Robert Knox

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Maureen Withey on 4th January 2023

Housebreaking and Severe Scuffle with the Watchmen. —Early on Wednesday morning, Maloney, the watchman on the Preston Street beat, Newington, discovered two men on the roof of one of the small houses at the west corner of the Newington Road, adjoining Preston Street, occupied by Mr Middleman, victual dealer. He immediately ran for the assistance of his neighbour watchman, and proceeded to the premises where he had seen the men. By this time, however, the thieves had noticed the motions of the watchmen, and had descended the back of the house to small garden there, to which the watchmen at length traced them. One of the thieves seeing he could not escape without being observed, coolly accosted Malony, and asked what thieves were these he was after? when Malony at once recognized him as one of the two whom he had seen on the roof of the house , and answered his question by promptly seizing him the collar. Mcduff succeeded in laying hold of the other, when a dreadful scuffle ensued between the parties, the thieves striking and kicking with all their might, and the watchmen, with great courage and firmness, defending themselves, and maintaining their hold of the thieves until assistance came up, when they had them conveyed to the police-office , where it was discovered that one of them was the notorious Lachlan Macintosh , seaman, who, in 1831, was sentenced to transportation for life, but effected his escape , along with nine others, in July 1833, from the Marine Department, Hobart Town, on board H. M . schooner Badger, while in charge of that vessel. The other was discovered to be a well known thief, named Knox. The watchmen will be entitled to a handsome reward from Government for the apprehension of Macintosh. The Scotsman, 28 Oct 1835.

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John McGowan on 4th January 2023

In October 1835, the (notorious) Lauchlin Macintosh and the accused Robert Knox were disturbed at night on a roof at Preston Street. When apprehended were was a 'dreadful scuffle' with two Police officers. MacIntosh was later identified as an 'escaped Convict' per Convict Records. There is no newspaper account of their appearance at the High Court of Justiciary, but Macintosh received transportation (again) for Life and Robert Knox was transported for 7 years - see Scotsman newspaper 28 October 1835 p 2 on 'Attempted Housebreaking and Scuffle with two Watchmen; and McGowan, John (2022) Policing the Metropolis of Scotland,1833-1861 (Edinburgh City Archives) Volume 1, pp 1291-1292