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Warwick Assizes: miscellaneous papers

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Confession (transcript below) of Patrick Welch, taken before Rev. Marmaduke Matthews, J.P. [Vicar of St. Mary's, Warwick]. In Rex (on the prosecution of Rebecca Pinfield, widow, William Willis and William Buller, constable v. James Anderson, Patrick Welch, William Howard, William Ridley, Samuel Irwin and James Kelley (soldiers in the 5th Regiment of Dragoons) for the murder at Stratford-upon-Avon of Joseph Pinfield. Transcript The voluntary confession of Patrick Welch taken 2nd March 1796 in front of Marmaduke Matthews , Clerk of one of his majesties justices of the peace in and for the said county this 2nd March 1796 Who confesses that he was on guard last Christmas and had order from the Captain ( Sherlock) to go patrolling at 9 o'clock and again at 12 o'clock , went at 9 and patrolled the streets and went into every public house to see that the men were in their quarters , at half past 9 returned to the guard house, went afterwards about 10 o'clock to his own quarters called for a pot of beer but was refused by the landlady who told him it was too late, went from there to the Shakespeare where he found James Fitzgerald and Francis Quin Thomas Cain, asked for a pot of beer but Quin said he should not have it, asked quin if he was landlord of the house, he got in a passion left quin's company and went down into the kitchen and got a pot of beer there in company with Fitzgerald and Hugh Kelley. From there went to the Malt Shovel where found plates and dishes lying broke on the floor, asked the landlady how they became broke who replied it was some of the soldiers and townsfolk who took her husband to prison, he bid the landlady not to be afraid as they would not hurt her husband and that she would have her husband back again in the morning, that ifhe did not affront any of them they would not do him any harm He then asked her if she would trust him with a pot of beer till morning, but she refused saying she would not, she said she would Deponent further says A common girl in the house called Miss Kitty which Kelley took into the yard went into a small house in the yard, he followed Kelley into the yard , called at the door of the hosue and asked Kelley to let him in, said he would in a few minutes, and then heard a noise in the street, went out where he saw James Kelley running after a man and woman with a drawn sword in his hand, he cried Come back, don't strike the woman, and follwed James Kelley as fast as he could till the man , woman and James Kelley turned into a garden, that he lost sight of them and did not know where they went. He met Irwin, asked him if he saw James Kelley and the man and woman and told him that Kelley had a broad sword drawn in his hand. Immediately heard the woman shouting murder,, when Irwin and he went in to see what was the matter, found James Kelley striking the man with his sword He asked Kelley if he meant to take the mans life, went to Kelley and pushed him away, brought him away about a yard and a half, james Kelley slipt away from him and swore the man would do better with another blow, then returned to the man and gave him another blow on the head, he Irwin took James Kelley to his quarters ( White Lion) where they left him. * the mark of Patrick Welch