John PENTLAND

                   I thought this interesting even tho it so far can not be connected to our John Pentland.

Laws broken and court took place March 31 1823

March 31 , - On Friday evening the Assizes terminated the following Convictions took place.

Andrew Barrett, for stealing a cow, recommended by the Grand Jury to be Transported for seven years..
        (History has it that when found in these conditions people were transported to Austrailia)

William Flynn, for similar offence, same sentence

William Staunton, Manslaughter, to be imprisoned 12 months.  (not much HUH)

Pat Durken, rape on the body of Bridget Mulrooney,  to be hanged on the 12 May.

Thomas Cashell, for stealing a mare, to be hanged on the 12 May

John Adair, for robbing the Mail,  to be hanged on 12th

   MayNeal Mc'Mahon, for having in his possession a forged note, purporting to be of the Bank of
         Ireland, for 11 10s, to be imprisoned for 14 years.

Pat Moran, James Moran, and Thomas Maxwell for coining and counterfeiting six shilling tokens of
        the Bank of Ireland- each to be transported for seven years.

John Hopkins, for Administering unlawful oaths, to be transported for life.

Pat Lea and John Grady, for stealing two sheep, to be transported for seven years.

John Grady for stealing a sheep, to be transported for seven years

Mathew Kirby for stealing a lamb, to be transported for seven years.

William Kneavin and Pat Goodwin, for stealing three sheep, transported for seven years

Mary Mahon, for stealing wearing apparel and twenty bank tokens at 10d each, to be imprisoned 6
        Months

Bridget Dugan, for stealing tobacco, to be imprisoned twelve months

Pat Flanagan, for stealing 24 Irish Bank tokens, to be imprisoned three months

John Sullivan, stealing wearing apparel, to be imprisoned twelve months

Hugh Woods, for stealing leather, to be imprisoned one month

On April 3, 1823 , taken from Connaught Journal, Galway Ireland,Vol 69  Price 5 Pence  there was the following Grand Jury investigating crimes against the Revenue.  (Interesting thought is it not?)

200 Bills of indictment were sent up to the Grand Jury, against persons charged with offences against the revenue, in the manufacture and sale of illicit spirits.  Mr. Leslie Foster and Mr. Pentland, the Solicitors of the Excise, attended on the part of the Crown.

The Grand Jury, however ignored the whole of the bills, and thereby saved those Gentlemen the trouble of prosecuting, samed the country the expense of such a multitude of trials, (which might have amounted, in fees, of officers, support of prisoners, &c. to little short of 10001) and saved the public also the unseemly exhibition of such trials, so little accordant with the customary and dignified forms and practices of our Law Courts, not merely valueless in the way of example or correction, but we greatly fear, toremove those solemn impressions whichthe administration of justice in all its other departments in this country is so eminently adapted to produce.