most extraordinary history of the kind, and of the greatest
service to the public of any thing similar to it in the whole world.
Unhappy for me, I knew nothing of the prisoner’s intentions till
Tuesday morning the 22d of November, the day before he suffered, by
one of Mr. Akerman’s servants; with some difficulty I got a sight of
the manuscript, the reading of which filled me with amazement; and
instantly determined as it would be for the publick benefit for it
to be printed, and resolved to see the prisoner, and agree with him
directly; the time was short, the copy to be read over betwixt us,
and many questions to be asked. I went into the Press-yard to him,
where I found a man of a genteel appearance, a likely person, thin
narrow face, somewhat cloudy brow’d, about five feet nine inches
high, of a spare slender make, his demeanour courteous and affable,
and his countenance, though pale, carried the vestigia not only of
serenity but innocence. On apprizing him of my business, he said,
“Sir, I know you not; but trust and hope you are an honest man: my
intentions in the publication, is much against the inclination of
my relations; I do it to make all the satisfaction in my power,
for the numberless injuries I have done to mankind, and to pay my
funeral expences, the executioner, the servants and others, to whom
I am indebted. It is worth a good deal of money, but I will leave to
your generosity what I am to have for it: the Ordinary has hitherto
refused me the Sacrament, under pretence of not being prepared, but
in reality, to get from me an account of my life and transactions,
for which he would not have given me one farthing, or his charity
extended so far towards me, as to furnish me with a little food to
keep soul and body together till the time of my death. That is no
part of his business. I have been supported by a gentlewoman through
my imprisonment in Newgate, in a most kind and christian manner; for
which I trust God will bless and reward her a thousand-fold. What
is farther wanted concerning me, the undertaker will inform you of
himself, or let you know where the gentlewoman is to be found; who
has got some other papers concerning me, and will deliver them to
you.”
We had just finished our business, when Mr. Cruden, famous for being
the author of a Concordance of the Sacred Scriptures, the best ever
yet seen in the Christian world, and well known in the republic of
letters, came into the prison, to pray with and comfort the five
unfortunate men; who very cordially, and with great fervency, joined
with him in prayer: Mr. Cruden adapted his whole prayer, which was
delivered extempore, to their present deplorable condition, with
great propriety and simplicity, to move them to a sense of their
guilt, to a firm trust and affiance in God’s mercy, and the certain
hope and expectation, on their sincere repentance, of enjoying a
state of eternal bliss in the world to come, through the blood,
merits, and intercession of Jesus Christ, the redeemer of all
mankind: that their state of probation here, was intended to qualify
them, for a much more high and happy state; and would be their own
fault if they did not attain it. To die, was natural to all men; but
the time when, or place where, not worthy a wise man or a Christian’s
notice. Then most heartily recommending them to God, and the word of
his grace, admonishing them to be chearful and resigned, he left them.
He had not been departed long, till Mr. Ordinary himself appeared;
but alas! what a falling off was here! Instead of his presence being
agreeable to them, as a Christian pastor should be, they looked upon
him as come for nothing but his own advantage; and rather to disturb
them with insignificant and impertinent questions, than to take care
of their poor souls; besides being honoured with execrations from
some of the bye-standers, for none but the Protestant prisoners were
suffered to be in Mr. Ordinary’s room: Mr. Cruden, on the contrary,
desired all present to join with him, and left the door open all
the time of prayer. Speckman and Broughton had the better of master
Ordinary, who was obliged to leave them without accomplishing the
only end he visited them for; who on coming out of the room, and
perhaps smelling a rat, came up to the Editor of this narrative,
with an assurance and countenance that carried the _true Shannon
dip_, asked what he came there for; and whether he wanted any thing
with _them there men_; in which being answered in the negative, he
vouchsafed to stalk away, blown up with his own sufficiency and
consequence.
Mr. Akerman, the keeper, to his eternal honour be it said, all this
time was busily employed in procuring food, at his own expence, for
the poor naked and starving prisoners, who many of them were at the
point of death with the goal distemper; but the Christian reader
will not be frightened at this, when he is told this distemper was
only hunger. On parting with Mr. Speckman, he solemnly declared,
as he trusted in God’s mercies, that every part of his copy was
strictly true; and now being satisfied of its publication, he should
die without fear, and with perfect resignation. The Editor, on
recollecting his person, and having seen him under sentence of death
in the beginning of the year 1751, made enquiry of the authenticity
of many robberies, &c. here related, and has found them all true in
every respect.
