Catalogue description Papers relating to John Pilling of Crompton. Oldham, convict

This collection of papers came into the hands of John's son and were deposited by him. Not originally in any obvious order, they consist mainly of letters from John Pilling during his time in prison from 1881 to 1893: details of his time served at each of several prisons and of his treatment there are given at DDX 817/4/3.

The letters, initially to his father Matthias, are largely addressed to Esther Pilling, his "sister" the wife of his Abraham Pilling. Her letters in reply are in several hands; she herself was apparently illiterate. Letters from other correspondents have been inserted chronologically for the sake of narrative clarity.

"Mr Hopwood", referred to in several of the letters as being canvassed for support, was C H Hopwood, QC, elected Liberal MP for the Middleton Division (which included Rochdale) in July 1892. The identity of the family with which DDX 817/1/50 originated is not clear.

Other papers in the collection, including letters relating to the researches of Matthias (the younger) into his father's trial, are listed separately.

DDX 817/1/1-50 Prison correspondence of John and Esther Pilling

DDX 817/2/1-4 Official papers

DDX 817/3/1-5 Letters concerning John Pilling's papers

DDX 817/4/1-3 Miscellaneous

Pilling, John, d 1921, of Crompton, Oldham, convict

Deposited by Messrs. J Arnold Brierley and Robinson, Solicitors, Oldham, executors of Matthias Pilling

16 March 1972

Acc. 2927

In December 1879 two elderly ladies were beaten with a hammer on their way home from the village of Shaw, Oldham. John Pilling, a 27 year old labourer from Lower Rushcroft, Crompton, was arrested for the crime shortly afterwards. Though he claimed to have an alibi and no motive, he was tried and convicted in January 1880 and sentenced to 20 years' penal servitude. In prison he persevered in proclaiming his innocence, citing inconsistencies from the ladies' initial description of their attacker and suggesting that the conduct both of his arrest and of the trial itself was improper: the policemen were hasty and inattentive, and the judge, in short order, led the jury to a verdict Pilling considered "illegal". After some agitation in his home district, including the forming of a committee to raise a petition, he was released early from prison in 1893. He later had a son, Matthias, and died in 1921.

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