18th October 1749
Ordinary's Account

THE ORDINARY of NEWGATE'S ACCOUNT of the Behaviour, Confession, & Dying Words Of the FIFTEEN MALEFACTORS Who were executed at TYBURN On Wednesday the 18th of OCTOBER, 1749.

BEING THE Sixth EXECUTION in the MAYORALTY OF THE Right Honble Sir William Calvert, Knt . LORD-MAYOR of the CITY of LONDON.

NUMBER VI. For the said YEAR.

LONDON:

Printed for, and sold by T. PARKER, in Jewin-street, and C. CORBETT, over-against St. Dunstan's Church, in Fleet-street, the only authorised Printers of the Dying Speeches. M.DCC.XLIX.

[Price Six-pence.]

THE ORDINARY of NEWGATE'S ACCOUNT of the Behaviour, Confession, &c. BY Virtue of the King's Commission of the Peace, OYER, and TERMINER, and Goal-Delivery of Newgate, held before the Right honourable Sir WILLIAM CALVERT, Knight , Lord-Mayor of the City of London; the Right Honourable the Lord Chief Justice WILLES, the Hon. Mr. Baron LEGGE, RICHARD ADAMS, Esq; Recorder, and others of his Majesty's Justices of OYER, and TERMINER, and Goal-Delivery of Newgate, holden for the said City of London, and County of Middlesex, at Justice Hall in the Old Bailey, on Wednesday the 6th, Thursday the 7th, Friday the 8th, Saturday the 9th, Monday the 11th, Tuesday the 12th, Wednesday the 13th, and Thursday the 14th of September, in the 23d Year of his Majesty's Reign;

JOHN COLLISON, GEORGE ALDRIDGE, JOHN WILSON, BOSOVERN PENLEZ, JOHN MOONEY, JAMES ARNOLD, DAVID BOYD, CORNELIUS DANOVER, THOMAS ROBINSON, JOHN CROSS, PHILIP LACEY, JOHN ALFORD, JOHN GRAHAM, WILLIAM CAVENAGH, THOMAS HASSEATE, or HAZARD, THOMAS MYNOTT, JAMES MCGENNIS, MARY DYMAR, and THOMAS CRAWFORD, were capitally convicted, and received Sentence of Death acordingly.

Since they were convicted, they have behaved for the Generality with such Decency as became their unhappy Case; and tho' HASSEATE and ALFORD were thought to have laid Schemes for an Escape; yet upon being found out, and chained down in their Cells, they were very quiet, and no Disturbance did ensue. The rest constantly attended at divine Service, and appeared devout and penitent. CAVENAGH, MCGENNIS, and CROSS, being Papists, had a proper Gentleman to attend them.

[omissis]

10. John Graham was indicted, for that he on the King's Highway, upon Saven Nelson , did make an Assault, putting him in bodily Fear, and Danger of his Life, and taking from his Person 3 s. 1 d. the Monies of the said Saven , July 19th.

[omissis]

2. JOHH GRAHAM, aged 35, was born at Londonderry, in the Kingdom of Ireland, and has given this Account of himself, viz.

I came of poor and honest Parents, and my Father dying at Sea, my Mother was left a poor Widow. She being not able to give me Learning, nor to do any thing for me, a right hon. and noble Lord of the Kingdom of Ireland, was pleased to take me, and give me some Learning, until I was fit for a Trade.

He would have given me my Choice, but I would fix on no other way of Life but going to Sea. At last, I went to Sea of my own Accord, against my Mother's Will; which I fear was the Cause of breaking her Heart, and has been a Means of helping me to this unfortunate End, because I disobeyed her. When I left her, I went to Dublin, and went along with a Dutch Trader to France, and so continued going to Sea, until now, which takes up the Space of about 17 Years.

I have been but a little while on Shore, and had entered on board another Ship, but coming on Shore was in Trouble, from which Hazard and Cavenagh rescued me; and that same Night this Robbery is sworn to have been done by me; but Hazard and Cavenagh, and others own the Fact, nor was I in Company with them, or ever guilty of a Robbery with them, or any-Body else.

