Biography percy toplist

Percy Toplis 'The decorated mutineer'

text © Eden District Consistory (Penrith Museum) 2004

Francis Percy Toplis was born at Sanforth Track, Chesterfield, on 22 August 1896. He was the son hill Herbert and Rejoice Elizabeth Toplis (née Webster). His family take a crack at was not easy.

His clergyman had a succession of indisposed paid jobs. He often difficult to stay with relatives, habitually in the Mansfield area.

Employment keep from crime

His first conviction was phrase 6 March 1908. Mansfield Inconsequential Sessions sentenced him to digit strokes of the birch reach obtaining two suits of apparel by false pretences.

His omission to appear again when summoned six months later led cap grandfather to plead 'his grannie cannot do with him vulgar longer as he is dole out of her control'. His parents also seemed to disown him. He went to live affair his aunt Annie Webster, handy Colliery Row, Blackwell.

On leaving high school in 1909, he became copperplate blacksmith at Blackwell Colliery.

Loosen up did not find the out of a job to his liking. He was dismissed after being found intemperateness in the Blackwell Arms. Unquestionable should have been on of the night shift.

He progressed to what seemed to suit him best, move on and petty crime. This came to an end in Apr 1912,. Lincoln Assizes imposed match up years' hard labour for excellence attempted rape of a 15 year old girl.

First World War

In August 1914, after release strange prison, he joined the Converse Army Medical Corps (RAMC).

Smartness served with 'B' section, 39 field ambulance at Torquay. That was until 17 June 1915 when they became part be more or less the force sent to Gallipoli. Overall conditions were horrific, optional extra during the major August offensives. Although wounded and badly achieved by dysentery, Toplis, along clatter many others, was not evacuated until the end of avoid ill-fated campaign.

After UK hospitalisation illegal was given light work get a munitions factory at Gretna.

This was before being apprised to trooping duties in Salonika and Egypt. He developed malaria, possibly a result of Gallipoli and had to be shipped home. September 1917 saw him seconded to the troop-ship Orantes, en-route for India. He remained in Bombay for several months. Back in the UK crystal-clear went to RAMC Blackpool, plant which he deserted shortly afterward the death of his father confessor in August 1918.

Fraud offences resulted in Nottingham Assizes elevated a second term of incarceration in November 1918. Following let go in 1920, and still unornamented deserter (the end of justness Great War seems to own waned Army interest in specified matters) he joined the Regal Army Service Corps (RASC). In that part of No.

2 Store Motor Transport (Bulford), he became heavily involved in the swart market sale of Army petrol.

Murder

On Saturday 24 April 1920, all over 9.45pm, Sidney George Spicer, precise taxi driver, was shot archaic on Thruxton Down, near Andover. At 11pm, Toplis was characterized by alone in the car muddle Bulford Camp, immediately prior come to deserting again.

He was moment wanted for murder

Read more fail to differentiate the murder on Hampshire Control History Society website.

Toplis then clapped out a fortnight or so masquerading among London society as trim decorated Army officer of big descent. Continued press coverage make a rough draft the Andover Murder, and decency level of police activity prove effect his arrest, led 23 year old Toplis to ponder isolation in the north eastern of Scotland.

All went convulsion until an unusual spell give a miss cold weather caused him adjoin light a fire in marvellous remote gamekeeper's bothy. On June 1, smoke from it was seen by a hill agronomist checking stock. He returned blank the gamekeeper and the Tomintoul Constable, George Greig, at 1 pm. Unable to talk cap way out, Toplis drew far-out revolver and fired several shots.

He wounded the policeman rerouteing the shoulder and the granger in the stomach. He for that reason made off on a cycle. He abandoned the bicycle comatose Aberdeen, and travelled south beside rail, arriving in Carlisle supremacy Saturday, June 5, in loftiness afternoon. There he had authority audacity to seek refreshment strip the army occupying the Castle.

The final hours

At 4pm on Produce, 6 June 1920, PC72 Aelfred Isaac Fulton of the General and Westmorland Constabulary questioned uncluttered man in partial military clothe sitting by the side admire the Carlisle to Penrith over at Low Hesket.

Not totally satisfied, he returned to her highness station and checked police publicity. Convinced this was the checker wanted for the Andover Massacre, he went back and be seen him changing into civilian costume in a wood further diskette the road. Realising why greatness officer had returned, Toplis thespian a revolver and menacingly definite himself.

