Broughton Summons’ and other documents involving Richard Gilpin SAWREY JP

(BDTB 15/1)

1. 9 August 1742 - Summons to appear before Richard Gilpin SAWREY JP at the house of William WALTERS in Broughton: Joel PARK of Blawith accused of stealing a Pocket Book with a Promisary Note and several other goods in it, the property of  James WAYLES.

2. 12 October 1742 – Statement on oath before Richard Gilpin SAWREY JP: Rev Walter COOKE of Cumber Trees, North Britain accused Joseph NICHOLSON of Millholme, Dalton of stealing his a grey gelding from his stable in January 1742.

3. 12 October 1742 – Warrant for the arrest of Joseph NICHOLSON issued by Richard Gilpin SAWREY JP to all Constables within Lancashire.

4. 22 October 1744 – Appeal to Richard Gilpin SAWREY JP for provisions by Darrity ATKINSON detained in Lancaster Castle.

5. 10 November 1744 – Statement on oath before Richard Gilpin SAWREY JP: Robert GOAD of Urswick, tailor, stated that George BARKER was hired as a servant to himself.

6. 9 January 1745 – Examination under oath of William SHEARWIN by Richard Gilpin SAWREY JP: William SHEARWIN stated that he had been born in Broughton in Furness where his father was legally settled. William SHEARWIN had been bound as an apprentice to William FOX of Ulpha, serving his master for two years in Ulpha until his master’s removal to Dalton in Furness. His master had returned to Ulpha where he remained for one year and three quarters when he moved to Dunnerdale, where he stayed until the completion of his apprenticeship.

7. 1 May 1745 – Statement of account.

8. 25 May 1745 – Statement refuting the accusation against Jonathan THOMPSON of Savil-green that he was guilty of selling spirits without a licence.

SIGNED:        Jn^o RAMSDEN, Ja: ALDERSON, Rob^t: BUTTERFIELD, Rich: COOKE, Jon LAYCOCKE, Jn^o WHITTAKER, Dan. WHITTAKER, James WETHERHERD, John KERSHAW, John GREAME & David BENTLEY.

9.   25 May 1744 – Statements taken upon oath by Richard Gilpin SAWREY JP

1.      Joseph   HARGREAVES of Lady Hall, Cumberland & Elizabeth his wife stated that at about 9pm on Saturday last, his half sister, Mary SIMPSON, came to his house in a weak and foolish condition, that she had stated that she was brought from the Poor House at Dalton by James HALL, Master of the said House and Joseph HART of Ireleth, that they rode fast with her which had hurt her much that they set her down on Lady Hall Marsh a place of some distance from any houses and left her there, that they used threatening words to induce her to come along with them, that she had been out of order some time beforeshe left Dalton and her reckoning was out that she was in the greatest Surprise and Concern when the inhabitants of Dalton talked talked of removing her and that she fell into a violent sweat thereupon, that the said SIMPSON had symptoms of labourupon her when she came to this informant’s house and that she was never easy afterwards till her death which was on the Tuesday morning following when she died in labour and the informant Elizabeth saith that the above information and every part thereof is true. SIGNED Joseph HARGREAVES, Elizabeth x HARGREAVES.

2.      Christian INMAN saith that Mary SIMPSON was brought to Dalton Workhouse the week after Easter last, that The Said SIMPSON declared herself to be with child and she believes was near her time, that the said SIMPSON was ill and uneasy all the while she was in the said workhouse which was about seven weeks, and that she grew rather worse towards the latter end of the time she was in the said workhouse and particularly on the day she was taken out of the said workhouse that she lay upon the bed part of the afternoon and was so lying down when Thomas GARNER, Joseph HART and Jonas PARK came to order James HALES to carry her away, and that the said HALE did take her up behind him and rid [rode] away with her by direction of the above GARNER, HART and PARK as this informant believes , but did not hear what passed amongst the said persons and the said SIMPSON they the said persons going up stairs to where the said SIMPSON was laying upon the bed. That she frequently heard the said SIMPSON tell of going back to Cumberland as soon as she was recovered of her laying in but never heard her tell of going sooner and the informant Mary INMAN saith that the above information and every part thereof is true. SIGNED Christian INMAN, Mary INMAN

