Matthew Miners - Bodmin Jail
If you stay at the former Bodmin Jail which is now a luxury hotel you get history with your room, which was a former cell. Luckily you actually get three cells making up your suite.
In this case, it is suggested that the cell was formerly the place a prisoner called Matthew Miners was held. The history panel mentions his final major crime for which he paid dearly, but having done some research I discovered that Matthew Miners had "previous" as we say now. His final notorious crime which made headlines in the newspapers was arson, but he was probably setting fires earlier in his career. I suspect that other minor crimes probably never made the papers. I have some details of two earlier mentions and sentences. Sentences were harsh and conditions bad. You can see my other post A Night in Bodmin Jail here.
Miners final crime as far as I know was in 1848, which is when he ended up here. His first crime that made the news was twenty years earlier though. That involved both arson and attempted fraud.
West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser - Friday, 6 April 1827
Samuel and Matthew Miners were indicted for setting on fire the house of the prisoner, Samuel Miners .- The prisoners resid(ed at the village of Bissack, in the parish of Ledock; on the 27th of December last, the neighbours were alarmed by a smell of fire, but not being able to discover whence it proceeded, some of them remained up during the night. About twelve o'clock, Samuel Miners was observed standing outside his door, and being asked if his house was safe, said it was all right, but on being shown a light in his room, he said his house must be on fire. The neighbours entered the house and found the latter prisoner seated, with his arms crossed in the room below that on fire. Neither of the prisoners assisted to put out the fire. On the following day, the bed clothes and kitchen utensils were found packed up, in a place to which they had been removed. No motive was assigned for the act ; but it is supposed the prisoners intended to get a brief and go through the county, to collect money for their supposed loss .- Guilty-to be imprisoned for 15 months.
I was curious about the expression "to get a brief" as it appeared to make no sense. Today getting a brief is to get legal representation, as in a lawyer, when you go to trial, but here there is a suggestion that "getting a brief" was the whole point of this crime.
It turns out that the expression has at least three other meanings and in the context of this crime and this article I am guessing it meant a pedlar's license or certificate. It seems that such a license was available to men authorised to travel the countryside and to operate on the streets without getting arrested. This makes sense of the article which suggests that the two Miners brothers were intentionally burning down their rented home to make themselves homeless and itinerant. They had already removed all of their own belongings, and with "a brief" from the local constable, they could then legally wander the county begging and making a nuisance of themselves. The problem though was that their bizarre behaviour witnessed by their neighbours gave their game away.
Penzance Gazette - Wednesday, 27 October 1847
MATTHEW MINERS, 44, was found Gullty of stealing, on the 28th of August, at Liskeard, six yards of printed fustian, the propery of Thomas Broad. Sentenced to six months hard labour.
Printed Fustian is a type of cloth. Fustian which I have never heard of and clearly went out of fashion, is another one of those materials that has a name corrupted from the place it originated. Originating around Al-Fusṭāṭ (Cairo), it became a staple of medieval clothing and 19th-century British working-class attire. Fustian combines two different fibres and today would resemble a hard wearing cloth like denim. It was usually a linen and cotton mix. In the 1700's trade and tax regulations created a loophole for fabrics of mixed fibres, making fustian more attractive in terms of cost.
By 1847, it appears that Miners was residing in the workhouse and there is mention of another crime he went to court for, which was stealing socks from the workhouse.
The newspaper coverage of his final crime is highly detailed and I have included it all because there are so many interesting aspects to it, which reveal a lot of social history of the time. Of particular interest is the way the authorities around the Tamar crossing point on both sides of the river operated, with the navy, army, fire brigade and the ferry operator all combining in the after effects of the crime.
Western Courier, West of England Conservative, Plymouth and Devonport Advertiser - Wednesday, 26 April 1848
INCENDIARISM AT TORPOINT.
On Sunday night at about 10 o'clock a stack of Wheat, the property of Mr. Charles Jeffery, of Borough Wilcove, in the parish of Antony, was discovered to be on fire. The stack was lying in the farm-mowhay, about 800 yards from Mr. Jeffery's house. It appears that in the course of the evening a man was seen by several persons near the mowhay, and that on the fire being discovered he was found crouching under the shelter of a hedge, and on being accosted he confessed that he had set the stack on fire.He has since been committed for trial on the charge as will be seen by the following report of the examination at Torpoint Workhouse.
