Page 155 - British Post Office Notices 1666 to 1799

1780-1789

at Twyford, in Middlesex, when it appeared the greatest part of the letters were taken out of the Bath and Bristol bags, and
the following bags entirely taken away:
Pewsey Maidenhead Gloucester Lech lade
Calne Henley Tewksbury La~ter
Newbury Reading Hereford Carmarthen
Trowbridge Want age Leominster Tenby
Melksham Cirencester North leach Haverfordwest
Bradford Stroud Cheltenham Pembroke
Wallingford Wotton Underdge Fairford Abergavenny.
One George Weston is strongly suspected to be concerned in the above robbery, he having, between Tuesday the 30th
of January, and Friday the 2d instant, negociated several Bank post bills and Bank notes, which had been in the mail, in
Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Northumberland, Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire, and
Hertfordshire, in the name of James Jackson, and in character of a Naval Officer, wearing the exact uniform of a
Midshipman, viz. a blue coat turned up with white, white waistcoat, yellow buttons, with an anchor upon them, and a plain
cocked hat, with a cockade in it.
He was pursued from Nottinghamshire to London, on the direct North road through Stevenage, Ware, and Enclfield,
and got out of a post chaise and four in Bishopsgate street, about half past ten o'clock on Friday night, the 2d instant,
immediately took an hackney coach, and was set down in the first Court in Newgate street, which leads to St. Paul's Church
yard, where he took a pair of pistols and portmanteau under his arm, and walked towards the Church-yard.
The said George Weston is described to be about 5 feet 6 or 7 inches high, about twenty-four or twenty-five years of
age, his hair of a lightish brown colour, cut short before, and tied behind, fresh coloured, pitted with the small pox, thin
made, speaks quick, and when he arrived in London had boots on, and a light-coloured great coat. He lodged at the
Coventry Cross, in Potter's-fields, Tooley-street, about four months ago, has a brother named Joseph Weston, and both are
reputed to be highwaymen.
Whoever shall apprehend and convict, or cause to be apprehended and convicted, the person who committed this
Robbery, will be entitled to a Reward of TWO HUNDRED POUNDS, over and above the Reward given by Act of Parliament
_ for apprehending highwaymen; or if any person, whether an accomplice in the robbery, or knowing thereof, shall make
discovery, whereby the person who committed the same may be apprehended and brought to justice, such discoverer will,
upon conviction of the party, be entitled to the same Reward of TWO HUNDRED POUNDS, and will also receive his
Majesty's most gracious pardon.
ANTHONY TODD, Secretary.

-- 8 2 0 1 NEWS (General Post-Office, January 8, 1782)

FROM a variety of circumstances, there is the strongest reason to believe, that one George Weston, and Joseph
Weston his brother, were concerned in the robbery of the Bristol mail near Cranford Bridge, on the 29th of January, 1781,
for the apprehending the person who committed the same, a reward of TWO HUNDRED POUNDS was offered, by
advertisement from hence in the London Gazette of Saturday the lOth of February last, and in several succeeding Gazettes,
to be paid out of this revenue upon conviction.
The said George Weston and Joseph Weston aJie two of the sons of one George Weston, now deceased, who was born
in the parish of Stone, in Staffordshire, and all resided in that county, and in the parish of Allchurch, in Worcestershire,
until the year 1773 or 1774, when they quitted that country.
The latter end of 1774, they resided on a farm near Lynn, by the names of Stone; having defrauded several persons
there, they decamped in the spring following.
In 1775, they resided upon a farm in the parish of Blackburn, in Scotland, by the names of Gilbert; and, having
conducted themselves there in the same manner as at Lynn, they speedily left that country.
The beginning of the year 1776, they resided for a short time at Brough, in Lincolnshire, on the banks of the Humber,
where they acted a similar part.
In the spring of 1776, the rented an estate near Beckenham, in Kent, in the names of Green, and soon quitted it on the
same account.

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