The prisoner requested some person might come to him from me in the
morning. I requested a worthy friend to do so; who went into the
Press-Yard, and the prisoner speedily came down; who, on putting his
leg up to have his setters taken off, lifted up his hands and eyes
towards heaven, and said in a kind of extasy, _This is the finest
Morn, that ever I have seen_. As soon as this was performed, he was
taken on one side to be haltered and pinioned, which he suffered to
be done with patience and resignation; praying with uncommon fervency
all the time. And then going with this friend to the upper end of the
Press-Yard, they read and prayed together for some time, and was
then asked if he had any thing farther to say concerning his life;
replied, It is all truth, but if Mr. S. finds any thing therein,
which may be thought not for the public good, that may be left
out if he pleases. At the conclusion of this he addressed himself
to the people, requesting their prayers, for his happy entrance
into eternity; declaring that he deserved to die, but had great
consolation in his last moments; that he never had beat, ill treated,
or murdered any one, save in one instance of the post-boy.
The friend was then desired to take some money out of his left
breeches pocket, which proved to be eight-pennyworth of half-pence,
and to give them to one of the servants who attended on him, desiring
his acceptance of that and his wig, which he had ordered to be sent
to him: Then wishing farewell to his friend, Mr. Melville a prisoner,
and the persons about him; was led by the officer to the cart:
which for the first time was hung in mourning, this added much to
the solemnity of the occasion. On the way to, and at the place of
execution, he was perfectly resigned to his irrevocable doom; and
to the last carried himself with the greatest decency and devotion,
in full expectation and hope of enjoying the life to come, in the
blessed regions of eternal day.
His body was taken care of by his friends, put into a coach and
carried to an Undertaker’s in Moorfields, where on searching his
pockets, there was found a prayer copied by him from a printed one,
two farthings, half a walnut-shell, into which was thrust a long
narrow slip of paper, on which he had wrote, “_I beg of you to
let your trust be in God, for there is your trust, and in no man
living_;” intending it for the young woman before mentioned. His
body was decently interred on Sunday evening the 27th of November,
in Tindall’s Burying-ground, Bunhill-fields; aged 29 years: and the
service of the church of England, at his own request when living, was
there performed.
Since writing the above, I have seen the Ordinary’s Account of
Speckman and the other criminals, and that he hath given what he
calls the Life of Speckman; which if the reader will give himself
the trouble of perusing, he will find nothing but absurdity and
contradiction; and that the unhappy man, at the instant of his
being turned off, told him was nothing but deceit, asked Master
Ordinary forgiveness, whose truly Christian disposition was on this
imminent occasion pleased to comply, and pray for the sufferer. This
undoubtedly is a laudable act, though the Ordinary did no more than
his duty, which I hope he’ll not think too much for him, to make his
only rule and guide for the time to come: as a pastor of such a flock
he hath much to do, and his constant presence and residence as near
the scene of action as the keeper; the necessity and obligation of
taking care of the souls of the prisoners, should go hand in hand
with that of the care of their bodies.
Such a wretched paper as the public is drenched with every execution,
it is hoped they will be no more bothered with, but if that should
be the case, it is confounded hard to pay six-pence for two sheets
of whited brown paper rubbed over in a very slovenly manner, but
the writing itself is truly inimitable, none but himself can be his
parallel; finally, should it ever fall in Mr. Ordinary’s way, to find
any of his brother pastors neglecting their duty, he will recommend
to them the following spirited admonition of a most famous poet on
occasion of the corrupted state of our national clergy, and under
the similitude of a shepherd; which cannot fail of bringing them back
to their original purity and usefulness.
“Of other care they little reckoning make,
Than how to scramble at the shearers feast,
And shove away the worthy bidden guest;
Blind mouths! that scarce themselves know how to hold
A sheep-hook, or have learn’d aught else the least
That to the faithful herdman’s art belongs!
What recks it them? what need they? they are sped;
And when they lift their lean and flashy songs,
Grate on their scrannel pipes of wretched straw;
The hungry sheep look up, but are not fed,
But swol’n with wind, and the rank mist they draw,
Rot inwardly and foul contagion spread;
But that two handed engine at the door,
Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more.”
FINIS.
Transcriber’s Notes
pg 13 Changed: he was sitting in the parlour, sombody came in
to: he was sitting in the parlour, somebody came in
pg 13 Changed: there was a watch stolen, so stoped
to: there was a watch stolen, so stopped
pg 15 Changed: for several days and nights; aad
to: for several days and nights; and
pg 18 Changed: I dared to continue any intercouse
to: I dared to continue any intercourse
pg 19 Changed: my commiting such a rash action
to: my committing such a rash action
pg 26 Changed: credit every where; but being disatisfied
to: credit every where; but being dissatisfied
pg 27 Changed: about thirty miles from the the places
to: about thirty miles from the places
pg 30 Changed: till my money was all exausted
to: till my money was all exhausted
pg 32 Changed: the the milliners and others
to: the milliners and others
pg 34 Changed: I went to a miliner’s
to: I went to a milliner’s
pg 38 Changed: meeting with the master of the the Crown inn
to: meeting with the master of the Crown inn
pg 39 Changed: I answered her in the affirmitive
to: I answered her in the affirmative
pg 41 Changed: by the persuation of a certain person
to: by the persuasion of a certain person
This book uses goal instead of gaol throughout.