The Misadventures of Thomas William Cook at The National Justice Museum

The National Justice Museum on Nottingham’s High Pavement is famous for its costumed characters and historical trial re-enactments. In their brand-new interactive trial, they share the ingenuity of the man who may have been Nottingham’s worst thief, but most creative escape artist!

In 1700’s Nottingham, there lived a criminal by the name of Thomas Cook (who also went by the name William, just to confuse people trying to research him). He was 37 years of age when he was led to his execution on Gallows Hill in 1785, but it was a destination he had done his best to avoid for many years.

Cook was a native of Nottingham and a framework knitter by trade. In 1781, he committed an act of highway robbery against a Mr Edward Pearson in Radford. He was also involved in several robberies, and the assault of two men in Leicester. Despite being a relatively small man, he put up such a fight when he was arrested that he was struck several times on the head and injured.

Edward Pearson testified in court that Cook was the man that robbed him. Cook was detained but, due to the head injury received on arrest, was thought to be close to death when he was brought to the County Gaol. Cook used this to his advantage. He pretended to be insane and played the part so well that when he was taken to court the Judges dismissed the case as he was clearly unfit to plead.  

During his long confinement in the gaol (over a year) several escape attempts were made by his fellow inmates. Gaoler Bonington prevented a mass escape when prisoners attacked the walls with pickaxes. Those unlucky prisoners were placed in neck irons for their troubles. At one point, Gaoler Bonington had thirty inmates chained together to prevent escape.

Cook, however, had been there so long he was almost forgotten about. On 25 September 1784 he was tasked with sweeping the yard, probably clearing up after the wall was attacked with pickaxes. He quietly bided his time. When the opportune moment arrived, Cook simply swept his way out of the prison without anyone noticing!

He took up residence in Smalley, Derbyshire, until a local resident turned him in. Constables arrested him in the Bell alehouse in Smalley and they began the journey back to Nottingham. The group stopped off at the aptly named Gallows Inn, Ilkeston for refreshment, where Cook once again escaped. He may have changed his name to William while on the run, which is why we have two names for him, but it’s possible William was his real name and Thomas was the alias. We may never know!

Cook set up home in Thurmaston in Leicestershire where he found work - but didn’t stay on the straight and narrow for long. He stole a coat and other articles of clothing from a Mr Linthwaite, a tailor in Leicester, on 8 January 1785. While before the magistrate in Leicester, someone from Nottingham recognised Cook and Gaoler Bonington soon arrived himself to take him back to gaol.

Bonington, eager to prevent another escape, clapped Cook in irons. Ever the optimist, on 22 January Cook had gotten out of them and thrown them over the wall into a yard in Narrowmarsh, Nottingham’s slums.

It seems he tried this twice during his time in the gaol, but Gaoler Bonington stopped any further escapades. Cook was tried on 12 March 1785, but no sentence was given until a week later. The presiding Judge Heath was a no-nonsense judge, famous for plain speaking and severe sentences. He once said, “There is no regeneration for felons in this life, and for their own sake, and the sake of society, I think it better to hang.” Despite this, he was somehow known as good natured and kind!

On 23 or 26 March 1785 (accounts vary), Cook put on his death shroud along with fellow condemned inmates, footpads (muggers) John Pendrill and John Townsend. They were joined on Gallows Hill by Scotsman John Anderson, a horse thief who had been locked up at the town gaol, rather than the county gaol where Cook had been.

It was unusual to see four men hanged at one time at Gallows Hill. None of them were killers (who couldn’t be buried on consecrated ground), so the bodies of Pendrill and Townsend were taken by family members. However, no one came to collect Cook or Anderson, so they were buried in unmarked paupers’ graves at St Mary’s Church opposite the gaol, now the site of the National Justice Museum.

Do you think Cook deserved his sentence? Did he really try to escape, or was his head injury so severe he didn’t realise what he was doing? Join the team of costumed interpreters at the National Justice Museum and take part in a re-enactment of Cook’s trial, where you can decide if Cook was an ingenious escape artist, or just in the wrong place at the wrong time!

For more information on The National Justice Museum click here. 

Please note: There are regular trials included in a Museum entry ticket – These happen daily and customers have no need to book on. Please speak to receotion on arrival. 

This blog was written by our friends at The National Justice Museum, Shire Hall, High Pavement, Nottingham, NG1 1HN
nationaljusticemusuem.org.uk