Joseph William Aldrick

342

Maureen Withey on 24th January 2023

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 24 January 2023), May 1805, trial of JOSEPH WILLIAM ALDRICH (t18050529-3). JOSEPH WILLIAM ALDRICH, Theft > theft from a specified place, 29th May 1805. 363. JOSEPH WILLIAM ALDRICH was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 11th of April , four silver dishes, value 16 l. thirty-three silver forks, value 12 l. eight plated dishes, value 3 l. four silver candlesticks, value 4 l. two silver salvers, value 4 l. three silver gravy-spoons, value 5 l. two silver table-spoons, value 2 l. four silver desert-spoons, value 2 l. four silver tea-spoons, value 20 s. two silver salts, value 2 l. a silver fish-trowel, value 2 l. two silver ladles, value 30 s. two plated branches, value 10 s. a silver bread-basket, value 4 l. and one box, value 2 s. the property of Charles Dennis , Esq. in his dwelling-house . CHARLES DENNIS sworn. - I live in Bentinck-street, Cavendish-square ; the prisoner at the bar lived with me as footman . Q. When did he quit your service? - A. On the night he committed the robbery, on the Thursday in Passion-week, I do not recollect the day of the month; I believe he left my house about half after nine in the evening; at nine o'clock I rang the bell, and the prisoner answered me; at half an hour after nine I rang again, and upon no person answering, I was surprized and went down, and I found there was no person below stairs; I then went up stairs and called; I found no servant above stairs neither; in a short time afterwards, there was a ring at the bell; I went down and opened the door; it was the house-maid; I reprimanded her and she said the prisoner had induced her to go; I found the prisoner was absent; he did not return that night. Q. Did you miss any thing upon his being gone? - A. In consequence of what the servant-maid told me, I missed all the plate, chest and all. Q. Had you that plate in use in the course of that day? - A. The chest of plate was in my room the whole course of that day. Q. Had you looked at the contents of the chest that day? - A. I had not. Q. I suppose you had several articles of plate in use that day? - A. No, none that were in the chest. Q. When had you last seen them in the chest? - A. I believe about three weeks before I put them in the chest myself; I keep those in my own bedroom that are not in common use; I lost both these that were in common use and in the chest, except a few. Q. Upon this did you make any enquiry after the prisoner? - A. I did; on Sunday I found he had been with Soley, a milkman, on Lisson-green; I traced him by that means. JOHN SOLEY sworn. - Q. Where do you live? - A. On Lisson-green. Q. You know the prisoner? - A. Yes. Q. Do you remember his coming to you? - A. Yes, on Thursday evening, about ten minutes past ten o'clock; he came and called my wife and me; we were all in bed; I opened the door; I was in my shirt; he came inside of the house; he said to my wife, Mrs. Soley, I am now come to take my leave of you; he said he was going into the country; - he told my wife he had made her a present of an old coat or two, and some things, that he should not take away; he said where he had left them. Q. Had he any thing with him? - A. No, not when he came to my house; he asked my wife if she would consent for me to go as far as Bishopsgate-street; he said, if you will dress yourself, and come over the other side of Lisson-green, I have got a hackney coach; I dressed myself, and went;there was nobody with the coach but the coachman and him; he went into the coach, and asked me to ride a little way with him; I got into the coach with him, and I saw two boxes in the coach; he drove on down Oxford-road; the coachman, when he came into Oxford-road, said he must feed his horses, and he would advise him to take another coach, as the horses could not go so far as Bishopsgate-street; he told the coachman to get him a post-chaise; the coachman got him one, and the post-chaise was put alongside, and the boxes were put out of the coach into the post-chaise; the helper that came with the post-chaise shifted the boxes. Q. Did you touch them? - A. No; then I shook hands with him, and told him I would rather go home, as he had got a post-chaise; he pressed very much for me to go along with him, and I agreed to go to Islington turnpike; when I came there I shook hands with him, and parted, and wished him a pleasant journey. Q. Did you hear him tell the postillion where to drive to? - A. Yes, to Waltham-cross. Q. Did he say he was to go farther? - A. He told the post-boy he was going on to Cambridge; with that we went on Friday morning to the place where he told us for the clothes; we went to two or three places, we did not understand the right shop, and we never got the clothes. HANNAH PATMORE sworn. - Q. Where do you live? - A. At Puckeridge, twenty-seven miles from Shoreditch. Q. Do you come through Waltham-cross to it? - A. Yes. Q. Look at the prisoner at the bar? - A. That is the gentleman. Q. Do you keep a public-house? - A. Yes, the Crown and Coffin, at Puckeridge; he came to my house on the Friday before Easter, before dinner, in a post-chaise, alone. Q. What did he bring with him? - A. I was not present at the moment he alighted; I believe the post lad had brought the boxes into my house. Mr. Knapp. Q. You were not present; you did not see the boxes taken out of the chaise? - A. No; I saw the boxes in my parlour. Court. Q. How many boxes? - A. Three. Q. Had you any conversation