Did you know…?
This is Ignatius Timothy Trebitsch-Lincoln.
Member of Parliament for Darlington. Buddhist abbot. Self-proclaimed Dalai Lama. Convicted con artist. Infamous spy. Nazi collaborator. Continue reading Ignatius: Father of John Lincoln
Tag: 1900s
Bombardier John Lincoln
Did you know…?
Bombardier John Lincoln was the eldest son of Ignatius Timothy Trebitsch-Lincoln. Born Natzl, he changed his name in order to distance himself from his father.
John has the rather dubious claim of being subject to the last civil execution to be carried out at Shepton Mallet.
On the evening of Wednesday 23 December 1925, John and another Royal Artillery Bombardier, Ian Stewart had been out drinking. They travelled to the Trowbridge home of Edward Richards, with the intention of robbing him. They both carried weapons because they believed that Edward kept a pistol. They entered Edward’s home and soon found the pistol.
When Edward arrived home from work he realised that someone had broken in. He fired a pistol into the kitchen – not with the intention to harm but in defence as he was in possession of a large amount of money belonging to the Brewery. John fired back. He shot Edward and then attacked him with an empty beer bottle.
Edward died in the early hours of Christmas Eve, soon after reaching hospital.
John and Ian were arrested on Christmas Day and were tried for murder on 19 January 1926. Ian was acquitted of murder but was sentenced to 14 years for burglary. John was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
On 1 March 1926 John was visited at Shepton Mallet Prison by his fiancée, Miss Lily Brown of Trowbridge, Lily’s brother, John’s brother Lincoln and his mother, Gretchen. His estranged father wasn’t present – he was still en route from Sri Lanka.
On the morning of 2 March 1926 John Lincoln had breakfast, played (and won) a final game of crib and then, at 8am, went to the gallows.He remains buried in plot seven inside the walls on the west side of the prison.
Published on 20/03/16 @ Creating a Vision and Future for Shepton Mallet Prison
References: Disney, 1992.
A Life Lost
Did you know…?
Edward Charles Ingham Richards lived in Trowbridge with his wife and child.
He was a traveller, employed by Usher’s Wiltshire Brewery.
His life came to a sudden end in the early hours of Christmas Eve 1925 as a result of the drunken actions of Bombardier John Lincoln and his accomplice Ronald Stewart. He was aged 25 years.
Edward was respectfully laid to rest in North Bradley churchyard, Wiltshire.
John Lincoln went to the gallows and was buried in unconsecrated ground in an unmarked grave within the walls of Shepton Mallet Prison where it remains to this day.
[Photo from Disney, 1992]
Published on 20/03/16 @ Creating a Vision and Future for Shepton Mallet Prison
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