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The Times, Friday, Sep 02, 1814; pg. 3
Court-Martial on Lieutenant Leaver, Late Commander Of H. M. S. Martial.
The trial commenced on the 20th of August, on board the Salvador, in Hamoaze, and occupied the attention of the Court for six days. Captain Lord COLVILLE, President. The charges were –
“That Lient. Charles Tovey Leaver, Commander of the sloop Martial, did, on board, on various days between the 10th of July, 1812, and the 12th March, 1813, cause to be inflicted upon John Ansell, a boy belonging to said sloop, frequent and excessive punishment, insomuch as to cause his death, in breach of the 28th article of war.
“2d, That Lieutenant Tovey Leaver did cause said Ansell to be punished in a cruel and excessive manner, by cobbing, a method repugnant to the rules of naval service; and also to be punished while under the surgeons care on the sick list.
“3d, For having shortly previous to the death of said Ansell, and whilst he was in sickness, caused cold water to be thrown over him, and his head to be scrubbed with scrubbing brushes; and, for having caused him in that state to be confined in the coal-hole.
4th, For having repeatedly neglected to insert in the quarterly returns of punishments the name of the said Ansell, and others upon whom punishment had been inflicted, in breach of the regulations.
Crowder, boatswain’s mate, Stephens, quarter master, Dunn, Seaman, Flint, Carpenter’s-mate, and Cairncross, servant, deposed as to the boy’s frequent punishment, particularly that they saw him several times flogged by order of prisoner for his dirty appearance; that he was scrubbed with a scrubbing brush, and continued two days and nights in the coal-hole, with a bucket tied to him. The morning of his death, not being able to walk, he was hauled up by a rope round his body, and then scrubbed; after which he died. Ansell was on the sick list about a fortnight before his death. Cairncross heard the Surgeon several times tell prisoner not to punish the boy more, as he would be the death of him. The morning the boy died, the prisoner sent for the surgeon, an asked him if the boy was dead? He replied, “Yes, Sir, you are the death of him at last.” The surgeon had sometimes ordered the boy to be washed and cleaned with warm water.
Helder, gunner’s mate, stated that the boy was flogged twice with the cat o’nine-tails a few weeks after he joined the ship, and shortly afterwards began to get sickly. He was frequently punished, and for some time two or three times a week; was in general flogged by the boys of the ship. Witness was one of four of the stoutest men that flogged him; the boys kept punishing him afterwards. The prisoner then ordered a cobbing-board to be made for him, with which he was frequently punished. He was scrubbed in the head the morning he died, on larboard side of the fore-hatchway; he fell down on this right side, with his arms folded across, about half-past eight o’clock. The Surgeon examined him, and he was quite dead. He was committed to the deep with the usual ceremony, about 11 o’clock. When the boy was punished, prisoner was sometimes present; does not recollect whether he was present when the boy was flogged by himself and three other men.
Parker, late clerk of the Martial, proved the handwriting of the prisoner to the quarterly returns of punishments. The returns did not contain a true ac….[end of article]
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