Sidney Alfred Parsons and his Ancestors

The Trial of Charles Guy, James Boyes’ son-in-law


Charles Guy was the husband of Elizabeth Boyes who was a grandaughter of John Boyes of Owslebury. Her sister Kate, who was involved in the incident, had actually been christened Christiana (although the newspaper report below spelt her name as Christina). Elizabeth and Kate were aunts of Harriet Parsons née Boyes who was Sidney Parsons’ mother.

Charles had an argument with his wife on the 20th of May 1864 after which she left her husband and hid at her father’s house. Charles followed her there but when they wouldn’t let him see her, he became angry, left to obtain two pistols, and returned with them. The altercation which followed led to Charles being imprisoned for six years.

The newspaper reports of the trial at the assizes, and the magistrates hearing which preceeded it, are below.

Report in the Assize Intelligence on the 12th of July 1864


A young man of 21 years, named Charles Guy, described as a common carrier, was indicted for feloniously attempting to shoot Kate Boyes, with intent to kill and murder, at Bishopstoke, on the 20th May.
Mr Gunner prosecuted, and Mr. Bowen defended the prisoner.
It appeared that the prisoner had ,married one of the daughters of a James Boyes of Crowd hill, and the prosecutrix was his wife’s sister. On a certain night, prisoner had asked his wife to come and meet him with his cart, and she did not do so. They had words, but went to bed that night, but between three and four in the morning he woke up and found her gone. He immediately got up, horsed his cart, and drove to her father’s house and inquired for her, but they denied her being there. Prisoner left, and returned twice, and considerable altercation ensued between prisoner and his wife’s father. The prosecutrix, a younger daughter, was in the upper part of the house, and probably was much frightened at the noise below, which induced her to open the window and cry out “Murder.” The prisoner thereupon went round under the window, and saying “I’ll do that for you,” pointed a pistol at her. The cap snapped, and the prosecutrix heard the click of the trigger, but the charge did not go off, and no harm was done. The prisoner had two loaded pistols; one was picked up in a ditch he had passed, and another found in his pocket. The one picked up had an exploded cap on it, and was loaded with powder and bullet; the other had a ball in the barrel, but the powder had got out. They were both breech-loaders.
The prisoner denied pointing the pistol at the girl, but other evidence proved he did.
Mr. Bowen argued to the effect that the prisoner had one pistol without powder in it, and he might have pointed that at the prosecutrix. His idea was only to frighten her and stop the cries of murder.
The Judge pointed out the absence of any proof of malice against Kate Boyes, even if the prisoner had quarrelled with his wife and her father.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of firing the pistol at the prosecutrix with intent to do her some grievous bodily harm, and the judge sentenced him to penal servitude for six years.
 



Report in the Hampshire Telegraph on the 28th of May 1864


ATTEMPTED DOUBLE MURDER   —    Charles Guy, carrier from Bishop's Waltham to Winchester and Southampton, was brought up on remand on Monday, before W. W. Bulpett, Esq., charged with attempting to shoot his sister-in-law, Christina Boyes, and his father-in-law, James Boyes, at Crowd Hill, on the 20th of May. From the evidence it appeared that the witness, Kate Boyes, went to see her sister, prisoner's wife, on the 11th inst., at Bishop's Waltham, and remained there until the next evening. About seven o’clock the prisoner came home and began abusing his wife because she had not been to meet him on the road, as she had promised him in the morning she would do. He afterwards threatened to turn her out of doors, and told her if she was not gone in 24 hours he would do something to her. He went and got his razor, and speaking to his wife, said, “If you attempt to move I'll cut your —— throat from ear to ear, you ——.” She (witness) saw a razor in his hand partly open, and in consequence of this she went to her father's, at Crowd Hill, and back again to Bishop's Waltham, to fetch her sister to her father's house. There she went to bed, but about four o'clock in the morning she heard the prisoner come and ask “if Bessie was there?” Her father said, “No,” and then the prisoner asked her if he had threatened to cut his wife's throat, and she told him he had. Prisoner then went away, but returned in a few hours afterwards. When the father came in prisoner said, “Where is my wife?” Her father replied, “She will not come to live with you any more, because you attempted to murder her.” He asked a second time for his wife, and her father told him to find her, and to leave the house, and went and fetched Police-constable Turrell. When Turrell had gone the prisoner asked as to the time the train would leave for Southampton, and told them not to be surprised if they heard pistols in the night, saying also “If I can’t see her I’ll do something for some of you.” He swore at her father and mother, and at the witness, saying “As for you, you —— , it was you that parted man and wife, and I’ll do for you.” He then went away. About nine or ten the same night he came back, knocked at the door, and asked for his wife, saying “If my wife is not here, I’ll know where she is before you shut the door.” He put one foot against the door, and she saw a pistol in his hand pointed at her father’s head. Her mother said “ he has got a pistol,” and the witness helped to close the door and then ran upstairs and cried “murder” from the window. Her little brother did the same, and the prisoner said he would blow his brains out, or something like it. Witness called out again and then he said “I’ll do for you,” and immediately pointed a pistol at her, which made a noise and then she left the window.
 —  P.C. Turrell said he went to the house when fetched, but left again on the prisoner saying he would be quiet. He afterwards saw him going towards Southampton. He appeared greatly excited, and said he was going to get something, and then he added “If they don’t tell me where she is, they shall have it first and myself afterwards. I would rather die than live. It is all through jealousy.” Witness advised him to be quiet and not to go near them, and he would be sure to find his wife. He then became quieter and bade him “good night.” At about half past eleven that night witness was called to James Boyes’s house again, when Mr. Boyes charged the prisoner with pointing a loaded pistol at his head, and with snapping it at his daughter. Prisoner was sitting in a chair in the front room, and said when he (the witness) entered “You have got me all right now. I fired the pistol off, here I am, take me.” He said he fired the pistol towards the ground, and that he went to Southampton and pawned his watch for 15s, and bought a pair of pisols for 9s 6d, the woman who sold them showing him how to load them. He had fired off one to try them, and had reloaded it, and said “If I get ten years for it, I’ll cut my wife’s throat directly I come out, and do for the rest.” He took a pistol out of his jacket and gave to witness some balls and copper caps. George Harrison secured the other pistol and gave it to witness. On searching the prisoner he found a duplicate of a watch pawned for 15s, at Mr. Gamblen’s 2, Bernard-street, Southampton, on the 20th May. Prisoner was very excited but quite sober. Henry Andrews said he saw the prisoner attempt to fire at Kate Boyes, and saw him throw the pistol away. He (witness) picked it up and gave it to George Harrison, when it was found to be loaded with a leaden bullet. Some other evidence was given, and then the prisoner after being duly cautioned made a long statement, virtually the same as the above evidence, but said not a word about the pistols. He was thereupon committed to take his trial at the next assizes, bail being refused.
 



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