Petition
Crime, Prisons & Punishment 1770-1934
First name: Isaac
Last name: Parkhouse
Year of committal or conviction: 1832
Place of committal or conviction: Somerset
Offence: Robbery
Sentence type: Transportation
Sentence duration: Life
Record source: Home Office: Criminal Petitions: Series I
The National Archives reference: HO17/94
HO/17/94 RR4 Isaac Parkhouse
Rr 4
Isaac Parkhouse. 19.
Somerset Lent Ass
Taunton March 1832
Robbery
Sentence Commuted to Trans for Life
Gaolers Rept – Char he believed to be Indifferent
Onbd Captivity
Presented by Geo J Palmer MP
A..[?]
And @ 12 Feby 1833
To the Kings most Excellent Majesty
The Humble Petition of Daniel Parkhouse of the Parish of Saint James in the City of Bath Hallier and Mary his Wife the Father and Mother of Isaac Parkhouse late of the same place but now on board your Majesty’s Ship “The Captivity” at Devonport having had Sentence of death recorded against him.
Humbly Sheweth to your Majesty That your Petitioners Son the said Isaac Parkhouse was convicted at the Somerset Assizes held at Taunton in the said County of Somerset on the 29th day of March last past of Highway Robbery in Company with Henry Bartlett who was also convicted at the same Assizes for the same offence, and sentence of death recorded against him.
That your Petitioners said Son is a very young man only 21 years of age and has ever conducted himself with great propriety being of steady sober and industrious habits, and was never until the present time charged with the slightest offence or breach of the Laws of his Country.
That your Petitioners have heard and believe that their said Son was caused to be apprehended and committed on the present charge having been by accident present when the offence was committed and his being well known in the neighbourhood he was fixed upon as the aggressor although your Petitioners have every reason to believe and do firmly believe that he is innocent of the charge laid against him, and as appears by a statement of the case hereunder written.
That under the circumstances which your Petitioners have humbly presumed to offer to your Majesty’s gracious consideration they most humbly pray that your Majesty will be pleased to extend your Majesty’s most gracious mercy and favour towards your Petitioners said Son and that your Majesty will in your Royal Clemency be most graciously pleased to grant a Commutation of his Sentence to as short a period as your Majesty may be graciously pleased to direct.
And your Petitioners will ever pray & [ends here]
Case
Isaac Parkhouse is now suffering for a crime which he did not commit as will appear by the following particulars, he was at his Father’s Stables in Clarks Row Bath where the disturbance happened on Saturday night the 21st of January last feeding his Fathers Horses and hearing a noise in the Street he went out to see what was the matter when he saw several young men larking together and Knocking off each others Hats, this happened near Isaac Colstone’s the Prosecutor’s door who was standing there, which is but a few yards from the Stable, and his Colstone’s hat was Knocked off by whom Parkhouse does not know, Colstone then called the Watchman who came up soon after and several of the young men then dispersed, and Parkhouse having finished his work at the Stable he locked the door and was on his way home when he was overtaken by Colstone who gave him in charge of a policeman and said he had been robbed. Parkhouse was then taken to the Watch house. Mr Moore the Night Constable there asked Colstone what charge he had against Parkhouse and if he had been robbed. Colstone said no he had not been robbed, he had been beat and ill treated. Mr Moore then said that he Colstone must get a Summons for him Parkhouse and dismissed him immediately. On the following Tuesday Evening Parkhouse and Henry Bartlett were taken to the Guilhall by one of the Mayor’s Officers, and on the next day Colstone appeared against them and swore he had been robbed of his hat and 2s but could not swear it was done by Parkhouse but that he was one of the party and he was therefore committed and took his Trial for the same.
Colstone is a Jew and bears a very bad Character and is now travelling from place to place with a few pencils [etc?] for Sale and nearly barefooted and scarcely a rag to his back, and several persons who know him are of the opinion he was not robbed as before stated, that he caused Parkhouse to be apprehended thinking to extort money from his poor Father and Mother and as a proof thereof a young man informed his Mother when at Taunton who saw Colstone after the Trial and asked him how it was settled when he informed him and said if she had given him a Sovereign he would not have appeared against him. Under these and many other circumstances it is clear that Parkhouse is innocent of the charge against him.
We the undersigned have known Daniel Parkhouse and Mary Parkhouse and their said Son upwards of 10 years and have employed them during that period, and have always proved their said Son to be a steady sober industrious and honest young man, and have not the slightest reason to think that he is guilty of the crime for which he is suffering.
Edwd John West of Bath, Butcher
John Pickford, Orchard […]
Jas Bourn, Bath Corn Factors
Joseph Bose, Coach Proprietor
John Brown, Bath, Timber Merchant
William James, Soap maker
Francis Morrish, Carrier
Henry Stotherd, Iron Founder
Mathew Harris, Iron Founder
