The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-10-05 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY . ATTACK ON STANFIELD
HALL, NORFOLK, BY A MOB.

On Monday, one of the most extraordinary outrages ever
perpetrated was committed on the seat of Isaac Jeremy, Esq.,•
by a large mob, headed by a man named Larner, and another
person, also from Loudon, calling himself Daniel Wingfield.
Larner professes to be a claimant to the Stanfield property,
and went so far, on Monday last, as to take possession of the
mansion ; and it was only with the assistance of the military,
eventually called out in support of the civil power, that the
intruder and his adherents were expelled from the premises,
and, to the number of more than eighty, -taken into custody.
The following are the facts connected with this remarkable

case :
Isaac Preston, -Esq., who lately, by royal license; assumed
the name of Jeremy, is the son and heir of the Rev. George
Preston, of Stanfield Hall. His father succeeded to this es-
tate by virtue of the will of his elder brother, also of Stanfield
Hall, in May, 1786; and Mr. Jeremy came into possession
on his father's death in 18,37, the property having been a cen-
tury in the family. In June last, an auction took place of the
Rev. George Preston's effects; when, on one of the days of
the sale, a servant informed Mr. Jeremy that there was a per-
son below whoclaimed to take possession of t fie place as heir-
at-law to the property. Mr. Jeremy, in company with Mr.
Colley, the auctioneer, went to a room on the first floor,
where he saw two men, one of whom was the prisoner, John
Lerner, and, asking hint what business they had there, de-
sired them to leave the house. The person who accompanied
Lerner said—" This gentleman is Mr. John Lanier, the heir-
at-law to this property, and he has come to take possession
of his estate." Mr. Jeremy asked the speaket if he were a
lawyer; and, on being answered in the negative, he told
them, that, if they had any claim to his property, the way
was open to them to put it forward by means of legal, and not
illegal proceedings. The intruders were again desired to
leave the house, which they refused to do; and Mr. Jeremy
sent to Wymondham for the police-officers, who removed them
from the premises. Some time atter the above occurrence,
the following handbills was distributed through the county of
Norfolk :

"TO WORKMEN, LABOU,ZERS, AND OTHERS.
"Whereas, Isaac Preston, Recorder of the City of Nor-
wich, (lately styled Isaac Jeremy,) having publicly acknow-
ledged that he had no right or title to the Stanfield estates,
mansion, and manors, but naked possession only, workmen,
labourers, and others, are therefore cautioned not to assist
the said Isaac in attempting to prevent the heir-at-law, John
Lamer, from taking possession of his family residence, Stan-
field Hall, otherwise they will be liable to be prosecuted fur
a breach of the peace

"JOHN LARNEII
'Cross-street, City Road, London, August 22, 1838.
" Witness: Daniel Wingtield."

On Tuesday, the 11th September, eight or nine persons
violently entered the mansion, which was then occupied by
a Mrs. Sims, and demanded of her the-keys of the house, de-
siring her to leave the place. Constables being called in,
the people left the.place. On the following day Lerner en-
tered the pleasure-grounds, cut down an ash tree, and with
others carried it away. On the 20th of September Lerner
again entered the premises, 'accompanied by a blacksmith,
when assistance being at hand, and finding that he should
be taken into custody, he took to his heels and escaped, de-
claring that he would return again. On the following day,
handbills against - Mr. Jeremy were again distributed.
Monday last, Lerner appeared in front of Stanfield Hall,
with a very large party of men, collected from the different
parishes of the neighbourhood. They entered the park by
the drive, and commenced cheering and waving their hats.
About eleven o'clock in the morning, they demanded admit-
tance of Mrs. SilllF, declaring they would break open the
house if it were refused them. Sae did refuse them, upon
Which Lerner took a crow-bar, and broke in the door, when
the party rushed into the place, Soon after entering., the
mob followed Lerner up stairs to a bedchamber, in which
Mrs. SiMs had taken refuge; Lanier entered first, and de-
-1 sired her to leave the house, which she refused to 'do. He
then said, that she should be carried Out by force if she did
nut go. Miss Bloomfield, of Wymondham House, at this
time came up stairs into the room, and joined Mrs. Sims in
her refusal to leave the house. After carrying Mrs. Silos
out of the house, Lanier scent up stairs again, seized Miss
Bloomfield in his arms, and forcibly carried her out. The
mob then carried the furniture, bedding, &c. out of the house
and placed it on the lawn ; after which, they broke open all
the cupboards, throwing their contents out of the windows;
from one of them they took out a sum of money belonging to
Mrs. Sims, part of which they gave up to that lady, the fel-
lows declaring they found no more. They afterwards bar-
ricaded the windows and doors, letting do person in or out
4 of the house except their own party, and placed a heap of
paving stones, brickbats, and other missiles, before each of
ithe upper windows, in preparation for a siege. During the
time this outrage was carrying into effect, Mr. Jeremy, who
is a county magistrate, received information of what was pas-
sing, and hastened to the scene with two constables, when
he found the furniture of the mansion lying on the .ground
exposed to a heavy rain: he read the riot act to the mob ;
and calling upon them to listen to him, informed them
that every persons would be guilty of felony if they did not
immediately disperse. Between three and four o'clock
the'Reverena Robert Wilson. and It. Cann, Esq., came upf
with a civil force, and succeeded in taking some o
the bludgeonmen into custody ; but the rioters made
a sortie from the house, and instantly rescued them.
Finding the civil force inadequate, the military were sent
for from Norwich, and at about a quarter before six a de-
tachment of the Dragoon Guards, under the command of
Major Makepeace, came upon the ground. Before their ar-
rival, however, the fellows in toe mansion rushed several
times out, and very severely beat the magistrates, particularly
Mr. Jeremy. The military having been desired to load their
pieces with ball cartridges, the magistrates again read the
riot act, and called on the misguided men to surrender rather
than there should be a sheeding of blood. The military took
up a position so as to surround the- house, and cut off all at-
tempts at escape ; the men inside then, having had five
minutes' grace given to them to snake up their minds, de-
clared, before the expiration of the time, their intention to
surrender, and, opening one of the doors, came out one by
one, and were tied together by ropes, to prevent their escape,
to the number of sixty-three. They were put into waggons,
and conducted to Norwich Castle, under an escort of the
military. The other men, being known, were held to bail to
appear at Norwich the following morning. The whole of
the prisoners arrived at the gaol at eleven o'clock at night.
The persons engaged in this most extraordinary outrage
came from different parishes in the county of Norfolk ; only
twenty-five of them are labourers, the others being little
tradesmen, by whom ignorance cannot be pleaded as an ex-
cuse for their conduct, thirty-four of them being able to read
and write, seven can read only, and thirty-nine can neither
read nor write. Three of them were liberated on bail; the
others remain in custody until the next examinaiion.—
Abridyed from the Norfolk Chronicle.