Hamlet Holcroft was born in Croft, the son of John Collier and Ellen Holcroft. He was baptised at Newchurch Parish Church on 18th June 1826.

The 1841 census has the family living at Mill Houses, Croft (now Mill House Lane). Hamlet is the eldest of six children.

He was arrested on 27th April 1846 and charged with ‘Having, at Southworth-with-Croft, feloniously assaulted and carnally known Sarah Green, a child 9 years of age.’
On 15th August 1846 the case was proved and evidence given to show that there had been penetration. He was found guilty of rape at Liverpool Assizes and sentenced to Transportation for Life. He remained in Liverpool Gaol until 10th September 1846, when he was prepared for transportation.

On 12th September 1846 a petition was made to free Hamlet by 34 inhabitants of Croft, pleading previous good character, first offence and youth. This was refused.

He departed the country along with 199 other convicts on 8th October 1846 aboard the Pestonjee Bomanjee and arrived at Van Diemen’s Land (later called Tasmania) on 17th February 1847.

His probation records state that he can neither read nor write. He seems to have continued with a life of crime, having various offences recorded with many visits to Port Arthur, a penal settlement for reconvicted persons. In 1858 he was found guilty of stealing a horse and sentenced to 4 years hard labour. The last comment on the paper record says,
‘Conditional Pardon 30th June 1863’.

Hamlet Holdcroft-Collier married Elizabeth Knowles on 12 February 1866 and went on to have 5 daughters and a son. They lived together in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia until Elizabeth died in 1901.
​Hamlet died on 19th January 1908.
 
Some 73,000 convicts were transported to Van Diemen’s Land mainly from the British Isles and Ireland, between 1803 and 1853, and convicts and their descendants formed the large majority of the population of the island colony throughout this time.

A WARRINGTON FARMER ASSAULTING HIS WIFE –

Samuel Stretch was charged at the County Police court, Warrington, on Wednesday, with assaulting his wife.
From the evidence it appeared that the defendant, a well-to-do farmer, at Croft, near Warrington, had been drinking heavily for the last two years, and had lately turned his wife out, causing her to sleep in outhouses.

​Dr. Spinks and Dr. Fox stated that the defendant was not in a fit state to be able to plead. If he did not change his mode of life, softening of the brain would ensue.
Ultimately, the prosecution withdrew the charge on the above plea, defendant in the meantime to be taken charge of by his friends.

OVERCROWDING AT CULCHETH –

On Monday, at the Leigh Petty Sessions, Thomas Larney appeared to a summons charging him with overcrowding at Fowley Common, Culcheth.

Mr. Hamilton, inspector of the Leigh Rural Sanitary Authority, deposed that he visited the defendant’s house on the 24th ult., finding in a bedroom, containing only 936 cubic feet of air space, the defendant, his wife, and four children. In the next room, containing 812 feet of air space, there were seven men lodgers.

On the 9th inst., at a quarter past eleven at night he found eight men in the last named room, and as he entered a ninth was making his exit through the window.
The stench in the place was unbearable, there being no room in the house for lodgers.
The Bench inflicted a fine of 21s. and costs, or one month in default, and ordered that no lodgers be kept hereafter.
​
James Marsh was summoned under the Nuisance Removal Act, a petty and two pigstyes being built against his property at Fowley Common.
The Bench made an order for the immediate abatement of the nuisance.

PRESENTATION OF WHITE GLOVES AT WARRINGTON

Today is the date for the Warrington County Petty Sessions. The magistrates were Mr. John Crosfield (in the chair) and Mr. J. J. Bleekly.

The Magistrates Clerk (Mr. Henry Greenall) said that there were no cases to be heard, and it gave him great pleasure to present the chairman with a pair of white kid gloves.

Mr. Crosfield, in reply, thanked Mr. Greenall, and said that he was very pleased that Warrington and the surrounding district were in such an excellent condition, and he hoped that there would be no more cases for the next twelve months.

Mr. Bleekly also congratulated Mr. Crosfield. Mr. Crosfield said he did not think this had ever happened to borough magistrates. Police Constable Chantler, of the Warrington borough police force, said that he never remembered such an occasion. – The borough magistrates sit six days in the week unless, as sometimes happens, there are no cases to be dealt with. The county magistrates sit the first and third Wednesdays in the month, and exercise a jurisdiction over the following townships: - Warrington (extra-municipal), Poulton, Rixton with Glazebrook, Southworth with Croft, Houghton, Culcheth, Cuerdly, Penketh, Sankey and Burtonwood.

