Recollections of John Thurtell, who was executed at Hertford on Friday, the 9th of January, 1824 for murdering Mr. W. Weare. Including various anecdotes, and an account of his demeanour after sentence was passed. Also, the condemned sermon, and a correct view of the execution, taken on the spot by an eminent artist / by Pierce Egan ; being an appendix to his account of the trial.
- Pierce Egan
- Date:
- 1824
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Recollections of John Thurtell, who was executed at Hertford on Friday, the 9th of January, 1824 for murdering Mr. W. Weare. Including various anecdotes, and an account of his demeanour after sentence was passed. Also, the condemned sermon, and a correct view of the execution, taken on the spot by an eminent artist / by Pierce Egan ; being an appendix to his account of the trial. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![AS able man, who was a principal singer, about.two years ago, at Covent Garden Theatre. A short time since, Joseph Hunt kept the Army and Navy Coffee House, in St. Mariin’s Lane ; or more properly speaking, he was rather put in “ to take care of it, while the pro- rietor was in durance vile.” His career as a landlord soon termi- nated; and his ‘* Refulgent blacking shop” was quickly shut up. He married a respectable woman: but his love of dissipation, added to indolent and lazy habits, ultimately proved his overthrow. Hunt will now have to repent at his leisure, his sentence being commuted to transportation for life. PROBERT. If character has any weight in society, the one given of Mr, Probert, by the Judge, in his address to the jury, we trust, will suffice :— “© With respect to the man Probert, 1 think it necessary to declare, in the outset, that a more INFAMOUS CHARACTER never pre- sented himself in a court of justice: The testimony of the respect- able solicitor, who declared, that he would not believe Probert upon his oath, unless, as ke judicially added, confirmed by other evidence, does not make Probert half so INFAMOUS as his OWN TES- TIMONY has made himself; since it is more wicked to conceal the death of ‘a murdered friend, than to have committed perjury be- fore the Commissioners of Bankrupts.” If any thing more is wanting to be known about such aruffian, Probert originally was a clerk to Mr. Bramwell, a wine-merchant, in extensive business at Pimlico. Soon after his marriage ke commenced business on his own account, as a wine merchant, taking apartments at the house of Mr. Lambert, silversmith, in Coventry-street, Piccadilly, and opening extensive wine-cellars in the Haymarket, where he continued till the middle of 1818, carrying on his business with apparent credit. He removed from thence to No. 112, High Hoiborn, into the premises new occu- pied by Mr. Kleft, the oil-merchant, and where he remained rather more than twelve months, when his circumstances becoming inso]- vent, he appeared in the Gazette asa bankrupt towards the end of the year 1819. He failed for 22,000/. Probert, before his bankruptcy, kept a very elegant establishment, and was perpetually driving about town in his tilbury, attended by a servant lad in livery. During his confinement in the King’s Bench Prison, he robbed the tili belonging to the Coffee-house ; for which theft he was committed to the House of Correction, at Brixton, for six months, and underwent the punishment of the tread-mill!!! MR. W. WEARE. Mr, Weare was generally believed to be a man of property, but his time was filled up between the table and the sports of the field. He had no regular occupation. He was fond of sporting, and would go any dis- tance for a day’s shooting. He had some good dogs, which he occasion- ally kept in Lyon’s-Inn, where he was often seen airing them. Bil- liards was a favourite game with him, and he played weil. He had a great distrust of banks, and kept his money about his person—a circum- stance which perhaps led to the attempt on his life. Some time ago Mr. Noel, his solicitor, induced him to open an account at Morland’s, and he lodged 500/. He could not be satisfied, however, and drew the whole out to keep it in his own possession. He was paying his addresses to a young lady living at Bayswater, who had 300/. a year in her own right, and there was every probability of a union. It was in consequence of his having agreed to make a call on this lady on the Friday eyening, that he](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b33287442_0165.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
