September 23rd, 1806.—“William Hamilton was found guilty of a highway robbery near Caen Wood."

1806." William Hawkins was found guilty of a highway robbery in Hampstead Lane."

September 30th, 1814.-"A gentleman was stopped in Maiden Lane by a footpad with crape over his face; assistance being near, he was apprehended and taken to the nearest public-house, when the robber was found to be the nephew of the person he had attempted to rob."—European Magazine, October 1814.

1818.-" James Lackington, of the Temple of the Muses, Finsbury Square, an eminent bookseller, resided in Highgate in 1818."

October 4th, 1814.-A murder was committed in Millfield Lane; the victim was Mrs. Dobbins, wife of a man employed by the Hampstead Water Company. The murderer, Thomas Sharpe, a tramp, fractured her skull with a poker, and was hung 31st October.

1821. "On 25th August, Edward Sell, a private watchman in the employ of Thomas Hale, Esq., of Hornsey Lane, Highgate, was murdered under very barbarous circumstances. A man named Barrett and his wife were apprehended on suspicion ; upon searching their house a vast quantity of valuable property was discovered, enough to fill a waggon, the linen alone being valued at £100, which, it was proved, had been stolen from Mr. Rothschild's house on Stamford Hill, where Barrett's wife has been employed as a servant for two years, and was afterwards an occasional visitor."

In the result the prisoners were not found guilty of the capital charge, but were convicted of the robbery. The following is a more circumstantial account of this barbarity :

"Between the hours of two and six o'clock on the morning of Friday, the 24th August, 1821, Edward Sell, private watchman to Thomas Hale, Esq., of Hornsey Lane, Highgate, was wilfully murdered. The deceased and the premises of Mr. Hale1 were robbed, on the night of the murder, of the following articles :-An oldfashioned silver watch, the outer case worn through, the maker's name Uphohn; an old-fashioned metal chain, and two metal keys; one white cambric muslin dress; six white jaconet muslin frocks; three white pocket-handkerchiefs."

The following notice appeared in the London Gazette for Sept. 4th

"Whereas it hath been humbly represented unto the king that on the night of Thursday, the 23rd inst., or early on the following morning, Edward Sell, a private watchman in the employ of Thomas Hale, Esq., of Hornsey Lane, in the County of Middlesex, was inhumanly murdered:

"His Majesty, for the better apprehending and bringing to justice the person or persons concerned in the said atrocious murder, is hereby pleased to promise his most gracious pardon to any one of them (except the person or persons who actually

1 Mr. Peter Poland's late residence, Farquhar House, now site of New River reservoir.

perpetrated the same) who shall discover his, her, or their accomplice or accomplices therein, so that he, she, or they may be apprehended and convicted thereof. "SIDMOUTH.

"As a further encouragement, a reward of twenty guineas is hereby offered by the said Thomas Hale; and a further sum of one hundred guineas by the inhabitants of the parish of Highgate, to be paid on conviction, by the Rev. Dr. Owen, to any person except as aforesaid, who shall make such discovery as aforesaid."

So great was the consternation at the time of the murder, that the inhabitants of Highgate formed themselves into a committee, and in rotation two of them went out to watch every evening. The perpetrators of this foul and atrocious deed were never brought to justice, notwithstanding the large rewards that were offered for their apprehension.

April 5th, 1829.-"Mr. L. Neumegen of Highgate, who kept a school for Jewish boys [in the house now occupied by the Literary and Scientific Institution], was concerned in a curious case relating to a valuable emerald ring, which had been stolen from him, and found in the possession of a young Jewish lady, to whom, it was said, it had been presented by Lord Audley."

1831. Bishop [Bishop and Williams, the notorious burkers and bodysnatchers], hung in December 1831 for murdering an Italian boy for the sake of his teeth, was a Highgate carrier. Cokeham of North Hill was the successor to the business. Bishop confessed to two other murders, and the sale of some five hundred bodies to the surgeons, for which his carrier's cart gave him great facility for removal."

The murder of the Italian boy was in Nova Scotia Gardens, Bethnal Green, the spot now covered by Columbia Market.

In allusion to the desolate appearance of Finchley Common and the outskirts of Highgate a few years since, the following extract from the Times of August 25th, 1842, will perhaps not be uninteresting

"Discovery of the Relics of a Highwayman.--At the latter end of last week, as a labouring man was engaged in digging up some grown potatoes, upon one of the side slips of ground which have been taken out of the waste, and which border upon Highgate Woods near the village of Finchley, he turned up an old rusty bit, an iron bit, similar to a martingale brace, an old pistol-lock, and a silver coin of the reign of King George II.

"It is rumoured by persons living in the neighbourhood, that this spot about a century ago was a noted rendezvous for hordes of desperate highwaymen, who infested these parts, more especially Finchley Common, upon which, when convicted and executed, they were gibbeted in chains. From time to time, several relics of highwaymen have been found near this place, and not long since, as some woodmen were grubbing up the roots of timber, they alighted upon an oaken chest, which was found to contain old pistols, rusty steel buttons, and other like perishable relics of bygone highwaymen."

From the traditions which have been handed down by old inhabitants who recollect Finchley Common before it was enclosed, and when it was a dreary waste and dangerous to traverse without attendants, for fear of highwaymen and footpads, this quotation from the Times is amply confirmed; and there is another place near Highgate which took its name from a notorious robber who infested it, and committed numerous atrocious deeds, viz., Duval's Lane, now called the Hornsey Road. Duval's house, surrounded by a moat, was in existence a few years since, but many years have elapsed since he expiated his crimes at Ring Cross, Holloway.

