Sunday 5 February 2017

5th February 1817: Lancelot Rolleston says John Blackburn has implicated Daniel Diggle in the shooting of George Kerry

My Lord

I have the honour of forwarding your Lordship the full confession made to me by John Blackburn; the perpetrators of the various outrages he has detailed, are nearly the same as those implicated in destroying machinery at Loughbro’, the case against them in that affair, appears so particularly strong as to leave little doubt of their conviction; should that however not be the case, they may be arraigned on other charges at the Nottingham summer Assizes, which charges, I beg leave to submit to your Lordship the propriety of withholding, till the result of the capital indictment against them at Leicester is known.

Danl. Diggle & Josh Mellors two of the persons mentioned by Blackburn as having attacked Kerry near Aspley, are to take their trial for shooting at Lord Middleton's gamekeepers, a warrant is also out against Thos. Humphrey who was at Radford, & several others for the same offence; John Plumb one of the party who broke the frames at Radford & in Woolpack lane is also in custody, and shall be detained, if any evidence can be obtained against into either of those acts. I understand that Wm. Burton one of the men now in prison at Leicester, is desirous of making disclosure of a framebreaking which occurr’d a short time ago at Bramcote in this County, & which he says was done by a different set of men; I shall see him in a day or two & will transmit to your lordship any information he may think proper lay before me

I have [etc]
Lanct. Rolleston.

Watnall Feby 5th 1817

This letter can be found at HO 42/159.

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