William Durrant (1828-)

'Elephant'/'Trunky' Durrant
Born	1828

William 'Elephant' or 'Trunky' Durrant was a petty thief who frequently stole water cress and mushrooms among other goods to sell on. He was described as being small in stature, measuring 5 feet (1.5 m) in height.

At the commencement of 1854, William was awaiting trial for stealing stays (corsets) from Spencer’s shop. While in gaol, he got on to a w. c. where himself and others were washing, and with surprising agility, climbed the high wall and over the cheveaux-de-frize[e], and after dropping into the ​road​, ran off without being caught. On a previous occasion, when P. C. Adams laid hold of him, he slipped out of his shirt, and ran off, leaving the tattered garment in the hands of the constable.

1859 saw William on the other side of the law; he (at the time being occupied as a fisherman) and another fisherman named Beany together with a porter by the name of Pepper were sat on the beach under a fishing boat at dawn drinking beer when they were joined by William Raison, a middle-aged taylor and pick-pocket. Raison shared some of their beer and tobacco, then, after a period his 'hosts' fell asleep. Raison started going through their pockets; first Pepper, then Durrant. Durrant awoke and lashed out at Raison. Following a scuffle in which Raison gained two black eyes a coast-guard and police officer arrived - the coast-guard just in time to stop Durrant carrying out his threat to throw Raison into the sea. The would-be pickpocket was subsequently arrested and sent to the Quarter-Sessions to face a misdemenour charge in which all three parties gave evidence.

He obviously was not discouraged from his life of crime by his punishment for the above offences, for in 1869, he was fined 5 shillings for stealing some watercress from Wastel Brisco's garden; his occupation at this time being given as a 'shoeblack'.