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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$[ « ] ^ Are you or are you not certain that he is the man whom you faw in the Rope-Houfe, the day of the fire ? Baldy. I am certain. - Court. What is your bufinefs in the Dock-Yard ? Baidy, i am a rope-maker. William Weston fivsrn. Look at the prifoner. Have you ever Teen that man before ? Wefion. To the beft of- my knowledge I have. £\ Where? IVejlon. Jn the Rope-Houfe the day that the fire was; that is the man that I faw there, to the beft of my knowledge. Q., You had fome conversation, I believe, with him ? Wejlon. Very little. Had you feen him there before, or did you know him before ? Wefion. I faw him walking there, about feven weeks before the fire ; he faid he had been round the Dock then, and that he had never been in the Dock in his life before. %s Did you fee what part of the houfe he came from, on the 7th of December.? Wefion. I cannot fay I did. Did you fee him come down flairs ? Wefion. No. £K What is your employment in the yard ? tVelton, I am a shipwright's apprentice. Edward Carey fivorn. $>.' Was you at Portfmcuth.at the time of the fire ? Carey. I was. £>. Was you there the day before the fire ? Carey. I was. J9. Do you remember whether any perfon was {hut up in the Yard ? Carey. Yes, the night before the fire, a perfon was fhut up in the Rope-Houfe. Q Did you fee him ? Carey. No ; I heard a man make a rumbling noife at the door ; I went up to the door, and ufked him what he wanted; he faid, he was locked in and could not get out, and he would be glad if we could letjhim out; I told him we could not let him out, he mufi abide there all night ; we left him in the houfe. Prifoner. Was it the night of, or the night before the fire ? Carey. The night before the .fire. Ann Hopkins fmorn. Q. Look at the man behind yon (the prifoner) did you ever fee him before ? Hopkins.- Yes. 4- Where ? Hopkins. I faw him laft Saturday. £K When did you firft fee him ? Hpkins. The day that the Dock was on nre. At what- time ? Hopkins. At four o'clock, or half after, I cannot be exaff. as to the . time, I had been at the market; I was coming home in a little cart; between the Flying Bull and Xingfton, he flopped my cart, i^. Did he overtake or meet you ? Hopkins. I cannot tell, it was a clofe tilted cart, I did not fee him till he came clofe to me; he flopped my cart, and afked me how far I was going ? I faid but a little way; he faid he would give me any thing to give him a lift, for he was going to Peters- field and fhould be benighted ; he jumped up into the cart, and faid, do ma'am drive as fail as you can 5 as I was coming out of Kingfton, I called at a fhop.$

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