A Full and Genuine History of the Inhuman and Unparalleled Murders...
"Inhuman and Unparalleled Murders" A Gentleman at Chichester. A Full and Genuine History of the Inhuman and Unparalleled Murders of Mr. William Galley, A Custom-House Officer, And Mr. Daniel Chater, A Shoemaker, By Fourteen Notorious Smugglers, With the Execution of Seven of the Bloody Criminals, At Chichester. Also the Trials of John Mills, And Henry Sheerman; With an Account of the Wicked Lives of the Said Henry Sheerman. Lawrence and Thomas Kemp, Robert Fuller, And Jockey Brown, Condemned at East Grinsted. With the Trials at Large of Thomas Kingsmill and Other Smugglers for Breaking Open the Custom House at Poole. To the Whole is Added a Sermon Preached in the Cathedral Church of Chichester, At a Special Assize Held There, By William Ashburnham, M.A. Late Bishop of the Diocese. Chichester: Printed and Sold by William Mason, [c.1820]. 160 pp. With seven copperplate illustrations "descriptive of the barbarous cruelties." Octavo (6-3/4" x 4-1/2"). Contemporary three-quarter morocco over marbled boards, blind rules to morocco edges, gilt fillets and title to spine. Light rubbing to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities, front joint just starting at head, front hinge cracked. Light toning to interior, occasional light foxing, marginal tears to plates, the first of which is detaching in middle but secured on ends, images not affected, early ownership signature (of B.S. Smurthwaite, Chichester) dated December 23, 1822. $650. * Sixth edition. The Hawkhurst Gang was a group of smugglers based in southeast England from 1735 until the arrest and execution of key members in 1749. The group was notorious for its boldness and willingness to shed blood. The present account details an episode towards the end of the gang's career. Galley, a customs officer, arrested Chater, a gang member, in 1748, and turned him into an informer. Both men were then captured by other members of the Hawkhurst gang and savagely murdered; Galley was beaten, tied to his horse and mutilated, while Chater was tortured and stoned to death. The first edition of our account appeared immediately after the trial of Hawkhurst Gang leaders in 1749, with an eighth and final edition appearing under a different title c.1858. OCLC and Library Hub locate 3 copies of our scarce edition (Library of Congress, U.S. Supreme Court, Texas Medical Center Library).
Price: $650.00
Book number 73011