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Highwayman1746

Page history last edited by R H Johnston 12 years, 5 months ago

A highwayman in 1746

page added by P J Tipton 28 Oct 2011

 

Stilwell's "The History of Yateley" provides us with the details of another attack on the Post Boy carrying the Western Mail.  This robbery took place at Hither Blackwater in Surrey on 4 August 1746, almost exactly 5 years before the very similar attack made by Robert Darby in July 1751.  The reference to the account of the earlier attack is given by Stilwell as Notes and Queries, 7th Series, Volume II, dated Sept. 18 1886.  A transcription of the original text in Notes and Queries is given below:

 

POST-BAGS. A reward of 200l. was offered by the Postmaster General, London, August 4, 1746, for the apprehension and conviction of the person who committed the robbery under mentioned :
"Whereas the Post Boy bringing the West Mail, from Hartford-Bridge to Stains was this Morning, between the Hours of Twelve and One, attack'd on the Highway, near a place called the Hither Black Water, in the County of Surry, by a single Highwayman, who carried off the following Bags, viz., Plymouth, Truro, St. Columb, Bodmin, Camelford, Oakhampton, Barnstaple, Ashburton, Totnes, Dartmouth, Launceston, Crewkerne, Ilminster, Axminster, Lyme, Chard, Bridport, Taunton, Wellington, Minehead, Shaftesbury, Weymouth, Dorchester, Blandford, Salisbury, Wimbourn, Christ-Church, Pool, Cranbourn, Fordingbridge, and Ringwood."
Perhaps some of your correspondents would be good enough to tell me the size of the post-bags used at that period. J. PETHERICK. Torquay.

 

Mr Petherick's query  is thus seeking guidance about the size of post bags at that period.  We now know from the accounts of Robert Darby's robbery that the individual bags from each town were much smaller than they became in the age of rail, and therefore a single horseman could ride off with all the bags listed.   The list of the origins of the 32 bags listed by the Postmaster General as having been stolen shows that some of towns this side of Exeter were located along what we now call the A30, the A303 and the A35, plus some cross-counry routes.  This provides us with the information that the Western Mail most have been consolidated at some point where these routes converge, possibly at the Wheatsheaf at Popham, or possibly at a larger town such as Basingstoke.  In turn this information tells us that the richest pickings for a highwayman would have been to rob the mail after it had been consolidated, making the barren heathlands between Blackwater and Egham a good place to lie in wait.

 

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The original report to whioch the N&Q queriy refers was published in the London Gazette 5 Aug 1746, which is at:

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/8560/pages/2

 

It reads:

 

London, August 4, 1746,
General Post-Office.
Whereas the Post Boy, bringing the West Mail from
Hartford Bridge to Stains, was this Morning, between
the Hours of Twelve ahd One, attacked on the High
way, near a Place called the Hither Black Water, in
the County of Surry, by a single Highwayman, who
carried off the following Bags, viz: Plymouth, Truro,
Sf: Collumb, Bodmin, Camelford, Oakhampton, Barn-
stable, Ashburton, Totness, Dartmouth, Launceston,
Crewkerne, Ilminster, Axminster, Lyme, Chard, Brid-
port, Taunton, Wellington, Minehead, Shaftsbury, Wey-
mouth, Dorchester, Blandford, Salisbury, Wimborn,

Christ church, Pool, Cranbourn, Fordingbridge, and
Ringwood: The Person, who committed this Robbery
is a lusty Man, and had on a brown-colour'd loose
Horseman's Coat, and rode on a Bay Horse with a
bald Face, and his off Legs white, and appears to
have made his Way towards Weybridge, or Cobham.

    This is therefore to give Notice, that whoever
shall apprehend and convict, or cause to be ap-

prehended and convicted, the Person wbo committed
this Robbery, will be intitled to a Reward of Two
hundred Pounds, over and above the Reward given
by Act of Parliament for apprehending of Highwaymen.
Or if any Person, or Persons, whether Accomplice in
the said Rohbery, or knowing thereof, shall make Dis-
covery, whereby the Person who committed the same,
may be apprehended and brought to Justice, such
Discoverer, or Discoverers will, upon Conviction of
the Party, be intitled to the same Reward of Two
Hundred Pounds, and also have his Majesty's most
gracious Pardon.
By Command of the Post-Master General,
George Shelvocke. Secretary.

 

 

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