User:Hillbillyholiday/Articles/Dennis Collins

The whole story

"Newgate Calendar". exclassics.com.

Newgate Calendar: The Malefactors' Bloody Register Vol. V. 1832/1833

Convicted of High Treason, in throwing a Stone at King William IV. at Ascot Races, 19th of June, 1832

THIS extraordinary attack on the person of his Majesty took place at Ascot Races. The assault originated in nothing more than an insane desire on the part of the person who was guilty of it to vent his anger on the King for a supposed injury inflicted on him in the forfeiture of a pension which had been granted to him for past services in the navy.

It was on Thursday, the 19th of June, 1832, that this attack was made. His Majesty, accompanied by his consort, had just reached the grand stand on the race-course, and had advanced to the front window to acknowledge the respectful greetings of his people, when two stones, thrown in quick succession after each other, were seen to fly in the direction of the window at which the Royal party was stationed. The first stone rebounded from the building to the ground below, but the second entered the open window and struck his Majesty a somewhat severe blow on the front of the head. An instant alarm was raised, and a thousand arms were extended to seize the individual by whom the attack was made, whose act was attributed to an intention far more dangerous than it eventually appeared the unfortunate man had had. His Majesty was much agitated, and retired to the inner part of the room, apparently in alarm lest any further violence should be attempted, and was observed to express considerable fear lest her Majesty, or any of the ladies of the suite, might receive injury; but in a few moments he regained his self-possession and presented himself at the window, to assure the public of his safety. His Majesty had received only a slight injury, owing to the stone having fallen upon his hat; and the Royal party appeared perfectly reassured long before the alarm created in the minds of those present had subsided, and they had become convinced that the attack was not the subject of some deep-laid and villainous plot.

The wretched author of the mischief had been immediately secured, and he was now carried before Sir F. A. Roe, the chief magistrate of Westminster, who was always in attendance upon his Majesty upon such occasions, and who held a species of court in a room under the grand stand. Gardiner, the Bow Street officer, had the prisoner in charge, and conducted him to the presence of the magistrate. In a few moments the room where the examination was held was crowded with persons in attendance on his Majesty, or attached to the Royal suite, who were anxious to learn the particulars of this extraordinary act, as well as to ascertain the station and occupation of the assailant of the King.

The prisoner was found to be old and decrepit; he had a wooden leg, and was wearing the tattered garb of a sailor. He gave his name as Dennis Collins, and surveyed the assembled throng with a calm composure, while, however, there appeared to be considerable incoherence in the expressions which he occasionally let fall, produced apparently by the confusion in which he was involved, consequential upon the somewhat rough treatment which he had received from the mob before he had reached the custody of the police officers. The circumstances which have been already detailed were now proved in evidence; and witnesses were examined who had seen the prisoner on the race-course during the morning and had remarked his demeanour. The old man was considerably below middle height, and the general aspect which he presented was the reverse of pleasing, on account of the want of cleanliness of his person. His countenance was by no means ill-favoured, and a bright sparkling eye appeared to lend to it an expression of considerable intelligence. He made no statement before the magistrates, and was eventually committed to Reading jail for re-examination on the following Wednesday.

On that day the necessary witnesses to his crime were called, and their depositions formally taken, and the prisoner was then called upon for his defence. His address to the magistrates was highly characteristic of the old sailor, a station to which it appeared the prisoner was entitled. He said:

"I own myself in a great fault for throwing these stones at his Majesty. I was in Greenwich Hospital on the 16th of December last, as an in-pensioner. I had been there eighteen months. The ward-keeper was sweeping the place, and I told him he had no business to sweep it more than once a day; the boatswain's mate abused me, and I returned it. A complaint was then made to Sir Richard Keats (the governor), and I was expelled for life. I petitioned to the Lords of the Admiralty to have the pension which I had before I went into the hospital restored to me. I am entitled to that pension by an Act passed in the reign of George IV. which entitles a pensioner to have the same pension which he had before he became an in-pensioner, unless he struck an officer, or committed felony, or did anything of the kind, which I did no such thing. On the 19th of last April I petitioned the King to have my pension restored. He answered by sending the petition to the Lords of the Admiralty, and Mr Barrow, the secretary, sent a letter to me at a public-house, the Admiral Duncan, with the same answer the King gave. The answer was that his Majesty could do nothing for me. This was partly in writing and partly in print. I had neither workhouse nor overseer to apply to, and had not broke my fast for three days; mere distress drove me to it. His Majesty never did me an injury, and I am exceedingly sorry I threw a stone or anything else at his Majesty. On the 17th of the present month I went to Admiral Rowley's; he swore at me and kicked me. I can only say I am very sorry for what I have done, and must suffer the law. They had no right to take my pension from me, to which I was entitled by Act of Parliament."