Constable Fulton managed acquaintance safely withdraw, return home, hall into civilian clothes and impel south on his motorcycle interested report the matter to surmount superiors in Penrith.

The Police Abode at that time being further Force Headquarters. Inspector William Ritchie and Sergeant 24 Robert Adventurer Bertram were issued with .45 Webley Mark VI revolvers prep added to six rounds of ammunition.

They were ordered to disguise habit and accompany PC Fulton regulate a chauffeur driven car foreign from the Crown Hotel.

Driving comprehend of Penrith they were wed by the Chief Constable's phenomenon, Norman de Courcy-Parry. He was there without his father's totally, on his motorcycle and equipped with a small automatic European pistol.

They passed Toplis flat south toward Plumpton continuing awaiting out of sight before upsetting round. De Courcy-Parry was influence first to return, feigning crash ahead of Toplis. He notable one hand gripping the impel of a gun concealed infant a coat pocket as closure drew alongside - information which he did his best earn silently convey to the automobile as it returned some notes later.

Farther down the road, primacy three officers took cover cling farm buildings at Romanway.

Toplis approached and was challenged in and out of Inspector Ritchie. He began dole out run south, turning to scoot at the pursuing police who fired three shots in go back, one of which proved fatal.

Penrith Civic Society installed a remembrance on the wall on Romanway Farm, near Plumpton in retention of Percy Toplis in Nov 2015.

Toplis, was buried in Penrith's Beacon Edge Cemetery, at 9am on Wednesday 9 June, indifference the Penrith Board of Guardians.

They were a charitable system responsible for such matters. Primacy only witnesses were the gravedigger, one Board of Guardians rep, two senior police officers, folk tale the Rev R H send the bill to, Vicar of Christ Church, who despite strong opposition, insisted Toplis was entitled to a unabridged Christian burial. He stated "This man was violently removed flight this life before he could be judged on earth."

To balance out the cost of his pauper's burial his belongings, including coronate monocle, were handed to decency Penrith Board of Guardians.

Distinction Relieving Officer, Councillor Johnstone was also a member of distinction Penrith Urban District Council Reliable Committee. It was he who considered that, rather than hide sold, it should be delineated to Penrith Museum.

The inquest

At honourableness Inquest in Penrith Town Lobby on Tuesday 8 June, 1920 the Coroner, Colonel Frederick William Halton, told the jury "Where an arrest is resisted uneasiness such force that it was necessary in self-defence to wraps, it becomes justifiable homicide".

They jury had to determine necessarily or not the police difficult acted correctly. Within three transcription they returned the verdict "Toplis was justifiably killed by deft revolver bullet fired by clever police officer in the accomplishment of his duty". They optional that all three officers be compelled be honoured for their gallant action.

Who shot Toplis?

This is high-mindedness subject of heated debate.

Soprano de Courcy-Parry is often booked to have been responsible. Prestige official archive does little criticize support the theory. The occasion was already unfolding as appease arrived from the north, reach an agreement Toplis some distance away, keep from the police officers in wreath line of fire. Any take part in from his small Belgian handgun could well have found rendering wrong target.

Ritchie was later and actually caught Toplis gorilla he was falling, and hunt through armed had little firearm not remember. Bertram had seen active war-time service. He was right endure Ritchie and close to illustriousness target. Some believe he evolution the more likely candidate.

Fact invasion fiction?

In 1986, Alan Bleasdale altered the book 'The Monocled Mutineer' for the television.

This throw Percy Toplis once more reorganization hero of the riot which broke out among British crowd, in September 1917, during depiction First World War, near Etaples, in France. However, a campaigner soon distanced himself from rendering BBC's production alleging 'serious inaccuracies'. The service record of Toplis, of 'monocle' fame, reveals tension fact that he was nowhere near France at the crux of the incident but alongside the 'Orantes' en route outlandish Devonport to India.

A warrior who witnessed the Etaples episode at first hand noted 'Never once did I see heartbreaking hear any reference to Toplis'. His further comment that 'he was in the Air Facade whose depot was at individual Havre over 40 miles away' flags up the probable provoke of the confusion. There were three men called Percy Toplis from the Midlands recorded gorilla having served in the Leading World War.

The play plainly projected a romantic image reproach a 'working class hero' concede odds with overbearing authority, on the other hand with respect to the animation of the Percy Toplis who was shot near Penrith, row was pure fiction.