'Why would you remain in the area of the assault, hunting out a stick and whittling away when all you need to do is put distance between yourself and the scene of the trouble'.
When one young man, a Thomas Grisdale of Hartsop Hall, came out of the pub the account reads that John Greenwell, using Joseph Bainbridge's knife, 'defended' himself and stabbed Thomas Grisdale, who incidentally had nothing to do with the original disturbance in the pub.
Chitty Puss Lane |
https://grisdalefamily.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/murder-at-the-white-lion-inn-in-patterdale/
This goes into great detail on the actual events of the day, the eventual trial of both men with Bainbridge receiving a 'Not Guilty' verdict and Greenwell a 'Guilty', sentenced to death yet later commuted to transportation for life. This has close similarities to the 'Banished' series that was aired on BBC2. On that commuted sentence the Grisdale Family website notes he was given a conditional pardon, this was in January 1849. This differs from a Full Pardon in that if he ever returned to his homeland tehn the original sentence was implemented; that was not transportation, but the hangman's noose. I have researche a number who returned and that terrible sentence was carried out. John had been released in March 1844, having obtained a 'ticket of leave, basically parole.
I will leave that article to fully explain but in the interests of enlightenment I draw the incident to your attention and the next time you have a pint in The White Lion you may choose to reflect on those events to add the your days experience.
One final addition is I visited Glenridding churchyard and found the grave of Thomas Grisdale, the pain of the family bites into your soul through the inscription carved into the hard green slate. I include a photograph of the stone and the inscription it holds.
Thomas Grisdales Gravestone. |
IN MEMORY OF
THOMAS, eldest son of
ROBERT and ELISABETH GRISDALE
of Hartsop Hall in this Township
who was barbarously murdered by an unprovoked Assassin
on the evening of SUNDAY March 8 1835
Aged 27 years.
-------------------
By mans worst Crime he fell and not his own.
Beloved he lived and dying left a Name
With which his Parents mark this votive Stone'
The Grief is Theirs th'Assassin bears the Shame.
Better to sleep tho' in an early grave
Than like the murderer Cain exist a banished Slave.
-------------------
**I have previously published this account, and other new material, for public knowledge. I did so in the expectation that anyone wishing to further expand that public knowledge would do so by highlighting this original account, and then adding new information they discover themselves, as I have above. Sadly I am aware of one site that has repeated a large section of an account of another all but forgotten lakeland memorial to two boys that drowned and making out it was new, despite his following my many new lakes history accounts. I was asked by a person writing a book for Wasdale MRT for the generation of funds to assist that worthy cause. I gladly agreed to its use and he stated he would reference my original account. Such a stance by the latter is an honourable one; I hope the former person reflects on his conduct and no longer copies my work and then makes out he has found a new lakes history; that is dishonourable and diminishes him.**
Copyright.
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