Page 45 - Reading Mercury

Joseph Gibbins, a tenant at will. Also several Out-Houses, and a large Garden thereto
belonging, included with a high brick wall.
Enquire of Mr. John Lawrence, in Wokingham; of Mr. round, attorney at Law in
Windsor, or of the aforesaid Mr. Jos. Gibbins, who will shew the premises.

th
Fri 17 March
On Tuesday afternoon Robert Rous, one of the turnkeys of the New gaol,
Southwark, seeing a prisoner, who was committed for different highway robberies,
had tied rags round his fetters, was suspicious of some design, and ordered him to take
them off, which he refused; Rous immediately cut them off, and found both his irons
sawed through; upon which he secured him, and then sent up Cha. Davis and
Symonds to overlook a number of prisoners who were in the strong room, when the
rioters immediately secured the former in the room and all set on him with their irons
which they had knocked off. Rous hearing of it, went up with a horse pistol, and
extricated his fellow turnkey from their fury, and then locked the door; when all the
turnkeys as well as constables surrounded the door and the yard, when the prisoners
fired several pistols loaded with powder and ball at two of the constables; the balls
went through their hats. After which a serjeant’s guard was sent for from the Tower:
In the interim, the outrages continuing, one of the constables, who had a blunderbuss
loaded with shot fired through the iron grates at the window, which dangerously
wounded one fellow committed for a burglary at the mint. When the soldiers, with a
serjeant’s guard arrived, and the muskets were loaded, the room was opened and the
prisoners were all secured, 21 of whom are chained down to the floor in the
condemned room, and all yoaked. Some of the people belonging to the prison are
wounded.
WOKINGHAM, March, 17.
At the assizes in Reading, two writs of enquiry of damages were executed on
actions of trespass brought by Daniel Fox, Esq. lord of the manor of Sandhurst in this
county, against Colonel Cox of Bagshot lodge in Windsor forest and his servant, for
cutting turves in the waste lands of the manor of Sandhurst. Colonel Cox, as keeper of
Bigshot-lodge, claimed a right to cut turves within the manor for firing to be used in
that lodge; and to establish this claim, for which there was not the least foundation, he
was one of the principal managers of two suits, instituted in the Court of Exchequer,
in the name of his Majesty’s attorney general, against Mr. Fox and his servant, for
taking away turves cut by Colonel Cox in Sandhurst manor: Mr. Fox brought his
action of trespass against Colonel Cox and his servant, and thereby gave the Colonel
an opportunity of trying his pretended claim, but he thought proper to make no
defence, and suffered judgement to go by default against him and his servant.

On Saturday last was committed to Reading gaol, by John Carr, Esq; Mayor of New
Windsor, on the oaths of John Bye and William Kibble, (two paupers in Windsor
workhouse,) Charles Jarman, one of the overseers of the poor of the said parish,
being, charged with causing John Howard (another pauper) to be put into the
bridewell belonging to the said workhouse, where he was allowed nothing but bread
and water for his support, nor was he suffered even to have any straw to lie upon, in
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which deplorable situation he remained from the 5 of February to the third instant,
when he expired, and was buried two days after. But by order of the worthy mayor
and gentlemen of the said place, was taken up, when the coroner’s inquest sat on the
body, and brought in their verdict, “that the said John Howard, by being confined in

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