Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

There had been for some time past disputes among the Methodist body, which was now divided into two parties, consisting of the Reformers and the Conference party, which divisions had reached the village of Yeadon, where the majority formed the Reform party, and these disputes had led to so much bitterness and ill-will that proceedings had been taken both in law and equity with respect to the possession of the old chapel. But during the last twelve months there had been comparative tranquillity. The Reformers, having got possession of the chapel, held their meetings there, while the Conference party held theirs in a place which they denominated the Chapel House. A short time prior to Sunday the 13th of March, the Reformers announced that on that day a popular preacher named Everett would deliver a discourse. It appeared that this man Everett was particularly obnoxious to the Conference party, from his having edited a publication called The Fly Sheets, in which the principles of the Reform party had been upheld; and in consequence of his announced visit some anticipation of a renewal of the old strife was entertained, and the Conference party said that he should not preach in the chapel, in consequence of which Mr Everett gave notice that he would preach in the open air. The prisoner Sykes, who is an old soldier, was sent for, and a blunderbuss was procured. On the Sunday night, when considerable excitement prevailed, a stone was thrown at the Chapel House windows, in which the Conference party were assembled, and Sykes was commanded by the prisoner Mann to fire, upon which he fired the blunderbuss out of the window and wounded the prosecutor, who was coming up a lane fronting the chapel. The charge took effect in the leg, from which five shots were extracted, and he was in danger of losing his limb. [One month for Sykes and Mann: mistaken, not malicious.]

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Comment

The hearing before the West Riding magistrates in April – before this plea bargain – was more colourful but also more confusing, and I haven’t identified a suitable extract.

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Original

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
NORTHERN CIRCUIT YORK, JULY 18. CROWN COURT.-[Before Mr. Justice ERLE.]
John Sykes, aged 54, and Thomas Mann, aged 55, were charged with having feloniously discharged a loaded blunderbuss at Hiram Yeadon on the 13th of March last, with intent to do some grievous bodily harm; and James Gott was indicted as an accessory after the fact, he having aided and assisted them after they had committed the felony.
Mr. Bliss, Q.C., and Mr. Ellis appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Sergeant Wilkins and Mr. Overend defended the prisoners.
It appeared that there had been for some time past disputes amongst the Methodist body, which was now divided into two parties, consisting of the “Reformers” and the “Conference” party, which divisions had reached the village of Yeadon, where the majority formed the reform party, and these disputes had led to so much bitterness and ill-will that proceedings had been taken both in law and equity with respect to the possession of the old chapel. But during the last twelve months there had been comparative tranquillity. The Reformers, having got possession of the chapel, held their meetings there, while the Conference party held theirs in a place which they denominated the Chapel-house. A short time prior to Sunday, the 13th of March, the Reformers announced that on that day a popular preacher named Everett would deliver a discourse. It appeared that this man Everett was particularly obnoxious to the Conference party, from his having edited a publication called “The Fly Sheets,” in which the principles of the Reform party had been upheld; and in consequence of his announced visit some anticipation of a renewal of the old strife was entertained, and the Conference party said that he should not preach in the chapel, in consequence of which Mr. Everett gave notice that he would preach in the open air. In anticipation that the old quarrel would be renewed, the prisoner Sykes, who is an old soldier, was sent for, and a blunderbuss was procured. On the Sunday night, when considerable excitement prevailed, a stone was thrown at the Chapel-house windows, in which the Conference party were assembled, and Sykes was commanded by the prisoner Mann to fire, upon which he fired the blunderbuss out of the window and wounded the prosecutor, who was coming up a lane fronting the chapel. The charge took effect in the leg, from which five shots were extracted, and he was in danger of losing his limb. Henry Yeadon, a relative of the prosecutor, was with him at the time, and cried out, “You have shot a man from this house,” and he immediately received a blow on the head from a stick.
Mr. Sergeant Wilkins here conferred with the prisoners, and having done so said that he felt he had no legal answer to the charge, as there could be no doubt that Sykes had discharged the blunderbuss; but it was dark, there had been much previous excitement, and it was clear that he had no intention of doing any particular person any mischief, and the men would, by his (the learned sergeant’s) advice, withdraw their plea of not guilty, and throw themselves upon the mercy of the Court.
Mr. Bliss said that the prosecutor knew nothing of the characters of the prisoners, and there was no doubt that the shot had been fired under the excitement of religious disputes, and there was no reason to believe that any personal mischief was intended towards the prosecutor.
His Lordship said that he had previously, during these assizes, had to warn persons of the extreme peril they ran if they resorted to the use of fire-arms in repressing a civil trespass. They were liable to be convicted of felony if the shooting took effect, and if the wounding was followed by death they were liable to be indicted for murder, and within his memory that consequence had followed. He made these remarks in the belief that the prisoners were men having a conscience, who would rather that anything should happen to them than have such a charge brought against them. The learned counsel for the prosecution had based the charge on grounds far different from the malice which characterized such offences. He should, therefore, pass a sentence in moderation, in the full belief that the wounding was more a mistake than arising from malice. Sykes and Mann would, therefore, be imprisoned for one month, and Gott for a fortnight.

753 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• Blunderbuss (1) ·
• Firearm (15) ·
• Grievous bodily harm (2) ·
• James Everett (writer) (1) ·
• Methodism (38) ·
• Methodist Reform Church (1) ·
• Nonconformism (47) ·
• Religious intolerance (6) ·
• Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain) (3) ·
• William Erle (2) ·
• Yeadon (2) ·

All tags.

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