This was all the wretched man said, and he was then fully committed for trial in the customary form, upon the charge of high treason.

His trial took place at Abingdon, on Wednesday, the 22nd of August, when he was arraigned upon an indictment which charged him with assaulting his Majesty, with intent to kill and murder him, with intent to maim and disable him, and with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm. A verdict of guilty upon the last count was returned.

The sentence awarded by the law to the offence of high treason was immediately passed, and the prisoner was ordered to be drawn and quartered, in obedience to the ancient and long-existing practice.

It was directly known that a sentence so severe would not be carried into full effect upon a man whose only crime appeared to have been insanity, although there was no distinct evidence by which this supposition could be proved; and on the following Friday a respite was received at Abingdon Jail, by which the punishment of death was removed in the case of the old convict.

Collins, at the time of his trial, was upwards of seventy years of age, and he had served in the navy for many years. His gallant conduct in an action was the cause of his losing his leg, and he was compelled to quit the service. He subsequently exerted himself to procure his admission to Greenwich Hospital, and eventually succeeded; but he was expelled for the misconduct previously related. From that time he appears to have supported himself by begging, and he was well known at the various fairs and race-courses, which he had previously been in the habit of frequenting in a similar character.

His sentence was eventually commuted to transportation for life, and he was sent from this country to Van Diemen's Land. A short residence in that colony ended his days. He died at Port Philip in the spring of the year 1834???? ((Arrrghh DATES!!!)).

Reports

It was said that Dennis Collins gave this explanation of his conduct with the utmost coolness and self-possession. The warrant was then signed and the witnesses were bound over to appear. In the newspapers next morning the following report appeared.

Collins seems to have told the truth, but not the whole truth. He is evidently a quarrelsome brutal fellow. The grand error committed in regard to him, was his readmission to Greenwich Hospital after his first expulsion. He ought to have got his out-pension and no more.

This man appeared to have served only two years and eight months in the Navy, when he met with an accident in stowing the booms aboard His Majesty’s ship ATALANTA, which rendered amputation of the left leg necessary. He was invalided on a pension of £10 and on the first of February 1800, received as an in-pensioner of Greenwich Hospital, where he continued four years, and was then discharged to the out-pension. From his own account, it appears that he at this time went to Halifax where he was received into the Kings service, and obtained a cook’s warrant, which he soon after lost for misconduct; and in 1810 he was again admitted into Greenwich Hospital. His conduct at this time was so bad, that after repeated trials and petty punishments, he was expelled on the 11th of May 1811, for disorderly and disgraceful behaviour; but he shortly after succeeded in getting restored to his out-pension, and once more obtained a cook’s warrant, which he afterwards forfeited by striking an officer in one of the Dock-yards.

After repeated petitions, he was, on the 30th of August, 1817, admitted for a third time into Greenwich Hospital and appears to have been more quiet; for, without tracing him in the minutes of Council, he was discharged at his own request to the out-pension on the 18th of June 1819. On the 7th July, 1820, he was admitted in-pensioner for the fourth time; and on the 4th of May following, suspended for one year in consequence of riotous and disgraceful conduct; and at the expiration of that period he failed to return, and was made run, by which his out-pension became forfeited. He again petitioned, and again succeeded in obtaining his out-pension; and on the 5th June 1830, was readmitted for the fifth time into Greenwich Hospital; a degree of indulgence and forbearance almost unprecedented, after the flagrant misconduct which stands recorded against him. His violent propensities were not, however, yet conquered; and after several repetitions of riotous conduct, he was finally expelled on the 16th December last, for creating a disturbance in his ward, advising the ward-keeper to disobey the orders, and for using violent and improper language.