When I was in the East-Indies a great many Years ago, to my great Grief and Sorrow, I was guilty of that foul and brutal Sin of Sodomy, for which and other Sins of my past mispent Life, such as keeping Company with lewd Women, and getting drunk, I am apt to think, it hath pleased God to suffer me to be in this great Calamity.

But the Fact for which I am convicted, I never was guilty of; for 'twas done by Hazard and Cavenagh, as was acknowledged by them in Court, before Sentence was passed upon me. However, I forgive my Prosecutor, and die in Charity with all the World.

A Copy of a Letter from John Graham, &c.

From the Cells of Newgate, October 15th, 1749.

My DEAR,

THese few Lines come to acquaint you of my good Health, and good Heart, both ready and willing to die, and to leave a World not worth thinking of. I have done my best to make my Peace with God, and so shall continue to do, till my Soul takes its Flight to the highest Heavens above, where is no Sorrow nor Trouble, but all Joys for evermore.

My Dear, you are all the Thoughts and Care I have in this World, and that you would for sake all your Sins, and repent of them in Time while God offereth his Mercy, is what I desire. For it is a sad thing to be plung'd into Eternity not to be prepared for it. I wish, as you love your Soul, that you would take care of it, and let these Lines take Place in your Heart.

My Dear, it is my Duty to leave this Charge with you, which I hope you will accept as kindly and as willingly as I send it you. Don't think of or mind my Misfortune, for it is no more than I justly deserve from God; because I wanted not for Knowledge of Good, but always did Evil against the Laws of the Almighty. However, my Dear, there is a great Comfort left me, and that is, I am not guilty of what the Man swore against me. God forgive him for it, and I hope he will not lay it to his Charge; for as I hope for Forgiveness from God, I forgive him.

'Twas God that thus suffered me to be punished for my former wicked and vile Doings, to be an Example for offending the just and good God. My Dear, I do think myself happy to die in an innocent Cause; for God is a righteous Judge, who will not condemn the Innocent; and for losing my Life now, I hope to have Life everlasting.

Remember me to all enquiring Friends, and as I know, my Dear, you can't provide or help my Body to be buried, never trouble yourself about it. So I have no more to say, but the Blessing of God attend you, and keep you for ever. My Dear, I am no more concern'd for my Death, than if I was to live. My Dear, these are the last Lines from your dying Husband, John Graham.

P. S. Keep these Lines and this Paper by you always, which I hope you will think on for your Soul's Sake, and I hope to see you in the Heavens above hereafter.

[omissis]

At the PLACE of EXECUTION.

ON Wednesday, the 18th Instant, between Nine and Ten o'Clock in the Forenoon, William Cavenagh , James McGennis , and John Cross , in one Cart; Mary Dymer , John Collison , and George Aldridge , in another; Bosavern Penlez , John Alford , and James Arnold , in a Third; Thomas Hazard , and John Graham , in a Fourth; David Boyd , and Philip Lacy , in a Fifth; Thomas Robinson , and Thomas Mynott , in a Sixth, went to the Place of Execution.

They came there about Eleven, with a very great Multitude of People; and having prayed some Time with them, and recommended their Souls to God, they were turned off from two Carts, calling on the Lord to have Mercy on them.

Cavenagh, M'Gennis, and Cross, died Papists , and the rest Protestants.

Alford, at the Place of Execution, twice repeated to the People that stood round him, what I have before given in Account of him, viz that he never saw the Prosecutor Lillwall, till he came and fix'd the Robbery upon him; and as to Jones, he never knew nor saw him, unless he might meet him passing the Streets, as he might do any Body else; and this was always his Story.

Hazard, just before the Cart drew from under them, declar'd Graham to be innocent of the Crime for which he suffer'd; and added, that himself, and Cavenagh, were the Men that committed it.

This is all the Account given by me,

JOHN TAYLOR

Ordinary of Newgate.