Hellish Fiends, and Brutish Men

On 27 August 1800, brothers Thomas and John Carson, members of the Meath Yeomanry, stood trial at Trim Assizes for the ‘Wilful murder’ of ‘one of His Majesty’s subjects’, Charles Casliny. Kilmainhamwood (Irish: Cill Mhaighneann), where the killing occurred, is a village on the River Dee in County Meath, Ireland.
The Carsons were tried in front of Judge Kelly at Trim. The jury debated for a long time before returning with their verdict. They voted to acquit John but found Thomas guilty of murder.
Judge Kelly donned his black cap and sentenced Thomas Carson to be hanged at eight o’clock on the following Friday morning.
Thomas Carson was to spend the last few days of his life at Trim Gaol, constructed in the 1680s. Writing in The Irish Tourist, published in 1815, A. Atkinson, an English travel writer, said: ‘Nobody stays in that prison but those who stay there from inclination.’
At five o’clock on the morning of Thomas’ scheduled execution, Carson’s brother Anthony arrived at the gaol, telling the gaoler that Reverend Wainwright would visit the condemned man to pray with him and offer him the sacrament.
Judge Kelly ‘had very humanely directed that his relations should have access to the prisoner,’ so Anthony was allowed into the condemned cell to spend time with Thomas. A short time later, the gaoler informed the brothers that time was short, and if Thomas wished to receive the sacrament from the Reverend Wainwright, ‘they had better send for him, it being nearly six o’clock; the brother offered to go for him, and accordingly did so.’
The clergyman arrived soon after and was allowed into Carson’s cell, spending ‘a long time in prayer with the prisoner’. It was approaching eight o’clock when the gaoler returned to the cell with Carson’s uncle in tow.
The reverend told the prisoner that his uncle had arrived to see him, but Thomas asked that he be allowed to spend more time in prayer, which Wainwright acceded to.
The gaoler, concerned that the execution must be carried out at the appointed hour, grew impatient with Carson. The uncle entered the cell. Carson ‘rose from the straw on which he was kneeling and welcomed his uncle.’
The uncle regarded the prisoner with astonishment. His mouth fell open, and he exclaimed with disbelief, ‘Good God! How grief has altered him! This cannot be Tommy!’ He looked closer at ‘Thomas’. ’No,’ he said. ‘This is Anthony Carson!’
Realisation dawned on the gaoler that the man he had sent to fetch the Reverend Wainwright was the condemned man, Thomas Carson. The gaoler returned to the cell and confronted Anthony Carson. ‘Your brother is gone off, what shall I do? I am ruined!’
Anthony, acting as though the episode was as much a surprise to him as it was to the turnkey, responded: ‘Gone off!’ He responded. ‘Och! He has taken away my big coat.’
After a subsequent investigation, it was discovered that Anthony was in the Meath Yeomanry with Thomas and their brother John.
Anthony and Thomas had similar physical appearances. Even though the escape occurred in August, Anthony had arrived at the gaol wearing his greatcoat. Anthony had passed Thomas the coat while the turnkey unlocked the cell door.
‘Thomas Passed all the doors of the prison, and walked deliberately into the street…in great apparent affliction, he looked up at the preparation for execution, and passed on as if to Mr. Wainwright’s house.’
Despite ‘the most diligent’ search’ for Thomas, he remained at liberty. Anthony was detained at Trim Gaol ‘to be tried for a misdemeanour in aiding in the escape.’

© Mark Young 2024

Sources

https://www.exclassics.com/newgate/ng796.htm
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-royal-cornwall-gazette-falmouth-pac/148170154/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-observer-thomas-carson/148266557/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/aberdeen-journal-and-general-advertiser/148266742/
https://meathhistoryhub.ie/trim-gaol/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilmainhamwood