Documents relating to Timothy Lyons

Violent Assault at Halifax

At the Halifax Borough Court Yesterday a bearer and Oyster Hawker named Timothy Lyons living in Charlestown was charged with an assault upon William Baxendale a carpet weaver of Cribb Lane Halifax and George Wrigley a dyer of Ovenden.

It appears that on Sunday night the parties were at the Greyhound Beerhouse Charlestown Halifax when someone observed in the course of the conversation that Heenan had been beaten. This seems to have aroused the ire of the prisoner who immediately took up a poker and struck Wrigley on the head severely cutting him and causing blood to issue freely from his ear. He next made an attack on Baxendale aiming at his head with the poker also. Baxendale held up his arm for protection and had it broken by the blow.

The prisoner again essayed to strike him on the head and Baxendale again raised up his arm and the consequence was that the same arm was broken again in another place. The company interfered and the prisoner was ultimately given into the hands of the Police.

Baxendale was removed to the Infirmary and it was there that it was ascertained that his arm was so badly crushed and broken about the elbow as to maim him for the rest of his life. He was too feeble to give evidence yesterday and the prisoner was in consequence remanded until Friday

That Timothy Lyons late of Wakefield in the West Riding of the county of York Labourer on the 6th day of Mar in the 27th year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Victoria by the grace of God of the united Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the face with force of arms at the Parish of Halifax in the said West Riding in the County of York unlawfully and maliciously did assault one William Baxendale and did then and there unlawfully and maliciously with a poker strike and beat the said William Baxendale grievous bodily harm to the great damage of the said William Baxendale against the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace of our Said Lady the Queen her crown and dignity and the Jurors aforesaid upon their oath aforesaid do further present that the said Timothy Lyons afterwards to wit on the 6th day of March in the year aforesaid with force and arms at the said Parish of Halifax in the West Riding County of York unlawfully and maliciously did wound the said William Baxendale to the great damage of the said William Baxendale against the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace of the said Lady the Queen her Crown and Dignity.

And the Jurors aforesaid upon the oath aforesaid do further present that the said Timothy Lyons afterwards to wit on the said sixth day of March in the year aforesaid with force and arms at the Parish of Halifax aforesaid in the said West Riding of the County of York in and upon the said William Baxendale in the peace of God and our said Lady the Queen then being unlawfully did make an assault and him the said William Baxendale then and there did unlawfully did beat wound and ill treat and did thereby then and there occasion actual bodily harm to the said William Baxendale that his life was greatly despaired of and other wrongs to the said William Baxendale then and there did to the great damage to him the said William Baxendale and against the peace of the said Lady our Queen her Crown and Dignity and against the form of the statute in such case made and provided.

Witnesses:

• William Baxendale
• Sarah Thompson
• Henry Baldwin
• Edmund Strickland

Verdict: Guilty – Sentence 18 months hard labour

That James Noonan, Daniel Noonan, Patrick Flaherty, Hugh Gordon, Thomas Nicholson, James Nicholson, Michael Nicholson, William Nicholson, Timothy Lyons, George Brannan, Patsy Cummings and George Beaumont together with divers other evil disposed persons to the number of 20 or more to the jurors aforesaid yet unknown on the twentieth day of January in the year of our Lord Eighteen Hundred and fifty Eight with force of arms did forcibly and riotously assemble and gather together to disturb the peace of our Lady the Queen and did and there remain and continue together making great noises and disturbances for a long space of time to wit to the space of one hour and so bring then and there assembled and gathered together in and upon one Laurence Nicholson in the peace of God and of our said Lady the Queen then and there being unlawfully riotously and routously did make an assault and him the said Laurence Nicholson then and there unlawfully riotously and routously did beat and ill treat so that his life was greatly despaired of and others wrongs to the said Laurence Nicholson then and there unlawfully riotously and routously did to the great terror and disturbance of all the liege subjects of our said Lady the Queen then and there being and residing to the great damage to the said Laurence Nicholson against the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace of our said Lady the Queen the Crown and Dignity and the jurors aforesaid upon their oath aforesaid do further present that the said James Noonan, Daniel Noonan, Patrick Flaherty, Hugh Gordon, Thomas Nicholson, James Nicholson, Michael Nicholson, William Nicholson, Timothy Lyons, George Brannan, Patsy Cummins and George Beaumont afterwards to wit on the said twentieth day of January in the year aforesaid with force and arms in and upon the said Laurence Nicholson in the peace of God and the said Lady the Queen then and there being unlawfully did make an assault and him the said Laurence Nicholson then and there did beat, wound and ill treat so that his life was despaired of and other wrongs to the said Laurence Nicholson and against the peace of the said Lady the Queen her Crown and Dignity and the jurors aforesaid upon their oath aforesaid do further present that the said Daniel Noonan, Patrick Flaherty, Hugh Gordon, Thomas Nicholson, James Nicholson, Laurence Nicholson, Michael Nicholson, William Nicholson, Timothy Lyons, George Brannan, Patsy Cummins and George Beaumont afterwards to wit on the twentieth day of January in the year aforesaid with force and arms in in and upon the said James Noonan in the peace of God and our said Lady the Queen then and there did unlawfully did make an assault and him the said James Noonan then and there did beat wound and ill treat so that his life was greatly despaired of and other wrongs to the said James Noonan then and there did to the great damage to him the said James Noonan and against the peace of the said Lady the Queen her Crown and Dignity

Hugh Gordon, Timothy Lyons, George Beaumont and Patsy Cummins were bound over on their own recognisances in £20 each to keep the peace for having assembled to witness a prize fight at Dunford Bridge on 20th January last