George & Joseph Weston

 

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BROTHERS IN CRIME - Continued. Page: 2

At this time George became very friendly with Miss Fanny Herbert, a lady of quality who lived in Queen Anne Street. He cultivated the relationship, and eventually took a house next to hers. After numerous social occasions had been enjoyed with the lady and her circle, George decided to give a dinner to return their hospitality. He explained to Fanny that there was only one problem; neither he nor his 'friend' could supply the necessary silver plate for the distinguished gathering as it would take too long to obtain these articles from their seats in Yorkshire. Nothing was more natural than that Miss Herbert should offer to help him out of his predicament by lending him her own plate.

The lavish dinner which resulted was talked of for some time to come, but not only because of the excellent fare provided. .Things had been getting rather hot for the brothers and George decided that this was a Heaven-sent opportunity to clear out. He went the morning after the dinner, and all Fanny's plate and many other items went with him. Joseph decamped at the same time, and when inquiries were made at his lodgings it was found that he had not left empty-handed either!

Following this escapade, which left them with many pleasant memories of luxurious living, the brothers wandered around from place to place, living on their considerable wits. In 1776 they had to leave Lincolnshire hurriedly after committing frauds in that county, and they went to Kent, posing as brothers named Green. From here too they fled, to reappear in another part of Lincolnshire, at a place called Bratley, under the name of Gilbert.

 

By this time they had passed so many forged bills that they were being closely pursued, and at one time they were arrested and taken before a magistrate named Alderman Hart at Coventry. Either they escaped from custody or the charge against them broke down, for they crossed to Ireland, living by gambling, not always honestly.

After a brawl in Dublin which came about because they had cheated at cards, they crossed to Tenby in Wales. George posed as a monied gentleman named Scott, and Joseph took the role of 'Watson', his brother's valet. It was May, 1778, and George let it be known that he intended to spend a protracted holiday in the neighbourhood. A number of local innkeepers and tradesmen accepted bills and drafts for various sums from the wealthy Mr Scott, only to discover later that these were forged and that the culprits had flown.

The brothers took themselves off to Bideford for a few weeks, and then turned up at Brecknock under different names. The hunt was on, however, and they narrowly escaped arrest in that town. The next move was to Warwickshire, where they put up at an inn at Sutton Coldfield. Here at last George fell into the hands of the law, and was imprisoned and found guilty of fraud at Warwick Assizes under an assumed name.

Joseph was more fortunate, for he had again been acting as George's 'servant' and was in no way held responsible for his 'master's' actions. George was sentenced to death, but his loyal brother stayed in the district and managed to assist George to escape from gaol only three days before the execution date. In disguise, the pair absconded to Folkestone, and began to look around for means of earning a livelihood. Smuggling was rife all along the Kent and Sussex coasts, and as they had sufficient capital to purchase a cutter they decided to find out whether this could be a way to quick profits.

They had little knowledge of the sea, but soon found several locals who were only too happy to assist. A crew was formed from fishermen and sailors, and a cutter acquired which made a number of highly profitable 'runs' from France over a period of more than a year. As one successful trip in three was considered a good percentage by smugglers of the day, everyone concerned did well. The brothers went themselves on most of the voyages, and were thus aboard on the night when an inquisitive Revenue cutter decided to investigate their craft.

There was no alternative but to run the boat ashore and abandon it, making their escape across the land, and this they reluctantly did. Stopping in Folkestone only long enough to pick up hoarded money and valuables, the brothers proceeded to put several hundred miles between themselves and the law. They went to Edinburgh, posing as linen merchants. As strangers to the businessmen of that city, credentials were essential to obtain the credits required to carry out their 'business'. This presented no problems to so cunning a forger as George, and on the strength of his forgeries they became accepted as merchants of standing.

After a succession of fraudulent activities, flight became essential once again, and this time they chose Bristol. Profits were not so easily come by in this busy seaport town, so they resolved to try London once again, and it was this decision which ensured that they would long be remembered in the history of the highwaymen.

There is no evidence that the Westons ever made any firm decision to take to the road; indeed the confidence trick was much more in their line. It is therefore probable that the mail robbery which brought them fame was no more than the result of a chance encounter. The only aspect of their attack upon the mail cart carrying the post from Bristol to London which suggests that it was planned in advance, was that George Weston was wearing a black crepe mask when he stopped the vehicle.

