Hi Margaret Thanks very much for the info, find it very interesting and recognize a lot of the names. thanks again for you trouble. Regards Julie Webb: Soham Roots >From: "Margaret Paxton" <mlpaxton@rmci.net> >Reply-To: ENG-CAMBRIDGESHIRE-L@rootsweb.com >To: ENG-CAMBRIDGESHIRE-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [ENG-CAMB] Inquest into the Fire at Soham >Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 08:42:20 -0600 > >Dear List, > > This is the final report that appeared in The Times. > >The Incendiary Fire at Soham > >Cambridge, Sunday Night > > In compliance with a prevous arrangement, the magistrates of Soham, the >Rev. Mr. Bennett, and Mr. Dobede, were engaged the whole of yesterday >(Saturday) at theCrown Inn, in investigating certain charges preferred >against Mr. Cornelius Harvey, a wealthy farmer, and his nephew, James >Harvey, suppoed to be feloniously concerned in the origin of the recent >fire >in that village. It will be recollected that the prisoners underwent a >brief examination on the day after the fire, and were remanded to the >county >gaol at Cambridge until yesterday, when they were brought up, in the >custody >of Mr. Orridge, the governor. > It was evident, from the crowded state of the room, and the anxiety >evinced in behalf of the elder prisoner, that he was musch respected in the >district. He is between 50 and 60 yers of age, and had lived in the >village >the greater part of his life. The nephew is a young unmarried man, and >from >appearances seemed to have passed an irregular career. > In reference to the inquiry it should be observed, that for the last >two >months the village and neighbourhood had been the scene of much excitement >in consequence of the outbreak of a series of incendiary fires. To such an >extent had the alarm in the district arisen, that the farmers formed >themselves into a body to guard their property at night. Notwithstanding >this protection fires appear to have happened, and even in the very street >where the conflagration occurred on Friday morning ten previous attempts >had >been made evidently to cause the havoc that has at last been accomplished. >The village, as entered by the road from Ely, presents a most desolate >appearance. About a third of it appears to be in ashes; nearly the whole >of >the eastern part of Hall-street—the principal thoroughfare—is consumed, the >entire ruins covdring a space of six or seven acres. Up to yesterday fire >and smoke were still issuing from various parts of the ruins. > The prisoner Cornelius Harvey occupied a neat farmhouse at the extreme >end of Hall-street (the main road that passes through the village from Ely >to New market), apart from the row of houses on that side of the street. >His farming premises are on the opposite side of the road some 200 or 300 >yards distant. The nephew occupied a grocer’s and general provision shop >about the centre of the row of houses already noticed, with a sort of >warehouse at the back, which abutted on the premises of Mr. Pachey, farmer, >where the flames were first seen to issue, On each side of Mr. Pachey’s >premises was a large number of farming buildings, comprising barns, >stables, >granaries, stacks, &c., and a windmill, belonging to Messrs. Staples, >Morden, and others the whole flanked in front by the houses in Hall-street. >Some idea may be formed of the awful extent of the fire when it is stated >that the whole of this property, back and front, together with orchards and >hedges, was destroyed. The most distressing circumstance is, that the >chief >part of the occupants of the houses in Hall-street were hardworking >industrious families, who have lost all they possessed, and, not being >insured, are reduced to much distress. The buildings, 17 in number, >however, were insured in the Suffolk Insurance-office for 6,000l. > The prosecution was instituted by that company, an agent of which >attended to watch the proceedings; and Mr. Isaacson, solicitor, appeared on >behalf of the accused. > Shortly after the inquiry had sommenced the chariman, the Rev. Mr. >Bennett, perceiving the reporter taking notes of the evidence, addressed >him >and begged that he would refrain from taking any portion of the evidence. >It was a private investigation, and with inquiries of that description it >was highly necessary that the evidence should not be published until >adduced >at the trial. He suggested that course with a view of preventing juries >from being prejudiced, or the ends of justice being defeated. He knew one >or two instances where the publication of evidence had had that tendency. > The reporter remarked that he should be happy to attend to any >suggestion >from the Bench; but, from the fact of the court being certainly an open >one, >according to appearances, he thought the same practice was adopted as at >other judicial inquireies. (The proceedings were held in the large room of >the inn, and the door was open for the ingress and egress of the public, >who >crowded it almost to suffocation.) > The rev. Chairman then consulted his clerk, and observed that >magistrates, investigations were certainly private, at least in his >district >(he is the chairman of the Newmarket bench), and, on all grave charges, he >excluded reporters. As the reporter was present, however, he would allow >him to remain, and would leave it to his discretion not to publish any >portion of the evidence that was llikely to have the evil tendency he had >alluded to. > As nothing transpired in the evidence that would have the effect >anticipated by the rev. chairman, we subjoin a brief narrative of the >testimony adduced. It was extremely voluminous, 15 or 16 witnesses being >examined. The elder prisoner’s apprehension apeared to have resulted from >a >voluntary statement made by him. Having been noticed by a private >watchman, >a few minutes before the outbreak, walking from the spot where the flames >were first seen to rise, viz., Mr. Pachey’s farm, he was interrogated on >the >subject. He admitted being the individual, and said that he had been >watching about the neighbourhood the greater part of the night, and that >when he went home he went to bed, but did not pull