And in further confirmation Townshend, the celebrated Bow Street officer, in his evidence states: "There is one thing which appears to me most extraordinary when I remember that very likely in one week there would be from ten to fifteen robberies. We have not had a single highway robbery lately, I speak of persons on horseback; formerly there were two, three, or four highwaymen on Hounslow Heath, on Wimbledon Common, on Finchley Common, and on the Romford Road.”1

The following are returns of Cornelius and Forey, the "learned” supervisors of the watchmen of the Hamlet of Highgate in 1779-80:

Sept. 28th, 1779.-" A Return of the Watch. The same men I reterned last Tuesday, is all well and abell. We have 10 carbines, II hangers, II ratels compleat."

"Their was a dispute betwixt 12 o'clock and I on Mund morning at the Green Dragon dore. But without any difequlty I soon put them to rites."

January 4th, 1780.-" A Return of the Watch and Lamps in the Hamlet of Highgate. The lamps have burnt prety well since last commity night until the frost came, since they have failed much. Last night thirty lamps out by 4 o'clock in the morning, Mr. Bell lamp out by 11 o'clock, Mr. Gipsons and Mr. Jones lamps out at I o'clock. Verey fue lamps burnend at 4 this morning."

Munday night Wilm Younge got his lamness. That knight, William Harissdid his duty. Tusday night I imploide John Floid, being a superenumerey man and an ould watchman."

"The watch box near Lady Hodgers out of repare.

"We have furedgd a bout for wood for to light our fiers and sum times subscribed a mong our selfs. We do hope you will alow us about four pence in a fortnight to by wood.

"I think these dark nights everey watch should be obliged to carey a lanthorn, for if a dore or a winder is left or breke open they cannot see it.

"CORNELIUS AND FOREY, Su."

1 Penny Magazine, vol. vi., p. 37.

The following is the Act under which Highgate was empowered to employ its own watchmen and light its own roads :

Decimo Quinto, Georgii III.

"An Act for Lighting and Watching the Hamlet of Highgate, in the County of Middlesex. Preamble.

"Whereas the Hamlet of Highgate within the Parishes of Hornsey, Saint Pancrass, and Saint Mary Islington, in the County of Middlesex, is large and populous, and it would be a great convenience and benefit to the inhabitants thereof if provision was made for lighting the same, and establishing a nightly watch therein:

And whereas the inhabitants and owners of houses within the said Hamlet are willing and desirous that a rate should be raised upon themselves to defray the charge thereof; but the same cannot be done, and the good purposes aforesaid effected, without the aid of Parliament."

After nominating forty-eight gentlemen by name it provides that they with—

"The Minister and Chaplain belonging to the Chapel of the said Hamlet of Highgate for the time being, shall be and they are hereby appointed Trustees for causing the said Hamlet to be lighted and watched in the night, from and including a house known by the sign of the Crown, in the occupation of John Saunders, on the east side of the road leading from London through Islington, and from and including a house nearly opposite the same, in the occupation of William Callon, Esquire, on the west side of the said road, through the said hamlet, on the great road to and including the house known by the name of the Lower Wrestlers, in the occupation of William Roberts, on the east, and another house nearly opposite the same, known by the name of the Black Bull, in the occupation of James Williamson; and from and including a house in the occupation of William Offley, Esquire, on the road from London through Kentish Town, and from thence to the south side of the hamlet, including all the houses to the public house known by the sign of the Angel, and occupied by Jeremiah Lister, and on the north side all the houses opposite thereto, beginning at the house occupied by George Daniel; and from thence to and including Pemberton Row, to the public-house known by the name of the Gate House, occupied by James Baggally, including also all the houses in the centre near the ponds, and also the house in the Grove occupied by Stephen Beckingham, Esquire, and the houses in the lane leading by the side of the Grove towards the door of the stableyard of the said Stephen Beckingham, Esquire; and down a certain lane called Kenn or Cane Wood Lane; to and including a house in the occupation of Major General Charles Eitzroy; and down Hornsey Lane to and including a house in the occupation of Robert Langford, Esquire, on the south, and a house nearly opposite the same, in the occupation of Thomas Richards, brickmaster, on the north side of the road leading to Hornsey; and down Southwould or Chapel Lane to and including a house in the occupation of Richard Wilbraham Bootle, Esquire, on the road leading to Muswell Hill; and down the lane leading to Highgate Common, ending at the back door of the said house occupied by Richard Wilbraham Bootle, Esquire; and for putting this Act in execution.

"Provided always, That nothing in this Act contained shall compel the said Commissioners to light the said lane called Kenn or Cane Wood Lane, but only to cause the said lane to be watched.

"Provided always, That no rate or assessment directed to be made as aforesaid shall exceed in the whole the sum of two shillings in the pound in any one year, of the yearly rent of such houses, shops, warehouses, or other buildings, gardens, tenements, or hereditaments, as aforesaid.

"Provided also, That all persons who occupy tenements under the yearly value of six pounds improved rent, and who subsist only by their manual labour, and do not keep an open shop for the sale of goods, wares, or merchandises, shall be freed and exempted from the payment of the said rates, or any part thereof; anything contained in this Act to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.

"Dated 29th November, 1774."

The remaining clauses provide for the administration of the Act.

A
Prty
Wall-1774

A STONE IN THE BOUNDARY WALL OF BISHAM HOUSE.