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Do you know anything about a Binstead who was hung? "MANSION HOUSE FORGERY. Yesterday, John Binstead was brought up before the Lord Mayor, and underwent a final examination, charged with uttering a £10 note, purporting to be of the bank of Messrs Ridge & Co, Chichester, well knowing the same to be forged. From the evidence of the several witnesses, it appeared that about a month since, the prisoner, in company with one Reader, went to the shop of Mr Romanis, the hosier, in Cheapside, and having selected a few articles, tendered the note in question in payment. Mr Romanis expressed his unwillingness to change a country note, but it appearing that one of the shopmen had some knowledge of Reader, this was considered a sort of guarantee, and the prisoner was accommodated, at the same time affixing a signature (not his own) to the note. On the following day, Mr Romanis presented the note at the house of a respectable banker, in the City, where it was made payable, when it was discovered to be a forgery: search was instantly set on foot for the prisoner, and it was discovered through the medium of Reader, that he had left town for Sussex. A warrant was accordingly procured, and Fogg, the marshalman, sent to execute it. On his arrival at Chichester, the residence of the prisoner, he learned that he was at Arundel, then the scene of the late fete. Here he proceeded, and took the prisoner into custody, whom he afterwards removed to Chichester. A strict search was immediately instituted at that place, and particularly in the house of the prisoner. Nothing, however, was discovered to elucidate the transaction in question, and the prisoner for some time denied it altogether. Upon being brought, however, into the presence of Messrs Ridge, Romanis & co, he fully and voluntarily confessed the whole of the guilt with which he was charged. He stated, that in concert with a person named Jardine, who has since absconded, he had forged eight notes of £10 each, two of £5 and a few of £1 each, the whole not exceeding £100. It appeared, also, that the whole of these had already been in circulation, and were ultimately returned to the bank of the prosecutors. The prisoner is an artist of reputation, and had hitherto been much esteemed by the prosecutors and the respectable part of the county in which he resided. He was duly committed for trial." ["The Times" of London, Friday 14 July 1815, page 3, column d] "OLD BAILEY - Thursday 14 September. John Binstead, aged 22, was found guilty of forging, and uttering as true, a certain bill of Exchange for £10 purporting to be of the bank of Messrs Ridge, Murray, Ridge & Co of Chichester. He was strongly recommended to mercy by Mr Ridge and the jury." ["The Times" of London, Friday 15 September 1815, page 3, column e] "EXECUTION - Yesterday morning. John Binstead, for forgery, and Samuel Halliday, for burglary, were executed at the front of the Debtor's Door, Newgate. The former, it will be recollected, was convicted of uttering a £10 note to Mr Romanis, of Cheapside, purporting to be of the Chichester Bank, and which he confessed himself to have manufactured, as well as several others, with camel hair pencils. In the course of Tuesday night, they continued together in one cell, in unceasing prayer; and once or twice expressed a wish for the termination of their fate. Their behaviour upon the arrival of the Sheriffs, and the preparation for their execution, was firm, and they ascended the scaffold with constancy. They were attended by four Dissenting Clergymen, besides the Ordinary of the prison. The unfortunate culprits, after remaining a few minutes with the Ordinary in fervent prayer, were launched into eternity." ["The Times" of London, Thursday 6 December 1815, page 3, column a]. “In the conversation room of the Museum of the Chichester Institute has recently been placed, framed and glazed an interesting object. Above it is written `Forged note on Ridge's Bank for which the forger, a drawing master of Chichester, was hanged at Newgate'." [Ashton's "Social England under the Regency" vol II page 60] “THE DEAD MAN'S HAND. On December 5, 1815 was hanged at Newgate John Binstead convicted of forgery and at his execution a peculiar superstition is recorded. While at the scaffold Binstead, in conversation with Mr Cotton, the Ordinary of Newgate, requested that his hands might not be applied to persons who came to be rubbed for the 'wen'." [Sussex Archaeological Collections vol 42 page 215] Apparently, this had to do with the belief that if wens were rubbed with the hands of a freshly dead person, they might be susceptible of cure. (Wen, from the Saxon "wænn": any wart or lump on the body.) [PS none of the Binsteads pictured on this page were hung!] Binstead Binsted Binsteed family genealogy home page
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