Hi Sanddancer and welcome !
This is one of a few accounts you can find by Googling ! ....... you may have it already but just in case !
Murder of a Senior Magistrate
The funeral of one of South Shields' senior Magistrates, Nicholas Fairles Esq, took place at St Hilda’s Church on Wednesday 27th June, 1832. He was well respected within the town and also within the church community and so the mourners, led by his wife, included many of the town's dignitaries.
There was a strike at a local coal mine and, as its owners were expecting further trouble, Mr Fairles had been in attendance. From the mine he set out to visit Mr J A Foster, a viewer who worked at Jarrow Colliery, but on his way across Jarrow Slake he was stopped by William Jobling, who was quite intoxicated. Jobling took hold of the reins of Mr Fairles's horse and begged for money for more drink, which of course was refused by Mr Fairles. Jobling was then joined by Ralph Armstrong who also worked at Jarrow Colliery.
Whilst Jobling retained his hold on the reins of the horse, Ralph Armstrong struck Mr Fairles on the head with a heavy stick, knocking him from his horse to the ground, whereupon there was a violent struggle. Armstrong beat Mr Fairles about his head whilst Jobling stood and watched the attack, doing nothing to help the victim. By the time help arrived, Jobling and Armstrong had both left the scene of the crime. Shortly after, Mr Fairles died of the injuries he had sustained, but before that he did manage to say that William Jobling was not his attacker.
Jobling was soon caught, on South Shields beach; a reward was put out for Armstrong.
Jobling pleaded his innocence at Durham Assizes but was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of Nicholas Fairles. He was hanged in front of Durham Gaol and his body was then taken to Jarrow Slake, where it was gibbetted within site of the scene of the crime. William Jobling was to be the last man to be publicly gibbetted in this country, but in fact that gruesome process did not last as long as had been intended, as the body mysteriously disappeared very soon afterwards. It is said that some of Jobling's friends rescued it and gave it a decent burial in a place which remains secret to this day (or does it? - there are some in South Shields who can tell you where it is!).
To this day no-one really knows the truth of what really happen on that fateful day. It is said that Armstrong fled to Australia but, who knows, maybe he did or maybe he didn’t
http://lindenbridge.pubs.tripod.com/research/id32.htmlhttp://www.watersid.fsnet.co.uk/people/Williamjobling.htm