Concerning Alexander Durst
1124
What follows is a brief account of the information obtained by the Sheriff’s office but
was complied with information from the Duchy Sheriff offices.
The first mention of Alexander Durst was some years ago in the Duchy of Cornwall,
around the port town of Bristol. He had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly
but on the following morn had no recollection of how he even got to Bristol. As he
had no funds to his name, he was sentence to one week labour on a vessel of the
Royal Navy.
The next entry, seem to have occurred a few years later. An Alexander Durst of no
fixed abode was apprehended by constables of Winchester near to Finmere Lake, a
vessel that plied the water there “The Queens” a river and lake vessel of the area
was stopped and searched as part of the local routine. The vessel was fond to be
carrying some amount of contraband. All was confiscated and the crew, after a short
trial were given one month’s hard labour.
The name of Alexander Durst does not crop up for some time and when it does it is
in the area of Warwick and York. The crew of the sloop “Ann” were caught in the act
of smuggling contraband to the village of Ditchit by local guards. The vessel found
moored close by in the lake formed at the head waters of the Humber and Ouse,
where first mate Durst was seeing to the unloading of the good and caught in the act.
After trial, the crew were released with only the captain and first mate taking the rap
for it. Sentence was four months hard labour.
Alexander Durst is not seen or heard from in sometime, although a lot of records
bear no date stamp and barely mention the office the report was filed at. Mr Durst’s
next entry in the record happened in Southampton. First officer Durst of the ocean-
going vessel “One’s Revenge” was hauled in for questioning when a large cache of
cold iron implements was found in a local warehouse. The vessels logbook reported
to state it has sailed from ports in Erin, Lyonesse, Norsca and Mauritanja. No
evidence of smuggling or black-market deal could be found and the crew and vessel
were released.
When next the name t crops up in official paperwork is around five or so years ago.
A Captain Durst was held in conjunction with arms running, smuggling. Again, the
charges were dropped when locals refused to stand up and given evidence. An
investigation after the case was dropped did look at the possibility the witnesses
were threatened and or attacked but again no real evidence was uncovered when
everyone developed a case of the bad memory.
Now we get to the incident in Londinium. Roughly about three years ago the better
side of the town, gangs vied for control of pretty much everything going both legal
and illegal. Durst was implicated by one of the gangs that he and his crew were
smuggling items that would affect a person’s pattern for the worst. Members of the
gang gave a large amount of evidence against Durst but also other gangs in the
area. When constables arrived at his ship dock in the port of Londinium “The
Krackern” the arrested all only for Durst to state his crew had nothing to do with
anything it was all him. Needless to say, the trial was quickly over, and Durst
received 5yrs in Londinium prison. However just six months into his sentence, there
was an incident at the prison. The Skathen in the area were carrying out repairs to
parts of the town damaged by the Lich Aethelwold in an effort to better help the
surface dwellers and to be of use. That night the Skathen went on the rampage and
caused for damage not just to the prison and the surrounding area. Durst’s cell was
not directly damaged but a lack of maintenance and damage from the previously
mentioned Aethelwold had not left the prison in a great state. Part of the outer wall
collapsed as a result of the Skathen activities that night, leading to a cascade of
failure and further damage. From that night 10 of those that found freedom still
remain at large including Durst.
As a side note, shortly after Durst’s imprisonment, the gang situation in the town
seemed to clear up within a few short weeks. With the seedy side of town being
controlled by the urchins and local thieves’ guilds. However, they were not the one to
stop the gangs, they vanished almost overnight with no one none the wiser.
Information obtained from the Chamberlin’s office.
During the period of the Londinium Durst being in prison, a group of 5 people include
a one Alexander Durst registered a one Durst Trading Company in the town of
Keswick. Last year the registered address was changed to Lismore.
It should be noted also that there is no evidence that and of the Alexander Durst’s
mentioned in this report are one and the same as date recording within the
constabulary seem lacks and no physical descriptions were ever taken at any of the
incidents above.