South Cerney Old and New South Cerney had for some years a number of expert thieves; the area they worked spread over many miles. They were thoroughly well organised, and it was not until 1862 that any charge could be really laid against them. Six of them were convicted in the spring of that year, although the band had been working for ten years previously. They had a receiver who owned a horse and cart, so he was able to take the fleeces to Fairford for sale. They also dealt in corn and other commodities. For years it had surprised local inhabitants that these men seemed to have plenty of money to spend at the public house. They had little trouble in removing the wool and fleeces from barns and granaries, as they had bunches of pick locks and false keys. They always worked well-armed, and after conviction, fines and prison sentences, they admitted they were glad they had been stopped, as murder would certainly have been committed the first time they had been interfered with. The six who were at last caught and convicted in 1862 were:- John Matthews who was known at ‘The King of the Poachers’. He was born in Glamorganshire in 1822. His mother was Welsh, but his father was a Wiltshire man. He had every opportunity as a young man, but on account of his bad habits his downward course began. He enlisted in the Army, but was bought out by friends. At the age of 21 he was convicted of poaching on the estate of Lord Suffolk at Charlton. After this. By way of revenge, he, one night, scaled a wall, entered his Lordship’s greenhouse and maliciously destroyed a large number of vines, strewing the path with the fruit and branches. After a struggle he was caught, and received six months imprisonment. In 1844 he was detected poaching at Kemble, and before being overpowered by the Police officer he stabbed this officer in the head. Apparently, although committed for trial at Gloucestershire Assizes, he was not convicted owing to some technical point of law. A few weeks later he was imprisoned for two months for poaching at Chelworth. In 1845 and 1846 he was convicted, again of poaching, and was given two months imprisonment on both charges. His field of poaching and assaults seems then to have been Gloucestershire, and several convictions are recorded in different Petty Sessional divisions. He was nearly caught at Chelworth in 1854, but escaped to the land of his birth, where he worked as a labourer in the Welsh docks. Having got into trouble there, he returned to Wiltshire, when he was found in 1856 at Sapperton. He escaped again, but was eventually caught and imprisoned for six months, having assaulted another man. In 1859 he was charged with a ‘mate’ at Cirencester Petty Sessions, but did not appear. A real chase started then, when they were caught at the Fosse Cross Inn. Two years imprisonment followed; in 1861 another three months for poaching at Rendcombe. Having been caught with the gang of thieves in 1862 and tried at Devises Quarter Sessions, Matthew was given fifteen months, with hard labour. Henry
Johnsey was the
receiver and was doubtless the worst and most demoralized character of the whole gang. His house at South Cerney was used for all sorts
of stolen property, which he readily got rid of through various channels. The fact that he was a ‘cadging’ butcher
and a dealer in skins and small lots of wool, gave him opportunities of visiting different
farms and ‘taking stock’. The
places were then entered by false keys, and property of all descriptions was carried off. In 1862 he turned Queen’s Evidence, but in
spite of this he was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment. George
Roseblade was a
fearless, strong man who did the heavy work of the gang.
He always maintained that his companions cheated him. It would appear that he made better use of his
money than the others, by taking it home to his wife, and paying off the arrears of his
club money; he did not mix with the gang at public houses.
Having been imprisoned for felony for nine months when caught wit the gang
in 1862, he confessed, to get the sympathy of the court.
On the way to Marlborough prison to await trial, he was kept separately from
the others, but one member, Samuel Price, got a message to him, warning him to be careful,
as the worst would happen if he gave his companions away. Two
members, Messenger and Job Johnsey, threatened Roseblade that he was to expect what would
follow! Johnsey and Messenger both determined
men, had openly declared that if they were interfered with they would murder a policeman,
or anyone else, burying them on the spot where they fell. Henry
Robbins was the
gang’s expert thief. He was the maker of
pick-locks and false keys. He had a wife and
eleven children to keep out of his earnings, but, although he was a common laborer, it was
a well-known fact that he often spent £1 a week on drink. He was
tried at Gloucester Quarter Sessions in 1855 for stealing clover seed, but was acquitted. 1857 found him imprisoned for two months as a
rogue and vagabond. He was a cruel husband
and a bad father, but notwithstanding this, his wife and family appeared to be greatly
attached to him. Samuel
Price was the
only member of the gang (except Henry Johnsey) who could write. He was first and foremost on the nightly thieving
enterprises. He was made paymaster and did
the distributioin of the money, but it is said that he always managed to take good care of
himself. At the Marlborough Quarter Sessions
he prepared a brief for the defence! Such dishonest practices had the effect of filling the local workhouses with women and children, who otherwise would have had their own cottages to live in, leading honest lives. It is said that at the time of the breaking up, the gang consisted of thirteen thieves, eight receivers, fifteen wives and sixty-two children, making a total of ninety-eight to be maintained, wither wholly or partially, out of the proceeds of stolen property. Taking the population of the village as it was stated in 1862, as about one thousand, there must have been approximately a tenth of the inhabitants directly, or indirectly, preying on the neighbouring public. (W & G, 26th July 1862; pamphlet 1862, Bingham Library) Mrs Elsie Cole said that her father told her his recollections of sheep-stealing. As South Cerney is so near to the Wiltshire border it was closely concerned with Wiltshire. Sheep-stealers used to slaughter the sheep and hide them in the big box tombs dated 1710-1755 on the south side of the church. They would wait until night time and then creep back when the all clear was given and collect the carcases and then sell the wool and the meat. They encouraged tales and fears of ghosts to scare people from going through the churchyard at night. It is said that sometimes these men were caught at their evil work by local men, and they would be tied into chairs and thrown into the brook by the villagers. The warning which the South Cerney men used when an official was about was to ‘Baa’ like a sheep. (Mr R Stait) |