Person Page 6,347

Henry ("Harry") Entwistle was born on 10 March 1766 in Edgworth.^1,2 He was baptized on 16 March 1766 at St James Church in Haslingden, Lancashire.²

Henry ("Harry") Entwistle and Martha Jackson were married on 4 January 1787 in Bolton.³

Henry ("Harry") Entwistle lived at Clough Head in Edgworth, Lancashire, on 10 March 1801.⁴

Henry ("Harry") Entwistle was reputed to have commenced his criminal career with petty offences in 1782. There is no evidence to support this⁵ He was prosecuted for a felony in July 1804 in Preston, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom. The legal firm Messrs Carr was granted 10 pounds, 4 shillings and sixpence in costs associated with its prosecution of Henry Entwisle for larceny⁶ He was released without prosecution after earlier being charged with uttering counterfeit money in December 1809 in Lancaster, England, United Kingdom. His case was a no bill. Perhaps the prosecution witness (Alice Hitchinson of Quarlton) had been prevailed upon to decline to appear in court.^7,8 He was charged with breaking and entering on 10 September 1810 in Lancaster, England, United Kingdom. He and James Nuttall were accused of breaking an entering the Haslingden factory of James Hutchinson. His co-accused who may have been his brother-in-law; a James Nuttall had married an Alice Entwistle at Haslingden 18 months earlier. Both were acquitted by a jury.^9,10 He was granted a respite in the payment of a fine of 20 pounds on 4 December 1810 in Lancaster, England, United Kingdom. The fine had been imposed when he was previously found guilty of possessing stolen cotton materials owned by Ralph Fletcher Esquire¹¹ He was convicted of larceny and sentenced to transportation for 7 years on 26 January 1813 in Lancaster, England, United Kingdom. All four Entwistles were from Edgeworth, Lancashire^12,13 He was sent to the Hulks for imprisonment on 14 April 1813 in Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom.¹³ He was received on board the Portland Hulk on 17 April 1813 in Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom.¹⁴ He was imprisoned aboard the convict hulk "Portland" on 1 July 1815 in Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom. Henry, James and William Entwistle were held aboard the Portland Hulk until it was de-commissioned in September 1816. Henry Entwistle was on a special Hospital diet throughout his incarceration.^15,16,17 He was transferred from the Portland Hulk to the Laurel Hulk on 19 September 1816 in Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom.^16,14 He was granted a free pardon on 19 September 1817 in Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom. This was not what we would understand by a pardon in the 21st century - which is that the person was always innocent. It was, in fact, more akin to today's parole - or early release for good behaviour.^18,14 He was discharged from the "Laurel" Hulk on 24 September 1817 in Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom.^17,18,14 He offered forged one pound notes for sale on 11 June 1818 in Bolton, Lancashire. Henry Entwistle sold Samuel Lee a forged one pound note for 10 shillings (50% of its face value). Lee later gave evidence that he later reported this to the chief Constable at Bolton, who enlisted him as an informer and under-cover operative.¹⁹ He sold five forged one pound notes on 29 June 1818 in Musbury Common, Lancashire. Samuel Lee met Henry Entwistle in the house of James Grime at Musbury Common. He bought the five forged notes for 11 shillings and sixpence each (57% of the face value)¹⁹ He sold four forged one pound notes on 19 July 1818 in Bury, Lancashire. Samuel Lee paid 11 shillings and sixpence each for the four forged one pound notes (57% of their face value)¹⁹ He was passed a forged banknote to Thomas Brabin on 20 July 1818 in Bolton, Lancashire.²⁰ He uttered a forged one pound note on 20 July 1818 in Bolton, Lancashire. Samuel Lee later alleged that Henry Entwistle had paid for beer with a forged one pound note at the Three Crowns pub in Bolton¹⁹ He uttered a forged one pound note on 17 August 1818 in Bolton, Lancashire. Samuel Lee gave evidence that Mary Allen and Solomon Mather (who were with him and Henry Entwistle at the pub) had been sent to buy a pair of shoes from William Wolfender with a forged note; which they did.¹⁹ He was arrested by Thomas Barrett the younger on 18 September 1818 in Bury, Lancashire. He was found to be in possession of four forged one-pound banknotes^20,19 On 23 March 1819 in Lancaster, England, United Kingdom, Henry ("Harry") Entwistle was charged with having uttered a forged one pound note to T Brabin at Bolton. The jury included a distant relative, Mr John Entwistle of Foxholes. The leading counsel insisted that Henry Entwistle be tried before the other prisoners because he was accused of being the distributor of the forged notes. The most telling evidence was given by Samuel Lee, a farrier at Bolton. He said that Henry had approached him to buy forged one pound notes at half their face value. Lee had reported the approach to Mr Thomas Barrett, the head constable at Bolton who had then employed him in an under-cover capacity. Lee alleged that he had subsequently bought forged notes from Entwistle on three occasions. On cross-examination, Lee admitted that he himself had been sentenced to transportation and had served more than 3 years imprisonment aboard the hulks. He had subsequently been charged with a felony but been acquitted. The jury found Henry guilty without retiring.^21,22,19 He was found guilty of uttering a forged one pound Bank of England to T Brabin at Bolton on 27 March 1819 in Lancaster, England, United Kingdom. The jury found him guilty immediately, without even retiring^23,20 He was sentenced to death on 2 April 1819 in Lancaster, England, United Kingdom. In passing sentence of death, Chief Baron addressed Henry Entwistle with these words. "Henry Entwistle ... you have been convicted of uttering forged Bank of England notes, knowing them to be forged, under circumstances of great aggravation; and I think it my bounden duty to inform you that the sentence that I am now about to pass will be carried into execution; and that there remains no hope of mercy for you in this world."^24,25,22,19

Henry ("Harry") Entwistle died from execution by hanging on 17 April 1819 at age 53 at Lancaster Castle in Lancaster. A total of six men were executed at Lancaster Castle: Henry Entwistle 56, John Kay 55, John Horsman Drake 32, John Clarke 26, Henry Moncrieffe 22 and William Smith 17. According to a report in the Lancaster Gazette, "they all behaved in a manner becoming their unhappy situation, and appeared to die penitent. Entwistle has left a widow, now under sentence of transportation". According to a similar article in the Carlisle Patriot on 1 May, "Entwistle commenced his guilty career at 16 years old with petty offences, till he became a wholesale dealer in forged notes, and employed many others under him to circulate them".^{29,22,30,5,19} He was buried on 18 April 1819 at Lancaster Castle in Lancaster.²⁹