When it emerged that Dennis Collins was to stand trial for High Treason, there was editorial comment in several newspapers, some condemnatory, such as that in The Times, that referred to him as “an incorrigible Blackguard, given to habits of intemperance and vice”, while others such as The Spectator were more conciliatory and called for leniency in view of the distressed state of the accused.[1]

Trial

Dennis Collins appeared at a session of the Berkshire Assizes in Abbingdon on Wednesday, August 23rd, 1832, on trial for his life on a charge of High Treason. The Times reported the trial in some detail. The court re-assembled in the County Hall in the Town. It was reported that the interest excited by the trial was not great. The attendance in the public gallery seemed to be confined mostly to the upper classes. Soon after 9 a.m. the two judges, Bosanquet and Gurney took their seats on the bench. After some potential jurors were refused by the defence, a Jury was finally assembled. The Crown was represented by the Attorney General, Mr. Jervis, assisted by Campbell, Sheppat and Maule. As was customary in such cases, where, presumably, the defendant could not afford representation, the Crown appointed two barristers to represent the defendant, Dennis Collins. These were Mr. Swadey and Mr, Carrington.

Collins was led into the dock where he bowed several times to the Judges. The report noted,

The appearance of the prisoner had changed somewhat for the worse during his confinement since his last appearance in court. He had the appearance of a man who had undergone some illness yet he did not appear to be ill in the dock. He was grave and steady and seemed keenly interested in the proceedings. He lacked the callous indifference of the hardened criminal.

Somewhat paradoxically, the report continued:

He had the demeanour of the professional sailor who always had resources in reserve for an emergency at sea---- But there was about him a recklessness of manner which showed a man who had never given himself the trouble of considering the consequences of any of his acts.

The Attorney general began the case for the Crown prosecution by outlining the five indictments against Collins. The first of these read,

1 Compassing and intending the death of the King.

2 Intending to do His Majesty bodily harm, tending to his death.

Numbers 3 and 4 were variants of the first two, while the final indictment read,

5 Intending to do bodily harm, tending to wound or maim His Majesty.

All of these indictments carried the death penalty.

When asked how did he plead, Collins replied, “Not guilty my Lord”. The attorney General then continued to outline the case.. He described the events at Ascot and mentioned that witnesses would be called to give verification. His initial address to the court was lengthy and in the course of which he mentioned,

The law which threw it’s protection around the lives of all members of the community, did so in an especial way around that of the Chief Magistrate. All law and justice was administered in his name. There was clear intention on the part of the prisoner to do serious harm to His Majesty--- If his hat had not cushioned the blow to some extent it might have been fatal.

Lowth, Cormac F. "The One-Legged Sailor & the King". National Maritime Museum of Ireland.

Legal costs

The legal costs for the trial of Dennis Collins were as follows:

Defence counsels and solicitors. £246-19-0

Expenses for Witnesses. £6-4-6

Other expenses. £74-13-7

Crown counsels nil.

Total £327-17-1

Bon voyage!

Dennis Collins was transported to Van Diemen’s Land aboard the barque EMPEROR ALEXANDER, which left Sheerness on April 10th 1833. A remarkable account of the voyage to the penal colony in the southern hemisphere has survived in the journal of the ship's surgeon, Dr. William Donnelly, which is held in the National Archives in Kew, England.

Dr. Donnelly’s journal describes the voyage in detail. The weather was pleasant and favourable for most of the voyage. At the outset the ship struggled against adverse winds and rough seas for over a week while trying to clear the English Channel. The final three weeks also brought sleet and heavy squalls. Throughout the voyage there was continual need for medical treatment for many of those on board...including...Dennis Collins was among those treated by Dr. Donnelly, but the nature of his complaint is unclear.

Tasmanian devil

Van Diemen's Land, or Tasmania, where Dennis Collins now found himself, was a forbidding place, that by its reputation= struck terror and fear into the hearts of transportees. 1833 was the year in which transportation of convicts reached its peak with a total of 6,799, 4,000 of whom were sent to New South Wales and the remainder to Van Diemen’s Land.

In addition to 'ordinary criminals' there were many who were regarded as ‘Politicals’. There were Chartists and Luddites; people who sabotaged machinery which they felt was destroying their livelihoods; and tithe protestors and men from other clandestine organisations in Ireland.

Physical description

Everything relating to the life of a convict in Van Diemen’s Land was meticulously recorded and much of this material survives today in the Tasmanian Archives. All of the entries were handwritten in Copperplate script. Dennis Collins was prisoner number 1545.