It was on the evening of 28 January, 1781, when the brothers, having covered most of the journey from Bristol to London on two good horses, passed the Bristol Mail as it jogged slowly towards the capital. As they went by they wished the postboy a good evening. It is a remarkable fact that despite the value of the postal packets carried, the driver, although armed, was alone on the vehicle.

 

After passing him, the brothers decided that this was an admirable opportunity to put themselves in funds. They continued as far as Cranford Bridge, where they stopped to refresh themselves and their mounts, and to discuss the possibility of robbing the mail. It was agreed that George should stop the cart and disarm the postboy, while Joseph remained in the background, but close, enough to hand in case anything went wrong.

The attempt was, to be postponed until the early hours of the morning in the hope that the postboy would be tired and consequently less alert. These expectations were fulfilled to the letter. Between two and three o'clock next morning, as the mail cart reached a lonely spot between the eleventh and twelfth milestones not far from Cranford Bridge, George rode out with a pistol, his face masked, to halt it. The postboy was actually asleep, having been lulled by the monotonous pace of his horses! He awoke to find George's pistol at his head, and in his befuddled state offered no resistance. He obeyed Weston's order to climb down from his driving seat, and George then disarmed him and ordered him to walk back towards Cranford Bridge without a backward glance if he valued his skin.

The postboy, whose name was Samuel Walker, started off on the long trudge to raise the alarm. As he walked away, looking neither to right nor left, he heard another man join the highwayman who had held him up, and became convinced that these must be the travellers who had passed him the previous evening. He had not given them a second glance, but even if Samuel Walker had carried away a clear picture of the brothers it would have been useless.

 

Before they were brought to justice and questions of identity arose Walker was dead. As the postboy's footsteps faded into the distance, George and Joseph knew that they had several hours before the alarm could be given and any effective pursuit organized.

They drove the mail cart into a side road and travelled five miles through country lanes before turning into a field which appeared to be out of sight of habitation. There they set to work to cut open the mailbags, making a careful selection of missives which seemed likely to be valuable. Before dawn they had uncovered money drafts, bills and orders worth more than their wildest dreams. When they had time to total up, the value was more than £10,000. From that moment they realized that speed was of the essence, for once the robbery was known the theft would be widely advertised so that negotiable drafts would not easily be cashable.

 

At the end of the eighteenth century the banking system was not so well equipped to deal with forgery as it is today, and George calculated that if he worked speedily he could convert much of the haul into ready money.

Accordingly the brothers rode hard for London, and by the time they reached Piccadilly it was decided that George should disguise himself as a naval officer, hire a fast conveyance and travel the length of the country, cashing the bills wherever he could. Within hours the plan was in operation, and George Weston - in naval uniform - was in a chaise speeding northwards out of London. His first stop was Nottingham, where he cashed documents for several large amounts. He hastened on to Derby and York, where he had further success, and thence to Newcastle, where he stopped a night. After journeying as far north as Carlisle, he went over into Westmorland, and gradually worked his way back on to the Great North Road, where he turned again towards the capital.

On the homeward journey he heard that the Bow Street Runners were already on the track of the highwayman whose exploit everyone was talking about, and he soon realized that only his disguise was shielding him from suspicion. He pressed on with all speed towards London, hoping to hide up in the capital until the hue and cry died down.

Arriving in Lincoln he learned from bar-room gossip at an inn that the Runners had actually preceded him there, but had gone off again to follow a false trail. He hastily changed his chaise to put them further off the scent, and by way of Stamford and Royston finally reached the London outskirts in the evening of Friday, 12 February. When he made contact with Joseph, he told his brother that they were already better off by more than £2,000.

 

The brothers had met at Enfield Highway, and between ten and eleven o'clock that evening, a chaise and four set them down by the Red Lion in Bishopsgate Street. After discussing the situation over drinks, they decided to obtain lodgings at an out-of-the-way inn, and George at once asked the ostler to call him a hackney carriage, into which he bundled himself, his portmanteau and a brace of pistols. Several postboys standing about near by noticed the young officer with his pistols and luggage.

 

 

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