Prisoner name: William Mucklewin, (or William Macklean). Prisoner age: 59 years....

Prisoner name: William Mucklewin, (or William Macklean).

Prisoner age: 59 years.

Court and date of trial: New Sarum [Salisbury], Wiltshire Summer Assizes on 14 July 1831.

Crime: Shooting with intent to murder John West (his son-in-law).

Initial sentence: Acquitted on the grounds of insanity, then confined until His Majesty's pleasure be known.

Annotated (Outcome): 'Warrant prepared for removal to Mr Finch's Lunatic Asylum at Fisherton 13 July 1833'. Order for Maintenance [at Fisherton Asylum] prepared 11 December 1833'. 'Mucklewin should remain where he is and a reparation may be made to the magistrates [at Bath] in respect of the amount of maintenance'(April 1838).

Other papers: A List of Criminal Lunatics in the gaol at Fisherton Anger, [Salisbury], Wiltshire. Two letters from W Anderson, surgeon to the gaol, writing at the behest of the visiting magistrates to recommend that the prisoner be removed urgently to Fisherton Asylum because hr has become very violent and has attempted suicide (June 1833). Letter from G Poulett Scrope (potential victim and magistrate who had previously convicted the prisoner for ill-treatment of his wife) to the Home Department, objecting to the prisoner's proposed transfer to an ordinary un-secure lunatic asylum from which he would likely escape to commit further violence against his family. Letter from James Cobb (writing at the behest of Salisbury Magistrates) to obtain an order for maintenance of the prisoner in the asylum, chargeable to the prisoner's home parish of Walcot, Bath [Somerset]. Letter from C Brown (Clerk to the Bath Union) requesting an order for transfer of the prisoner from Fisherton Asylum to Bailbrook Asylum in Bath where the cost (charged to the Bath Union) would be considerably lower. Two letters from Reverend Edward Duke (visiting magistrate to Fisherton Asylum) reporting that he sees little objection to the transfer apart from that raised by G Poulett Scrope and giving an opinion on the law relating to this situation.

Additional Information: One of Reverend Edward Duke's letters also refers in detail to a separate case of [ Charles Kaveny] convicted in Spring 1837 [at Salisbury] for highway robbery and committed to transportation for life and who then became insane.