3.      William COOK saith that that he is kept in the Workhouse belonging to Dalton that Mary SIMPSON came into the workhouse at the time mentioned in the previous informations, that that he has frequently heard the said SIMPSON declare that she would not return into Cumberland till after she was delivered, except the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of Dalton would give a certificate with her for she knew she could not stay there in quietness and further the said informant  has heard the said SIMPSON declare that she believed the inhabitants of Dalton intended to do with her as Ferdinando LEECE and John TOWERS did with a woman which they carried over the sands when she was in labour and who died immediately thereupon as this informant has heard and believes and this informant further saith that he heard the said SIMPSON declare a few days before she was removed by James HALL as in the preceding informations that she was then of her full time.                 SIGNED: William x COOK

4.      Elizabeth ASKEW, mid-wife of Lady Hall, saith that on the Monday morning before ab^t two o’clock she was called to assist Mary SIMPSON who was then in labour of a bastard child at the house of Joseph HARGREAVES at Lady Hall aforesaid that the said SIMPSON declared she had labour pains upon her the day before and had been very ill in the workhouse at Dalton about a fortnight before and expected to lie in there and that she was in the greatest concern and fear when she saw the inhabitants of Dalton come with a horse and pillion seat to fetch her away and fell into a violent sweat thereupon and that she was much jumbled and hurt by the riding and this informant believes that considering the circumstances she found the said SIMPSON in, that she was much hurt by the riding and brought into a condition thereby which provocated her delivery, which she could fully explain to a midwife or surgeon and that she died in labour without being delivered on the Tuesday morning following  SIGNED: Elizabeth x ASKEW

5.      STATEMENT: According to the foregoing informations, are the persons bailable by one or more Justices of the Peace, or ought they to be committed, or may the friends of the deceased who are poor, compound the matter without bringing any blame upon the Justices who took the informations.                                                                          RESPONSE (in a different hand): It had been proper in this case to have had a Coroners Inquest upon the body of y^e dec^d, w^ch if it had found y^e force used to y^e dec^d. to be y^e cause of her death would have removed y^e doubt as to y^e bailing as y^e case appears from these informations, y^e woman being dead, & her death probably occasioned by y^e removal of her, or y^e violence used therein (as may be collected fron El ASKEW information) & such removal being an illegal act ag^t y^e consent of y^e woman, I apprehend y^e offence is such as y^e offenders ought not in providence to be bailed by y^e ustices, but they y^e offenders should be committed & brought to tryall                             SIGNED: Ric. WILSON, 26 June 1744

6.      POSTSCRIPT (in the same hand as statement 5): It’s probable that if the persons within mentioned should be indicted for murder, that they will be acquitted : Had they not better be indicted for a misdemeanour? Or for both? In two separate indictments. One of the persons within mentioned was no otherness than accidently in company when the woman was sent away, and another was only a guide over the sandys; tho’ it’s most likely he knew on what account the woman was removed. May not these or one of you be left out of the commitment or admitted as evidences against the Overseer of the Poor, Churchwarden and Master of the workhouse who were the principal contrivers and promoters of the illegal removal.

10. 4 July 1745 - A schedule of goods at Broughton Tower.

11. 16 March 1749 – Notice to return lists of all papists, reputed papists, non-jurors etc.

12. STATEMENT: Jn^o Gilpin SAWREY held his first court on 25 May 1756.

13. 2 June 1763 – John Gilpin SAWREY appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire.

14. 6 March 1772 Copy of the will of John Gilpin SAWREY.

15. Of no consequence!

16. Missing

17. Undated note

18. 1744 - Draft notice regarding Land Tax in Morley Division, West Riding, Yorkshire.

19. Note.

Neil Hudson

December 2009