Catalogue description 3 individual petitions for mercy dated 22 December 1823 (from the prisoner and the...

3 individual petitions for mercy dated 22 December 1823 (from the prisoner and the prisoner's wife, in addition is a printed petition from the prisoner's wife) and 3 collective petitions (25 people, from St John the Baptist at Margate, many giving occupations; 34 people, from Margate, including a churchwarden; and a printed petition of 61 people, from St John in Margate) on behalf of James Taylor, bricklayer from Margate convicted at the Kent Spring Assizes in March 1822, for assembling with others 'with Fire Arms and other offensive weapons at or near Marsh Bay', assisting with the smuggling of various goods and having shot and wounded Washington Carr and Thomas Cook, in their duty as excise men, on 22 September 1821, and sentenced to transportation for life.

There are also letters (relating to petitions) from T P Powell, High Sheriff of Kent and a Mr Langham, grocer at Margate. There also other letters from Charles Jones, Mr Wood, John Cramp, Richard Martin, W Lingham and Sons (on occasions with reference to a/the gun used), William Cowderoy, the Reverend Mr Bayley and a note containing evidence from John Corbett. There are minutes of the prisoner's first statement. There is also a note regarding the prisoner alluding to/not alluding to his companions in crime, a deposition by Robert Harman, John Saunders, all seaman; and a Charles Winch, bricklayer, a printed set of notes of a meeting held in Margate to promote a pardon for the prisoner, and a detailed brief for the crown setting out the details of the case against the prisoners, all referred to as labourers of St John the Baptist, Isle of Thanet, Kent, and dated for the Kent Lent Assizes in 1822 on an indictment for smuggling and armed assembly and naming Daniel Baker, John Buffington alias John Babington, Francis Carden, Joseph Clements, Daniel Fagg alias Daniel Foster, Joseph Gilbert, John Gill, Stephen Gummer alias Stephen Goomer, John Hagle alias John Eagle alias John Fagg, John Meredith, Thomas Mount, Edward Rolfe, James Rolfe, Thomas Smith, Thomas Stokes, James Taylor, Charles White, John Wilsden Thomas Woolett, and then added in the margin Stephen Laurence, Henry Lemar[?], John Mills and John Pollard.

There is also a note dated November 1825 listing Thomas Stokes, Joseph Gilbert, Charles White, Joseph Clements, Stephen Gummer and John Gill to receive free pardons. There is a document concerning the 'Points and Circumstances' of the prisoner's guilt written by John Boys and a note on Charles Jones visit to Maidstone to collect evidence.

There are several other letters or reports from John Boys. There is a judges report by George Wood and a response by Robert Peel asking Wood to meet with him at the Home Office. There is also a further annotated list of all of the prisoners. There is a Q and A sheet titled 'Cooke's direct evidence' [Thomas Cooke] and an unsigned note giving a witnesses account of the events at Marsh Bay. Evidences supplied by Washington Carr, Lieutenant in HM Navy; Thomas Cooke, seaman; John Bruiman[?], quarter master; Richard Barton, Lieutenant in HM Navy; Richard Kennedy, seaman; Joseph Dallaway, surgeon; Mary Kennedy, James Justice, Samuel K----- (both accomplices), Thomas Powell, Stephen Court, ferryman; Sarah Court, Mary Baxter, keeps the Bricklayers Arms at Mount Pleasant; Henry Haycook, servant; Ann Eldridge, George Allen, gunsmith; Thomas Stains, Jane Stains, Robert Stride, Excise Officer; John Carthew and Thomas Saunders, both Margate constables; Henry Whitaker, Excise Man; William Meers, Canterbury constable; Robert H------, Charles Winch, John Saunders, John Brookes, victualler; Thomas Cardhew, leather cutter; John Cardhew, victualler; Stephen Chancellor, baker and John Boys, Mayor of Margate; many of these people lived at Canterbury and Margate. There is an unsigned documents titled 'Reasons + matter in support of the Conviction of James Taylor which gives 14 reasons/points against the prisoner (also includes a small sketch plan of the area) dated 1822. Grounds for clemency: the persons signing the petitions were most respectable, that the offence was committed in the dark early hours of morning and the prisoner was convicted on 1 person identifying him under that circumstance (there was also a question mark how the prisoner's voice was identified in the confusion), was innocent of the charge, the evidence was contradictory, that the prisoner would have a alibi of being elsewhere involved in smuggling but his comrades were afraid they would be convicted for coming forward (because of this he gave an initial false statement and this went against him at the trial), several witnesses/accomplices denied the prisoner's role in the crime as did 4 recently executed men, the judge (not convinced at the prisoner's guilt had recommended a free pardon, has a poor wife and 3 children to support and prior to the crime the prisoner was not thought to have been involved in smuggling. Initial sentence: death, commuted to transportation for life.

There is a further petition for Daniel Baker, Joseph Clements, Joseph Gilbert, John Gill, Stephen Gomer, John Eagles, James Rolfe, Henry Smith, Thomas Stokes, Charles White. Ground for clemency: first offence, previous good character, sensible of the crime committed, behaved well during their imprisonment and penitent, they desire to return to their respective trades and to keep their families.