On the intelligence of the fire being made known in Devonport, the Worshipful the Mayor, John Beer, Esq., proceeded to the spot, having given directions for theTown Engine to be taken thither. The Steam Ferry Bridge, was moored and the fires out, but on the alarm being given it was speedily put in working trim, and brought to the Newpassage side, and the Devonport Engine which by this time was waiting on the shore, was put on board and conveyed across, and thence pulled by men, composing the fire Brigade, Policemen, and Sailors, and others to Borough.
After the engines were put to work the fire was soon brought under, but so rapidly had it
burnt, that the stack was almost entirely consumed. It is estimaled that between 40 to 50 bags of Wheat must have been destroyed besides the reed straw, and other damages were a neccessary consequence of the confiagration. But for the timely of assistance and arrival of the engines, the fire would probably have extended to the Barn and other property adjoining. The West of England Fire Engine also brought on the spot with the most praiseworthy alacrity, and a large number of seamen, from the ships in the Harbour were also sent to render any assistance, and we understand, that the soldiers were called out, but that before they arrived the fire had been got under. Among the first persons who arrived at Borough from Devonport, were the Right Worshipful the Mayor, John Beer, Esq., and Captain Dickson, of H.M.S. Caledonia, E. Sole, Esq. the agent of the West of England Insurance Company.
The man apprehended on the charge of setting the stack on fire, gave his name as Mathew Miners, he said he was a native of Cornwall, near Truro. He had been working some time during the last 12 months in East Wheal Rose Mine, and was stated to have recently been employed on the New Government Works at Morice Town. He is about 47 years of age, and was decently dressed for a miner or excavator; when brought before the Magistrates, he looked dejected and sullen.
THE EXAMINATION AND COMMITTAL OF THE PRISONER.
When first apprehended, Miners was taken to Mr. Jeffery's house, and having been placed in Charge of the Constable, was subsequently escorted to Torpoint, and on Monday at Il o'clock, he was brought before J. Coryton Roberts, Esq., of Trevol, one of the magistrates for the County of Cornwall, at the Board Room of the Torpoint Workhouse. There was a large number of persons in attendance at the examination.
The first witness examined was Mr. Charles Jeffery, who deposed that he was a yeoman
residing at Borough, in the parish of Antony, and on Sunday evening a stack of wheat that had been standing in his Mowhay was burnt.
Mr. William Jeffery stated, that he resided with his father Mr. Charles Jeffery at Borough, and that on Sunday at about 10 o'clock he was called, and told there was a fire in the Mowhay. He went to the Mowhay and saw a stack of wheat on fire, and the fire was extending. He went in company with a servant of his fathers called William Lezanto. His attention was called by Lezanto to a man standing behind a hedge not far from the fire; witness with Lezanto went towards this person and on coming within three yards of the spot where he stood he saw it was the prisoner now present calling himself Matthew Miners. He heard prisoner say to Lezanto in reply to a remark of Lesanto's about the fire "I did it." He then ran away, and witness and Lezanto followed and took him back to his father's house, and afterwards delivered him over to Cunday the Constable; witness at about 1 o'Clock on Sunday saw prisoner in the shed on the Newpassage side of the Ferry. He then had a box of lucifer matches in his hand and appeared to be about to light his pipe.
William Lezanto, servant to Mr. Jeffery, attested the fast of the fire, and said on proceeding to it, his attention was attracted towards a man crouching under a hedge who, on coming up to him, he found to be the Witness asked him if he knew anything about the fire, whereon he replied "I did it " and then ran away ;"witness followed, caught, and brought him back.
In reply to prisoner this witness said he had a stick in his hand when he ran after the prisoner, and held it up, and told him if he did not stop he would strike him.
William Cunday the constable stated that he took charge of the prisoner in Mr Jeffery's house at about half past 10 o'Clock on Sunday night. He was then in custody of a servant of Mr. Jeffery's called Henry Westcott. On coming into the room witness said to Westcott, what have you got the man that set the rick on fire when prisoner said "yes l did it." H searched prisoner and found a lucifer match and a piece of paper (a Draper's hand-bill) in his pocket. He had no money or any other article except the match and paper in his pockets.
A Boy, who was not sworn, here stated that he saw prisoner near Mr. Jeffery's front gate at Nine o'clock in the evening and he heard the servant say that she saw a man hiding himself behind the laurel after that time, there were other persons in the court that had seen him in the course of the evening near Mr. Jeffery's premises.
Warn the constable who with Cunday, had prisoner in custody, stated that after he was brought to Torpoint at about half past one that morning, prisoner said that he had been in the army, and had had a good pension, but had "lost it through a similar case to this."
The prisoner denied this, and said he had never acknowledged to having set the stack on fire.