THE CROFT BREACH OF PROMISE - SEQUEL IN THE COUNTY COURT
 
About twelve months ago a widow named clough recovered £50 damages at Liverpool against an elderly man named Southern, residing at Croft, near Warrington, for breach of promise of marriage. The damages were paid, but Southern refused to pay the costs, and a claim against him for payment of these costs was heard at the Warrington County Court yesterday.

Southern pleaded want of means, as he only earned a few shillings a week, being incapacitated by chronic rheumatism. He denied being the owner of several valuable properties, but admitted to having had property which was mortgaged.

The Judge had to caution Southern as to his conduct in the court towards Mrs. Clough while she was giving her evidence, and told him that unless he behaved himself he would be committed to prison. Judgement was given for the amount claimed, or in default thirty-six days imprisonment.

Southern said he would go to prison.

​A WARRINGTON GUARDIAN IN COURT - (SPECIAL TELEGRAM.)
 
Mr. Reginald Owen, an old member of the Warrington Board of Guardians, was charged at the Warrington County Sessions, to-day, with assaulting Mr. Samuel Thomason, a farmer at Croft; and there was a cross-summons in the case. The quarrel took place in the General Elliott public-house.
​
Owen was bound over in a £20 surety to keep the peace for six months. No order was made as to costs.

J. Pridmore was charged with having maliciously attempted to drown John Pridmore, his father at the parish of Winwick.
 
J. Pridmore, father of the prisoner-
I live at Winwick; my son came home at ten at night and asked for his supper; my wife said, "There was the same for him as there was for his father, some tea and some bread:"
he said "He would not be put off so:" he threw the teapot out of doors, and turned his mother out, and said "She might go where she went on Monday night:"
He had turned us both out on Monday: he said "He wished God might perish him if they were not two dead ones before morning:"
He pulled me out of bed and dragged me to the pond; I said, "My dear son, spare my life this night!"
When I was turned out on Monday I slept on some straw we had to top a hay-rick; my wife was with me;
When I asked him to spare my life he said, "No, d_n you will I;" he put me into the pond headfirst; he caught hold of my ancles, and tipped me quite over into it; my wife gave the alarm;
 
I crawled out; I got over a hedge and went into the town; almost all the people were in bed; I got to a public house and stopped their all night.

Sophia Pridmore, mother of the prisoner, corroborated her husband's statement, except that she described his language as more vile, and especially the expression of prisoner, that "He hoped God might perish him if they were not both corpses before morning"
 
She heard him dragging his father to the pond:

I heard prisoner plunge him in, he said to his father, "D_n you, i'll throw you in headfirst, that you drown the quicker!"
Then I called Thomas Gear; he came down in his shirt; I said, "For God's sake come down, for my husband is in the pond!" I went into Gear's house; my son came and knocked me down, and said "D_n your eyes, i'll soon stop your noise" He dragged me into the street, and knocked me down twice; I called out "Murder!" he put his hands on my mouth.
He locked me in the house and said "I'll go and see if the old devil is drowned - if not he soon shall be - I've given him a good ducking”
 
I shot the bolt and got out, and went to Mr. Jellis's cart hovel.
Prisoner came there and said, "Hallos, have you made your escape? D_n you- if not, I'll soon make the place too hot"

I put my apron in my mouth, so that he should not hear me fetch my breath. I got into the waggon. He hunted about the hovel but did not find me. I walked about all night.
 
Thomas Gear was in bed on the 26th of last July;
 
Mrs. Pridmore called me up; I went down and put on my shoes; I went to the pond; I met John Pridmore, the prisoner; he said "hello, who comes here, I'll put them in the pond" I said "What me, will you put me in?"  he said "yes, I will" I said "Then if that's it, I’ll turn and go to bed again" I was afraid of him.
He followed me home.

Mrs Pridmore had the candle and lantern in her hand; he dragged her down; she holloed "murder" three times.
I heard the water plunge; it was so dark I could not see.
 
Prisoner described the case as a friendly ducking and said that he was in beer.
​
Gear was re-called and stated in answer to the learned Judge that prisoner was of right mind; he was a married man but had sold his wife.
 
The learned Judge commented on the peculiarly horrible crime they were bound to decide upon and regretted they had not the consolation of believing the prisoner insane.
 
The jury immediately found the prisoner Guilty- Death recorded.