Number: 1545

Name: Collins, Dennis

Trade: Labourer, Cripple, Wooden leg

Assignment: Port Arthur

Height, Without shoes 5'-3

Age 58

Complexion: Ruddy

Head: Small

Hair: Brown

Whiskers: Grey

Visage: Narrow

Forehead: Retreating

Eyebrows: Light brown

Eyes :Light Grey

Nose: Aqualine

Mouth: M.W. [medium wide?]

Chin: M.S. [medium short?]

Remarks: Lost left leg.

Conduct record

Conduct record. Collins Dennis, Emperor Alexander, 12th Aug.1833, Berks. Assizes, 16th July, 1832, Life. Transported for High Treason in throwing at and hitting the King with a stone.

Gaol Report. Very discontented as regards the rules of the prison.

Hulk report. Vicious and irritable temper. Single.

Stated the offence, High Treason, throwing a stone at the King, 'I was sentenced to be drawn on a hurdle and hanged, then to be beheaded and quartered,. The reason I threw the stone at the King was that I petitioned the King to restore my pension and he refused' : Single.

Surgeons report. Conduct for the first 6 weeks, most disorderly, insubordinate, refractory and that of a madman. Subsequently quiet, tractable and submissive

Surgeons special report. Though this man has been troublesome, insubordinate and even refractory for a time, his conduct at this time and particularly subsequently has been better.

October 3rd 1833. Disobedience of orders and repeatedly refusing to work, 7 days solitary confinement on bread and water.

October 11th 1833. Refusing to go to work, 7 days solitary confinement on bread and water, Port Arthur.

(note: two consecutive periods of punishment followed by death in two weeks)

Died, 1st November, 1833, Vide Port Arthur return, 22nd Nov.1834

He was aged 58. He is reputed to have said that he "would neither do the kings' work, nor eat the King’s bread."

The last entry for Dennis Collins in the records of the Penal Settlement mentions that he was buried at the Wesleyan Church, Port Arthur, by Mr. John A. Manton, on November 1st. 1833. The cause of death is not mentioned.

Poem

The following verse appeared in the Freeman’s Journal on Wednesday, July 11th. 1832.

A Hard Point Decided

A group of his majesties subjects assembled,

Each heart in the loyal convention had trembled

To think that a pirate should dare throw a flint

At a head that had feeling and royalty in’t.

When their anger sunk down to a calmer debate

They started a question of moment and weight,

Was the flint stone the traitor exulted to fling,

As hard – or more hard as the head of the king.

The council was puzzled till Paddy arose,

On whose head half his hardships were numbered in blows,

A man who knew well by experience they said,

The cause and effect of a blow on the head.

"The granite, the limestone, the Portland, the Brown,

May vex a man sorely, at times put him down,

Fling what stone you may please but believe me the print"

Quoth Pat, "will be deepest that’s made by the flint."

The scripture, the very best proof of the thing,

Informs us God hardens the heart of a King,

But up to the moment in all I have read

I ne’er could discover who hardens his head.

The head then remained as it had been before,

As honest and soft as a monarch e’re wore,

So the question is now as I clearly have shown,

Not who hardens the head but who softens the stone.

A poet called Orpheus mythologists tell

Once softened the heart of the monarch of hell,

Rocks lost all their hardness and oak trees had hung

Enraptured to hear the wild notes that he sung.

My opinion is this that some voices were singing,

May God save the King while the traitor was flinging,

Tho’ the flint stone flew fair and had caused much alarm

It lost all its hardness and did him no harm.

-TCD

The anonymous author was presumably some wag from Trinity College Dublin.

Brewers' Rogues.. entry. Inaccurate but a mention at least

Donaldson, William (2002). Brewers' Rogues, Eccentrics & Villains. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-35728-6.

Dennis Collins (1781—1832) able seaman. In 1832 Collins, who had lost a leg at the Battle of Trafalgar, limped 21 miles from London to Ascot, where he attended the races and threw a stone at William VI as a protest against the removal of his pension rights. The stone dented the king’s top hat and Collins was sentenced to be hanged. This was later commuted to deportation, but Collins died before he could be shipped out the Caribbean.

See also

• List of unusual deaths

References

Sources

• Lowth, Cormac F. "The One-Legged Sailor & the King". National Maritime Museum of Ireland.
• Camden Pelham (Pseud) (1841). The chronicles of crime; or, the new Newgate calendar, a series of memoirs and anecdotes of notorious characters.