The Cole Green Robbery of 1824

 

Extract from Police Bill

Hertfordshire Archives

The Bow Street police who investigated the case seemed to know who the culprits were as early as the 11th June, less than two days after the robbery. The fact that houses at Tewin were searched soon afterwards suggests that it was soon realised there was some local involvement and we know that George Gregory received a tip-off from his relatives there. It is also known that there was an informant among the robbers, something confirmed by the police officers accounts. It will be remembered that on the afternoon following the robbery two of the culprits, one of whom was Ben Jacobs, went to collect the remainder of the money from Dudfield only to find that he had left town. Did Jacobs conclude they were being cheated and so informed? It is impossible to know for certain, but on the day Dudfield was arrested Jacobs was on his way to Aylesbury with a police officer to identify one of the robbers, George Weaver, who was being held in custody there.

Weaver was committed for trial on the 17 July, which trial took place at Hertford in December. Witnesses identified him as attempting to shoot the shepherd while trying to break out of the garden. However, the pistol failed to fire and another scuffle broke out, in the process of which he dropped his gun and lost his hat. George Hubbard, a hatter from Snow Fields in London positively identified the hat as one he had made especially for Weaver who was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to death.

Also to pay the ultimate price for the crime was James Harris, aged 37, also known as Long Nedd. He was recognised in court as the man who tied up the steward. William Jones, also hung, was caught at Rotherhythe on the 27 August, tried in December and probably executed at the same time as Weaver.

From June until August Jacobs, the main informant, remained free, probably on bail. But on the 3rd of August he was taken into custody in Bermondsey for the purpose of giving information against George Dudfield and he was allowed 2/6d per week expenses for the next 18 weeks until the 17th Jan 1825.

Two more men, tried at the summer assizes also turned informer. Perhaps the most fortunate was 18 year-old James Thomas also known as Davis. During the robbery he had gone so far as to threaten Mr Haines with a pistol. However, while under sentence of death he made a full confession, which seems to have saved him and his punishment was later reduced to transportation for life. James Green, a year younger than Davis, was also originally under sentence of death until the 17 December when the sentence was lifted. He was subsequently removed from the prison hulk “Justitia” and transported to Tasmania.

It is difficult to know why George Gregory, who acted as lookout, escaped prosecution. He never entered the house, possibly escaped before the fighting broke out and therefore could not be positively identified. What is known is that he was first looked for in Hoddesdon, arrested as early as the 12th June in London re-arrested in July and again in August before being examined and finally discharged. Perhaps the police were unable to break the alibi he had previously arranged, but there is no way of knowing for certain.

What of the remaining members of the gang? Robert Davis was not caught until September, but received a conditional pardon after naming seven of the other perpetrators, while John Hawley, Thomas Blackett and others were never brought to trial.