Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/57

36 mSTOBY OF BISHOP AUCKLAKD. supposed to have been given her to commemorate some remarkable event in the history of her family. She is said to have been hanged at Durham, for breaking into and robbing a bleach-yard ; and it is stated that she sat upon her own coffin and smoked her pipe shortly before her execution. When remonstrated with by her spiritual adviser, she exclaimed with an oath, " What is half- an-hour's hanging to a good merry life V An old inhabitant of Bishop Auckland (aunt to the author) was walking through the streets of Sheffield about seventy years ago, and was attracted by a crowd assembled round a coach about to convey a number of condemned criminals from the town. Amongst the number she recognised her feUow-townsman, Jack Cunningham, the father of Midnight Beaver, ironed, and on his way to Botany Bay. Old Tib Cunningham, her mother, died in the Workhouse, at Auckland, about fifty years ago. About half-a-century previous to the time of which we have been writing. Bishop Auckland and its neighbourhood was infested by another band of robbers, known by the name of " Sir William's Gang," whose depredations show the insecure manner in which the inhabitants' property was guarded, and the many dangers which then beset travellers. This Sir William, whose name was Brown, and who styled himself a knight of the order of St. Nicholas, lived upon Etherley Moor. He is described as a smart, good-looking man, and, in dress and general appearance, a complete gentleman, though of his birth or parentage nothing is known. The general opinion was that he had gone through his patrimony by gambling and other extravagances, and had taken to this kind of life as a last resource. He did not take much to the roads himself; but had a numerous gang of both men and women, who used to rob on the highways, break into houses, pick pockets, gamble, &c. It would appear, from the stories told about him, that he kept the whole neighbourhood in complete awe and subjection ; and that the farmers, and other inhabitants, paid him a kind of tribute of black-mail, for the purpose of being freed from the pilfering propensities of himself and associates. But it sometimes happened that mistakes were made, and that even they suffered. It was usual, in these cases, for the parties aggrieved to apply to Sir William himself, who always rectified their grievances in a satisfactory manner. A tradesman of the name of Bowness, who resided, and had a draper's shop in the Old Cross abeady mentioned, had his premises broken into, and a quantity of woollen cloth and other drapery goods stolen therefrom. He made his complaint to Sir William, and the stolen goodB were found lying at the door of his shop next morning. Another individual, a female in this instance, had her pocket picked of a book containing ten pounds, in DarHngton Market-placa A good many of Sir William's gang of women were observed to be there on that day, being known by a peculiar kind of cloak which they wore. They were suspected. Sir William was appUed to, and the book and its contents were ultimately restored. It is, also, related of him, that on passing Thornton Hall, a quaint old family mansion of the Bowes's, situated on the road between Darlington and Staindrop, his horse, which was dreadfully tired, sunk almost up to the knees in mud and mire, and at last fell from sheer exhaustion, and roUed its rider into the mud. On recovering his feet, and seeing Squire Bowes outside his mansion, he accosted him aloud, in the following rhyme : — Who knows but Mister Bowes, In his old days, will mend his ways. Many other tales are related of the exploits of this singular and desperate king of modem mosstroopers, who was at last caught committing some depredation in the neighbourhood of Newcastle, where, on being brought to trial, he was sentenced to transportation. He, however, made his escape, and returned to his old haimts and habits, but was retaken, and again tried at Newcastle. Sentence of death was this time passed upon him, on which he begged earnestly to be transported again ; but the Judge giving no ear to him. Sir William broke out into all the opprobrious language he could thinlr of against both the Judge and the whole court He was Digitized by Google