Herbert D'arcy Beecroft
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth: 1879 - Sydney, NSW, Australia 2
Christening:
Death: 1960 3
Burial:
Cause of Death:
AFN :
Events
• Event, The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 Aug 1947
Herbert Beacroft told the police about a long-standing family difference.• Event, The Argus, 14 Aug 1947
He said the house had been in the possession of his family for 80 years. His parents had been among the pioneers of the district.
FORMER FIGHTER
His brother, he said, was a former bare-knuckle fighter.
They had lived in the old family house a long time, ignoring each other.
Both of them had double padlocks fitted on the doors of their bedrooms.
The brothers met in the kitchen of their home yesterday.
"When I was boiling water on the old fuel stove," said Hebert, "my brother Alfred came into the room, and ordered me out because he wanted to boil some bacon.
"He picked up a hammer and, in the struggle which follwed, he fell to the floor. As he appeared to be dying I massaged his heart and looked for some brandy, but I could not revive him."
When the Nepean District Ambulance reached the house the man was dead.
Dr. I. M. Barrow, Government medical officer for the district, conducted a post-mortem examination at the Nepean District Hospital morgue. He told police that the condition of Beacroft's heart was so bad that he might have fallen dead at any time.
Brothers who did not speak lived together• Event, The Sydney Morning Herald, 5 Sep 1952
SYDNEY, Wed: Two brothers, both ederly men, refused to speak to each other for 10 years, although they were living in the same house.
Both of them had double padlocks fitted on the doors of their bedrooms.
One of the brothers, Herbert Beacroft, 68, told the story to Sydney detectives today when they went to the Beacroft family home, near St. Mary's, to investigate the death of the other brother, Alfred Beacroft, 60.
Herbert, who had called for help when he found his brother dying, told detectives that the house had been in the possession of the famil for 80 years.
LAW NOTICES FOR TO-DAY• Event, The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 Sep 1952
...
Central Criminal Court
Darlinghurst. - Trial: Herbert Darcy Beacroft. (Jurors required at 9.45 a.m.)
...
Pensioner's Shots at Policeman: Plea for Leniency• Event, The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 Sep 1952
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A Central Criminal Court jury yesterday acquitted a 73-year-old pensioner of having shot a policeman with intent to murder, but convicted him on an alternative count of having shot at the policeman with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The pensioner, Herbert D'Arcy Beacroft, who lived alone in a small house at Werrington, was remanded for sentence for a week.
Directing that Beacroft should be medically examined, Mr. Justice McClemens said he desired to know to what extent senile decay had contributed to the offence.
The jury's verdict was accompanied by a strong recommendation for leniency.
The Crown alleged that Beacroft had twice shot at Sergeant E. J. Rippon with a double-barrelled shotgun when Rippon and Constable T. V. Field called at his home to inquire about complaints by neighbours. It was stated that one shot went over Rippon's left shoulder and the other past his right ear.
"SAYS HE WAS PUNCHED"
Beacroft, from the dock, denied he had shot at Rippon with intent to kill or injure him.
He said the gun went off accidentally after the two policemen had rushed at him and the sergeant had grabbed hold of him.
Beacroft also said that after the shooting Rippon had repeatedly punched him in the face while Field held him.
Sergeant Rippon and Constable Field denied in evidence that Beacroft had been assulted, and said injuries to his face might have been caused in the struggle for the gun or when a ladder fell down in the kitchen.
Dr. Isaac Barrow, Government Medical Officer of Health at Penright, said Beacroft had a fractured nose and "a little blueness about the lower right eyelid." The injuries were more likely to have been caused by a blow from a fist than from a gun or a ladder.
Mr. Justice McClemens told Mr. W. G. Dovey, Q.C., for Beacroft, that if there was any substance in the allegations against the police he would see that the matter did not rest there.
Mr. Harvey Prior, Crown Prosecutor; Mr. W. R. Dovey, Q.C., and Mr. W. G. Dovey (instructed by Mr. E. O'Loughlin, of Penrith) for Beacroft.
BOND FOR SHOT AT POLICEMAN
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In the Central Criminal Court yesterday, Herbert D'Arcy Beacroft, 73, of Werrington, near St. Marys, who was convicted by a jury last week of shooting at a policeman with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, was released on a four years' bond.
A condition is that he puts himself in the care of relatives and friends.
Mr. Justice McClemens said Beacroft's previous good character had saved him from prison.
Parents
Father: Alfred Beecroft 4
Mother: Anastasia D'arcy 5
Sources
1. graemedavidwilson@yahoo.com, Mr. Graeme WIlson (ancestry.com).
2. graemedavidwilson@yahoo.com, Mr. Graeme WIlson (ancestry.com). .... Online Australian Birth-Marriage-Death Index (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/familyHistory.htm).
3. Online Australian Birth-Marriage-Death Index (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/familyHistory.htm).
4. marycotter001@gmail.com, Cotters, Ruths, Kealys, Clancys, Lyalls, etc (http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=marycotter&id=I95300757&ti=5544).
5. dftgen60@gmail.com, None (rootsweb.com).