The trial (at large) of James Hill; otherwise James Hind; otherwise, James Actzen: for feloniously, wilfully, and maliciously, setting fire to the rope-house, in His Majesty's dock-yard at Portsmouth. Tried at the Assize, at Winchester, on Thursday, March 6, 1777. Before the honorable Sir William Henry Ashhurst, knt. ... and Sir Beaumont Hotham, knt. ... / Taken in short-hand ... by Joseph Gurney. And published by permission of the judges.

John the Painter

Date:: [1777?]

Credit: The trial (at large) of James Hill; otherwise James Hind; otherwise, James Actzen: for feloniously, wilfully, and maliciously, setting fire to the rope-house, in His Majesty's dock-yard at Portsmouth. Tried at the Assize, at Winchester, on Thursday, March 6, 1777. Before the honorable Sir William Henry Ashhurst, knt. ... and Sir Beaumont Hotham, knt. ... / Taken in short-hand ... by Joseph Gurney. And published by permission of the judges. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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[ !« ] 'ouri. You had better wait till he has gone through his evidence, and then you may a Ik what queflions you pleafe. Baldwin. To this gunpowder there was one of thefe matches, and over the powder he laid iome hemp ftrewed very light, likewife a quart of turpentine ftrewed all about •, that as loon as the fire of the. match touched the powder, it would let it all immediately on a blaze. He faid, that by cutting this match which he had made, into fhort pieces, it would anlwer any time that he pleafed, in order to make his elcape •, that the next day, which was the 7th of December, he went from Mrs. Boxell's, and took two other lodgings, one was at a publick-houfe, and the other at, a private houfe, on the Common, he faid in the North-ftreet •, that he took particular notice before he took thefe lodgings which houfes had mod wood about them, for he had his combuftibles ready for the purpofe of letting his two lodgings on fire on the lame day as he fet fire to the Rope-houfe, in order to keep the engines from playing upon the buildings in the Bock-yard ; he faid, that he told the woman at the lodging which he took on the Common, that he was going to Petersfield, and begged her to take'care of his bundle •, he faid, after that he went into the Dock- yard in order to fet fire to both the Hemp-houfe and the Rope-houfe-, that he firlt went into the Hemp-houfe, and ftruck a light, but the matches which he had were very damp, and he could not get the fulphur to take fire •, that he wafted a whole box full of tinder in order to light the candle, and even blowed at the tinder till he had aimoft burnt his lips that he went away from the Hemp-houfe, and procured fome better matches; that then he got into the Rope-houfe, and fet fire to the match which led to the powder. Q. Did he fay any thing about buying of the matches ? 'Baldwin. He faid he had bought an halfpenny worth of matches the day before of a woman.—My Lord, there is one matter 1 forgot: he fajd, the day that he put his preparations into the Hemp-houfe and Rope-houfe, he was lb long in the Hemp- houfe that he was locked into the Rope-houfe ■, that when he came to the door which * he went in at, he could net get out; he laid there were feveral doors belonging to this building, that he tried many of them, and went the whole length of the build- ing, which was upwards of three hundred and fixty yards. He then went up Hairs, pulled off his fhoes, and went the whole length there, and could find no pofliblc means to get out, upon which he returned, and got to the fame door that he came in at; there he heard fome perfons voice, upon which he knocked at the door, and laid, holloa! They afked, who was there, and what bufinefs he had there ? He laid, it was curiofity that had led him there, that he did not imagine they had locked up the houle lb loon ± he laid, the perfon told him to go fcrait forwards, and turn to fuch a door, and he would be able to get out, which he did ; he faid, when he came out he was very vexed witi: hirrjfeif-t-hat he could not fet the Hemp-houfe on fire, and was alio vexed becaufe he could not go to this lodging at Portimouth Common, where he had left a parcel, which parcel contained, among other things, a piftol, Ovid's Metamorphoies, the Arts and Dangers of War, or fomething of that fort, and a Juftin but what vexed him moll was a paffport that he had left which was figned by the French King, and in that paffport was his real name, but it was in trench, and he did not imagine that the people at the lodgings could read or under- ftand it, but, he laid, he was greatly amazed that they had not fbund the bundle; he laid, he imagined they intended to make a property of him, or o.therwife.he thought it would be beft to take no notice of it, but let it lay ; after fetting fire to the Rope-houfe he made the beft of his way towards London ; he faid, that he was fo forry that he could not get the matches to light.in the Hemp-houfe, that he had a good mind to go and Ihoot at the windows of the woman's houfe where he had bought them ; he faid, that he had burnt the bills and the letter which he had from Silas Deane, on account of the behaviour of Mrs. Boxell, and to prevent any fufpi- cion of the gentlemen that they were for; he faid, that foon after he left the Dock- yard he jumped into a cart, and begged of the woman, to drive quick : that he rode in this cart two miles, and then gave the woman fixper.ee for driving quick, for he had near four miles to go before he palled the fentries ; that a few minutes after he had paffed the fentries he looked back, and fa.w the flames; he laid, the very element feemed to be in a blaze; that he walked all night on his way for London; that upon the road between the laft fentry and Kingfton two dogs barked at him very much ; he faid, he fhot at them, and believed he either killed

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