Remarkable collection of Newcastle broadsides, about half of them unrecorded, which tells the story of the notorious trial and execution of William Jobling who became the penultimate man to be gibbeted in Britain before the practice was outlawed. As recorded in these broadsides Jobling’s body was then stolen from the gibbet on Jarrow Slake (probably by his friends) and never recovered - a replica of Jobling on the gibbet appears in South Shields Museum.
These broadsides were preserved by the printer and avid ballad collector John Bell (1783-1864), many still being mounted or showing traces of mounting on his usual folio-size sheets. This also account for their unusually good condition. Bell has added to his collection of broadsides a watercolour in grisaille of Jobling on the gibbet - artist unknown.
The murder of Nicholas Fairles took place after the 1831 Great Strike and during a period of intense conflict over the creation of trade unions. Jobling and Ralph Armstrong, both strikers, attacked the magistrate Fairles outside a pub in Durham on 11 June 1832 - Fairles subsequently died from his injuries and Jobling was apprehended and sentenced to execution and to be hung in chains.
The collection contains the original Wanted poster for Armstrong and Jobling, a further reward notice for Armstrong (who got away scot free, never to be recovered), the funeral notice for the victim, and the prison calendar for Jobling, ahead of a sequence of broadsides relating to his trial, sentence, execution and gibbeting - and the scandalous theft of his body that helped prompt the change in the law about the practice of gibbeting.
The story is rounded off with spurious broadsides about the fruitless hunt for Armstrong, including a sighting in Corfu. In the north east of England, Jobling has taken on something of the role of a folk hero, a reputation bolstered by the mysterious theft of his body.
The collection contains:
1
Four Hundred Pounds Reward. Dated Whitehall, June 15th 1832. Relating to the assault on Nicholas Fairles on 11th June 1832 by Ralph Armstrong and William Jobling. Printed by Market Place Printing Office : R Kelly, South Shields. A small newspaper clipping is pasted to the rear re iterating the text to the front.
Measures 35 cm x 50 cm. Cleanly nicked to top left corner with loss to margin only approx.5 cm x 3 cm; no nicks or tears to any fold lines; one vertical fold line runs parallel to left margin and two further horizontal fold lines.
OCLC unrecorded
2
100 Pounds Reward. [for Ralph Armstrong]. Printed by R M Kelly, South Shields. Signed by the Vestry of St Hilds Chapel. South Shields, 16th June, 1832.
28 cm x 45 cm. A little nicked to top edge; two clean horizontal fold lines; no tears -
OCLC unrecorded.
3
NOTICE The Funeral of the late Nicholas Fairles Esq. Printed by R M Kelly, South Shield. Dated 25th June, 1832.
Measures 21cm x 34cm. Unrecorded. Tipped onto a single bi folium.
4
The Late Nicholas Fairles, Esq. Extracted from the Newcastle Courant, of Saturday, June 30, 1832. Printed by J Blackwell and Co, Newcastle.
Measures 18.5cm x 23cm. Tipped onto a single bi folium.
OCLC Unrecorded.
5
A Calendar Of the Prisoners in His Majesty’s Gaols of Durham, Newcastle and Morpeth, who have to take their trials at the ensuing Assizes, on Monday 30th July 1832, before the Honorable Sir James Parke & Sir William Bolland Knights. Printed by W Boag, Foot of Dean Street, Newcastle. Printed to one side only.
Measures 25.5 cm x 37cm. 2 fold lines. No holes or nicks. Unrecorded.
6
Execution of William Jobling, Pitman of Jarrow. Aged 30, for the Wilful Murder of Nicholas Fairles Esq late Resident Magistrate for South Shields, on Monday the 11th June, 1832. Dated Durham, Aug 2 1832 - Ten o’clock at night. Printed by W Boag Printer, Newcastle. Measures 37cm x 25cm. Tipped onto a single folio leaf.
OCLC 1 copy at Simon Fraser University.
7
Trial, Sentence, & Execution of William Jobling, (Late Pitman, of Jarrow). Printed by Douglas & Kent, Newcastle.
Measures 50cm x 37cm. 3 illustrations. Small nick to top left corner; vertical crease runs alongside left fore edg; folds intact; no other nicks or tears.
OCLC Newcastle.
8
Trial of William Jobling, aged 30, charged with the wilful Murder of Nicholas Fairled Esq late resident magistrate at South Shields.... Two horizontal fold lines, intact. measure
45cm x 28cm.
OCLC 1 copy Library Congress
9
An Account of the Gibbeting of Wm. Jobling, at Jarrow Slake, On Monday August 6th, 1832, pursuant to his Sentence, for the Murder of Nicholas Fairles, Esq, resident Magistrate of South Shields. printed by W Boag, Newcastle.
Measures 37cm x 21cm. Loss measuring approx. 3cm x 2cm to lower left corner; text uncompromised. Slight nick to top right fore edge.
OCLC 2 copies Princeton and Library of Congress.
10
The Particulars of the Gibbet being stole away from Jarrow Slake, Late on Friday night or early on Saturday Morning, September 1st 1832, by some Persons yet unknown. Printed by Douglas and Kent, Newcastle.
Measures 34cm x 12cm. Pasted to a folio leaf of a bifolium.
Unrec OCLC.
11
An Account of the Apprehension of R Armstrong, (Late Pitman at Jarrow) at Dublin for the Murder of Nicholas Fairless, Late Magistrate of South Shields, in the County of Durham. Printed by Douglas and Kent Printers, Newcastle. Dated February 2 1833 in a contemporary hand.
Measures 33.5cm x 11cm.
OCLC 1 copy at Simon Fraser Uni.
12
The Latest Intelligence as to the Apprehension & Confession of Ralph Armstrong at Corfu. Printed by W Kent, Printer, Newcastle. Dated 1836 in a contemporary hand.
Measures 36cm x 16cm.
OCLC 1 copy at Uni Newcastle.
13
An Account of the Apprehension of Ralph Armstrong, at Corfu. printed by W.Kent, Printer, Newcastle. Dated in hand 1836. Laid down on one folio sized leaf of a bi folium.
Measures 20 cm x 24 cm.
OCLC. 1 copy Newcastle Uni.
14
A watercolour image of Jobling on the gibbet - black, white and grey water colour palette. Presumably painted or commissioned by the collector. Measures 33.5cm x 21 cm.