off his clothes. The >reason he gave was, that he was fearful something would happen, and on >being >further questioned why he watched that particular spot, he replied, that >“he >expected a fire would break out, “ but gave no satisfactory account why he >entertained such a supposition. These and other suspicious circumstances >being reported to the magistrates, his apprehension was ordered, and, in >addition to the watchman’s statement, other witnesses spoke positively to >having seen him walking up and down a by-lane at the back of Mr. Pachey’s >farm, and every now and then peeping through the hedge in the direction of >the spot where the fire broke out. It was attempted to be shown for the >defence that the prisoner had been watching his own property,--that it had >been his practice to be on the watch for several weeks past, but, on the >night in question, the witnesses declared that he had been watching some >distance from his farm; he was viewing the premises of Messrs. Pachey and >Staples. As regards the younger prisoner, he had insured his stock in >trade >in the Suffolk Fire Insurance-office formt he sum of 350l. The fire did >not >originate in his premises, but in one of the barns of Mr. Pachey that stood >within a few feet of his warehouse, which subsequently caught. When broken >open by the inhabitants very little property was found in the place. The >day after the fire he was met by an assistant agent of the company he was >insured in, who, seeing the he had hurt his hand, asked him how it >happened. >He answered that it was done during the fire in attempting to save his >goods. The agent inquired of him if any had been saved, to which he made >answer, “Nothing whatever; and he had lost twice as much as he was insured >for.” In the latter part of the day the prisoner made his claim of the >amount of his loss to the agent, upon which he was given into custody on a >charge of attempting to defraud the company, proof having been adduced >showing that he had, prior to the fire, removed the chief bulk of his >stock, >&c., to various parts of the town. Witness spoke of the prisoner having >frequently alluded to the danger that that part of the village was exposed >to in the event of Mr. Pachey’s premises taking fire. He had pointed to a >barn, observing, “If that goes, my shop must go,” and it was in this barn >that the fire was first perceived. He had been heard to say that he did >not >care for his neighbours who were not insured. He did not care for a fire, >as he was fully insured. “He should like to see all those (alluding to his >neighbours’ dwellings) in flames that were not insured, This conversation >arose after the second attempt to fire the street.. With a view of showing >that the prisoners acted in concert, it was proved that the elder prisoner >had advanced his nephew 300l. to set him up on business, and attempts were >made to show that the uncle urged its payment, and had connived to obtain >the amount of insurance on his nephew’s goods, but a witness swore >positively that the sum was advanced as a gift to start the nephew in >business. Another witness was called, who had valued the salvage of the >nephew’s property, and in the course of his surveys the prisoner begged >that >he would do all he could for him; for it he could not get the money for his >insurance he could not pay his uncle the 300l. he had lent him. The nephew >lived in the uncle’s house, but it did not appear in evidence that he was >seen in the neighbourood of the fire at its outbreak, although on the alarm >being raised he was immediately on the spot dressed. > At the close of the evidence the magistrates retired to a private room, >and after nearly an hour’s consultation returned, when the Chariman, >addressing the prisoner, said they considered the evidence fully warranted >them in committing them both for trial at the ensuing assizes. > Mr. Isaacson trusted that the bench would liberate the elder prisoner >on >bail. He was a highly respectable man, as the crowded court could testify. > The CHAIRMAN replied that the charge was of so grave a character as to >prevent the bench complying with the application. He was aware of the >respectability of the elder prisoner, but justice made no difference in the >conditions of men. > The prisoners were then conveyed to the county gaol at Cambridge. The >amount of bail tendered was upwards of 5,000l. The assizes commence next >week. > >The Times, July 13, 1846; pg. 5; Issure 19287; col F > > >Unfortunately, the trial was not reported in The Times. Perhaps the >Cambridge Chronicle might have followed the story to its conclusion. > >Margaret > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Tim & Julie webb [mailto:sohamgen@hotmail.com] >Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 2:06 AM >To: ENG-CAMBRIDGESHIRE-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: RE: [ENG-CAMB] SOHAM 1841 CENSUS ON LINE > > >Hi Margaret, >Yes it would be of great interest to us, and thanks for taking the time to >contact us. >With Best Wishes >Julie Webb, Soham Roots. > > > >From: "Margaret Paxton" <mlpaxton@rmci.net> > >Reply-To: ENG-CAMBRIDGESHIRE-L@rootsweb.com > >To: ENG-CAMBRIDGESHIRE-L@rootsweb.com > >Subject: RE: [ENG-CAMB] SOHAM 1841 CENSUS ON LINE > >Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2004 21:15:11 -0600 > > > > > >Dear Tim and Julie, > > > > I recently searched the online archives of The Times of London and > >found > >several stories about Soham going back to the 1800s. Just now I found a > >report of a fire in 1846 which destroyed 13 houses. Quite a number of > >indviduals and their businesses are mentioned. Would this be of interest > >to > >you? > > > >Regards, > >Margaret > >mlpaxton@rmci.net > >. > > > > > > > >==== ENG-CAMBRIDGESHIRE Mailing List ==== > >. > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today! >http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger > > >==== ENG-CAMBRIDGESHIRE Mailing List ==== >. > > > > >==== ENG-CAMBRIDGESHIRE Mailing List ==== >. > _________________________________________________________________ Want to block unwanted pop-ups? Download the free MSN Toolbar now! http://toolbar.msn.co.uk/