Mr. William West, of Plymouth stated that, as he was walking from Antony, on Sunday night at about 10 o'clock, when at Carbeal, he saw a light near Borough. as did also his cousin who was with him. On looking more particularly to the light, which at first he thought to be some person carrying a candle across a room, he saw the figure of a man with a light in his hand ; he distinctly saw the man pass along under what he then thought to he the wall of a house, and apply the light to the wall and it immediately blazed up, and he then saw it was a rick. He lighted the rick all round and witness saw the flames meet on the top. He was too far off to be able to recognize the man. He gave the alarm at Torpoint and subsequently at Devonport and Plymouth.
The magistrate asked the prisoner if he had anything to say for himself.
Prisoner : I deny having confessed. I deny setting fire to the rick : that's all.
He was committed to take his trial at the next Assize for the County of Cornwal'.
There does not appear in this case, to be anything like the ordinary motives to acts of incendiarism, the prisoner was a stranger to Mr Jeffery, and apparently a stranger in the neighbourbood, nor does he appear to have begged, and been refused aid at Mr Jeffery's house, no motive for this wicked act, can be discovered but purely a love of mischief and wrong doing.
The authorities were clearly of the opinion that Miners was a dangerous man as without motives it made him a random arsonist which was putting lives at risk.
His trial came to court later that year, in August. The trial also made headlines.
West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser - Friday, 4 August 1848
ARSON .- MATTHEW MINERS, 47, was charged with having maliciously set fire to a stack of corn, of the goods and chattels of Charles Jeffery, of Borough, in the parish of Antony .
- Mr. HOLDSWORTH was counsel for the prosecution;
-Mr. GILBERT HAMLEY the attorney.
-The prisoner was undefended .
- Charles Jeffery the prosecutor, stated that he had a stack of wheat and a stack of reed in his town-place on the 23rd of April. About half past ten, in the evening of that day, in consequence of information, he went there, and found both stacks entirely in flames; they were entirely destroyed .
- William Haywood West, an ironmonger, living at Torpoint, stated that he was passing through Carbeal town-place, about half a mile from Borough, just after ten o'clock, on the night of the 23rd of April; and, at that time, saw a figure of a man or woman, (he could not say which) passing to and fro, with a light, in front of what he then thought was a dead wall. Presently he saw flames suddenly spring up from what he had supposed to be a dead wall; and, the moment afterwards, flames sprung up, on the top, at the other side. He then went and gave an alarm at Torpoint .
- William Jeffery, prosecutor's son, was alarmed about ten o'clock on the night in question, and went to the mowstead with a servant named Lezanto, and found the wheat in flames all round. The reed was just caught and they tried to beat out the fire. With that Lezanto called his attention, and said "there is the man who did it, outside the hedge."
-Witness and Lezanto then went outside the hedge, and saw prisoner standing in the road. They went up to within two or three yards of him, when he said, "I did it," and ran away. They followed him, and brought him back to the kitchen of the house. When Lezanto had first collared him, prisoner demanded to be put in charge of a constable. On the same day, witness had seen prisoner sitting in a shed on the New Passage side of Torpoint Passage, with a box of lucifer matches in his hand .
- William Lezanto confirmed the evidence of last witness .
- John Cundy, constable of Antony, on searching prisoner at prosecutor's house, on the night in question, found in his pocket a small piece of paper and one lucifer match. On his coming into the kitchen, witness said to the servant Lezanto, "Is this the man who set the wheat on fire ?" The prisoner said, "I did it."
-Thomas Chudleigh, labourer, living at Liskeard, was employed with a man named Blake, on the 24th of April, to take the prisoner from Liskeard to Bodmin gaol. Near the Half-way House, and in prisoner's hearing, witness said to Blake, "when we come up to this public house, we will touch our pipes." Prisoner said, "you need not wait for that ; I've got something in my pocket you can light your pipe with." He then put his hand in his pocket, and took out a box of matches. Blake said, "is that the matches you had when you set the corn on fire ?" Prisoner said, "this is some matches that I light my pipe with; there was many there besides me, but I am obliged to bear the blame." - The prisoner was found GUILTY, and sentenced to TRANSPORTATION FOR FIFTEEN YEARS.
In case you were wondering about "touching pipes", this is also a new one on me, and it is an archaic Cornish expression. In 18th century Cornish dialect, telling a fellow worker to "touch pipes" was an invitation to pause hard labour and sit down and share a smoke.
I will leave you to decide whether Matthew was bad or misled. In his two most serious crimes he appears to have been either complicit with someone else or to claim others were really guilty. Was he just a simpleton or actually malicious? We'll never know
Some more posts on Bodmin and the Tamar crossing.
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