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CRIMINAL RECORDS. |
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Chichester in January, 1748, and met the doom they richly merited. At the East Grinstead Assizes in August, 1749, there were numerous additional trials.
John Mills, called Smoker, a colt breaker of Trotton, whose father and brother had both been hung, was tried for participation in the murder of Hawkins, and Henry Sheerman, otherwise Little Harry, of West Strutton, for his share in the murder of Galley. Both were sentenced to death and numerous other charges against them were not gone into. Among others of the gang convicted and sentenced to be hung at the same Assizes were John Brown, called " Jockey," a well-known young smuggler, for robbing John Walter of 12 guineas in gold and £12 in silver at Bersted; Lawrence Kemp and Thomas Kemp, two members of the notorious Hawkhurst gang, for burglary at the farmhouse of Richard Havendon, of Heathfield; and Robert Fuller, a keen old smuggler, for stealing 7s. 6d. from William Wittenden, at Worth. All these men were executed, Mills on Slindon Common, where his body was afterwards hung in chains, and the others at Horsham. Among the counsel who appeared for the prosecution in these various trials were Mr. Smythe, K.C., M.P. for East Grinstead, and Mr. Staples, of Hurst-an-Clays.
A BRAMBLETYE SUIT.
Let us now take a look backward for three centuries. Queen Elizabeth's Council of State had a most peculiar matter brought to its notice from East Grinstead in the year 1579. Brambletye House was then occupied by James Pickas and Katherin, his wife, and they both seem to have been mixed up in strange matters. The Vicar of East Grinstead at that time was Richard Burnopp, who was brought before the Council of State for falsely accusing this James Pickas of having arrested him at his own altar. According to the Star Chamber proceedings, this Vicar was a man
that p'cured his said neighbours to spende in trobles and sutes in law above five hundred poundes and to the end he may still dwell in bralles |
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