Jonathan Martin, Arsonist, in jail 1829
Illustration from The Great North Road: York To Edinburgh, 2nd edition published in 1922. After the drawing in York Castle Gaol by Rev J Kilby in 1829. English arsonist, famous for setting fire to York Minster in 1829. He was brought up by his aunt, Ann Thompson, a staunch Protestant with a vivid image of hell. After he witnessed the murder of his sister by a neighbour, he was sent to his uncle's farm to recover from the shock. He was press ganged in 1804. He served in the Royal Navy ship HMS Hercule for six years, including the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807. He was noted among his shipmates for his religious obsession. After his parents died, he became a Wesleyan preacher in 1814, strongly denouncing the Church of England. He gained a reputation for disrupting church services. After threatening to shoot the Bishop of Oxford, Edward Legge at a confirmation service in Stockton in 1817, he was arrested, tried, and was sent to a private lunatic asylum in West Auckland. He was later moved to the public asylum in Gateshead. He escaped in June 1820, but was soon recaptured. A year later, Martin had another mental breakdown. On Sunday 1 February 1829, he became upset by a buzzing sound in the organ while attending evensong at York Minster. Later that night, he set fire to the woodwork in the choir before escaping through a window. The culprit was identified from threatening placards Martin had left on the Minster railings in previous days, including his initials and address. He was tried at York Castle in March 1829. The case was a national cause célèbre, coming only two months after the trials of Burke and Hare in Edinburgh. Martin was defended by Henry Brougham, who had gained notoriety for defending Queen Caroline in 1821. Despite the jury ruling that he was guilty on a capital charge, which should have resulted in a death sentence, the judge declared him not guilty on the grounds of insanity. He was detained in Bethlem Royal Hospital, where he remained until he died.
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Photo credit: © Historical Images Archive / Alamy / Afripics
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