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The sad story of Jenkin Radford
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PMarione
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Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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Post Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:33 pm    Post subject: The sad story of Jenkin Radford Reply with quote

On the 15th Aug. 1807, Commander Lord James Townshend then in command of the Halifax sloop addressed an official letter to Vice-Admiral Berkeley, commander-in-chief at Halifax:
Quote:
Sir, - I beg leave to represent to you, that five men, that the five men named in the margin [Richard Hubert, Henry Saunders, Jenkin Radford, George North, and William Hill], belonging to H. M. sloop HALIFAX, under my command ; when sent with a petty officer in the jolly-boat, in Hampton roads, on the 7th March last, to weigh a kedge-anchor, which had previously been dropped for the purpose of swinging the ship by, taking advantage of the dusk of the evening, mutinied upon the petty officer, some of them threatening to murder him; but the rest interfering they desisted.
However, taking the boat under their own command, they succeeded in deserting, by landing at Sewell's point. The whole of the above-mentioned deserters, I have since been informed, entered on board the U.S. frigate Chesapeake, and were seen by me and several of my officers parading the streets of Norfolk in triumph, under the American flag.
A few days after their desertion, I accosted one of these men, Henry Saunders, asking the reason of his deserting, and recieved for answer, that he did not intend any thing of the kind, but was compelled by the rest to assist, and would embrace the first opportunity of returning. At that moment Jenkin Radford, one of the said deserters, coming up, took the arm of the said Henry Saunders, declaring with an oath, that neither he, nor any of the rest of the deserters, should return to this ship; and with a contemptuous gesture told me that he was in the land of liberty, and instantly dragged the said Henry Saunders away.
Finding that my expostulating any longer would not only be useless in obtaining the deserters, but in all probability have collected a mob of Americans, who no doubt would have proceeded to steps of violence, I instantly repaired to the house of Colonel Hamilton, the British Consul there, and related every circumstance which occurred, and applied to him, as also to Lieutenant Sinclair, of the rendezvous for the United States' service, to recover the said deserters, but without effect.
Being since informed that Jenkin Radford has been recovered in action on board the U.S. frigate Chesapeake, with H.M.S. ship Leopard, and is now a prisoner on board H.M.S. Bellona, I have to request that you will be pleased to direct a court-martial may be assembled for the purpose of trying the said Jenkin Radford, for the within-mentioned charges of mutiny, desertion, and contempt. I have the honor to be, &c.
J. Townshend


From the minutes of the court-martial it appears that Jenkin Radford was found in the Chesapeake's coal-hole ; and that, being seen by the Purser of the Leopard, he was immediately recognized by him as a man who had been discharged from her to the Halifax.
When called upon for his defence, he stated, that the evidence brought against him was so strong, that there was but little left for him to say; that the reason of his hiding himself in the coal-hole was for fear of the Americans making him fight against his own country, which he declared he would not do on any account; that he, with all the men who deserted from the Halifax, were persuaded by the boatswain of the Chesapeake to enter for her, which they did, Lieutenant Sinclair asking them if they had not a second name. That about 30 men went in the first draft with him to the Chesapeake, when Captain Gordon mustered them; and that they were mustered again in Hampton roads by Commodore Barron.
The Court being of the opinion that the charges preferred by Lord James Townshend were proved, adjudged the prisoner to suffer death, which sentence was carried into effect at the foreyard-arm of the Halifax, Aug. 31, 1807.
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alexlitandem



Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 129

Post Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And your point?

Sad. Bad. Brutish and short.

Life, dear boy.

Not just Lt. Calley.

So there were mad, bad, lying, posturing, Aristos?

And innocent, collaterally damaged, truth-tellers, like Jenkin, who got hung?

And policemen who get charged with murder.

And, unlike the local `hoodie', iis / are released on bail.

And then murder again.

Your point Patrick is ?

Seriously?

Sad story?

Doesn't even get in the first ten thousand Volumes of man's inhumanity to etc.,

What was your point?
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PMarione
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Post Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No point.
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alexlitandem



Joined: 27 Mar 2007
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Post Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 5:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Patrick,

Sorry about my cynical take above. I didn't mean to sound so cold there.

What a sad tale indeed - but, indicative of the harsh (barbaric) value -system of the era, rather than a freak miscarriage of `justice'?

I know I - for one - tend normally to think of the `nobler' or more heroic aspects of the `Nelson era'... and to forget that the times were indeed generally brutish and brutal, not just as exemplified in this sad tale.

Reading trial records of the same period does remind one of just how... primitive... yes, `primitive', and cruel the practice of so-called justice was `in those days'.

Nowadays?
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PMarione
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Post Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's certainly not a miscarriage of justice.
Even today I imagine that some citizen from a country found to fight on board a ship of an enemy would be in deep trouble.

At least at the time they were simply hanged not "waterboarded" or tortured!

@+P
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Roy Adkins



Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 26
Location: Devon

Post Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been a bit busy, so have only just got round to posting a reply! Lesley and I deal with this story in 'The War for All the Oceans', pp.208-9. This was a critical incident that led to the outbreak of war with the Americans five years later. Ratford (with a 't' not a 'd') was seized from the US ship along with three Americans. They were held as prisoners for ages, and one of the Americans even died in captivity, though the other two were eventually released. The United States was outraged at men being taken from a US warship, and the whole business of impressing US seamen did in the end lead to war - it was this aspect above all else that so infuriated the Americans. So what happened to Jenkin Ratford was terrible by today's standards, but it also had far wider implications.
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