1723: Thomas Athoe the Elder, and Thomas Athoe the Younger

ExecutedToday.com ^ | July 5, 2017 | Headsman

[CheshireTheCat]

On this date in 1723, the 58-year-old former mayor of the Pembrokeshire town of Tenby was hanged along with his quarrelsome 23-year-old son.

This classic from the Select Trials annals finds Thomas Athoes Elder and Younger out at market-day when the young hothead picked a fight with, and got his ass kicked by, George Merchant. Merchant was Athoe the Younger’s own cousin, for his mother was Athoe the Elder’s sister; not only this, but in explaining their conduct to the chaplain endeavoring to save their souls, the Athoes would allege that Merchant had also swiped young Athoe’s girl.

The Athoes bided their time for the rest of that day, November 23 of 1722, and “advised by some Pettifogger, to bring an Action against the Deceased .. .answered, No, no, we won’t take the Law, but we’ll pay them in their own Coin.” And so when night fell, they followed Merchant and his brother Thomas (that’s the third Thomas on the pitch here, for those keeping count) to Holloway’s Water, the estuary of the river Ritec that in the 18th century swelled so high when the tide came in that the river became navigable four miles inland. The road that traversed it could only be crossed at low tide.

So it was in this muddy coastal defile, on a nigh-moonless night,* that father and son rounded on brother and brother as the latter watered their mounts....

[Red Badger]

No Pathos for Athoes..............

[Mr. N. Wolfe]

Unfortunate surnames.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Just a couple of thtupid Athoes.

[AceMineral]

Pettifogger.

[ClearCase_guy]

There is an old joke in Massachusetts that we have 3 towns named after Gov Endicott Peabody.

The towns are:

Endicott
Peabody
And
Athol