with the prisoner about the boxes? - A. No, nothing particular; I went to the parlour-door, and made my obedience to him, and he asked for a pot of ale; the servant fetched the ale; then he asked for something to eat; I told him I had nothing cooked, there was bread and butter, and bread and cheese. Q. Did he give you any directions about these boxes? - A. He said he would take a bit of dinner, and after dinner he went and took a walk, and came back to tea; after he drank tea he went out of doors, and going out of doors he heard there was a post-chaise to let; he went and hired the post-chaise, and the post-chaise was brought up to the door; he took the white deal box with him. Q. That was one of the three boxes? - A. Yes; he said he was going to Cambridge, and he said, would I have the goodness to take care of the other two boxes till he returned again; he said he believed he should come back on the Sunday morning, but he did not return till the Sunday evening; then the deal box was brought back, and he said he was going to London on the Monday morning, and he wanted something out of the other two boxes, and the middle box of the three was brought down stairs for the gentleman to take out whatever he wanted. Q. Why do you call it the middle box? - A. Because there was one smaller, and the white deal box was larger. Q. He took something out, did he? - A. Yes, I went into the parlour to light him, and I saw him open the large deal box, and in shifting his box I saw some silver candlesticks and two silver branches; I saw them in the room, I suppose they were taken out of the box. Q. You did not see him take any thing out of the box? - A. I did not particularly see that; however I saw them in the room on the table. Q. You saw him open the deal box, but you do not recollect seeing him take any thing out? - A. Yes, I saw them in the box afterwards; there were some silver candlesticks, and two silver branches. Q. Were they silver? - A. Apparently silver, I thought they were silver; they were such as I never saw before, and there were some silver spoons; I never remarked any thing else; he said he was going to take a neckcloth for his own use; he took the middle box, and the other box, and locked them up; he asked me to be so kind as to take care of them till he came back. Q. Did he lock up both the boxes? - A. The little box was locked; he locked the other box, and one box he took into his bed-room, and the other two, the lad, who was in my house, took them up into my bed-room; he staid on the Sunday night, and went off in the morning before I was up. Q. I understood you to say that he desired you to keep these boxes till he returned? - A. Yes, I have told you so. Q. What did he do with the large box? - A. They were both put into my bed-room, and one he took to London with him; that was the middle box. Q. The other two were kept in your bed-room? - A. Yes. Q. How long were they kept in your bed-room? - A. The Monday happened to be a fair-day; I locked up my room door, and put the key in my pocket, and in the evening he returned again from London about tea-time; I changed but very few words with him, being busy; I asked him how he did after his journey; he told me he was going his journey for Cambridge. Q. He still left his boxes with you? - A. Yes, they were still in the same place where he left them, in my bed-room. Q. I suppose you are quite sure they are the same boxes that he left? - A. O yes, that I am very sure of; I bid him good afternoon, and went about my business; in the course of the evening, Mr. Rivett and Mr. Dennis came into my house; I stood at the bar-door; they asked me if the landlord of the house was at home; I told them, yes; they asked me if they could speak to him; I said, yes; Mr. Dennis said to me, are you the landlady; I said, yes; he then said, I shall be glad to speak to you in a private room. Q. You told him that a man had left two boxes? - A. Yes. Q. Did you show him the boxes? - A. I told him they were in my bed-room; I went up stairs with both the gentlemen by myself, and unlocked the bed-room door, and shewed them the boxes; Mr. Dennis looked at the deal box, and put his hand upon it, and said that was his box, and he could swear to it; it rather confused me, and I said, if it is your's, I should like to have somebody as a witness to see you take these things from me, for fear I should be brought into trouble. Q. You delivered the box to Mr. Rivett and Mr. Dennis? - A. Yes. Q. Did you ever see the prisoner afterwards? - A. I heard his voice when Mr. Dennis and Mr. Rivett returned with him; he never came into my house after he was taken. Cross-examined by Mr. Knapp. Q. I understood you to say, when the person came in the chaise the first time, you were not then at the door? - A. I was not present, to my knowledge. Q. The first time you saw the boxes was in your parlour, and that gentleman was in the same room with the boxes? - A. Yes. Q. You were not present at the time to see that any boxes were taken out of the chaise? - A. I do not recollect seeing them taken out of the chaise; he is the gentleman that gave them into my hands. Q. Any body else might have brought them there for what you know? - WILLIAM WATTS sworn. - I keep the Bull, at Royston. Q. Do you know the prisoner at the bar? - A. Yes. Q. When did he come to your house? - A. On Good Friday night, he came in a post-chaise from Puckeridge; he changed the chaise at my house to go to Cambridge. Q. It is only one stage from Royston to Cambridge? - A. It is thirteen miles; my chaise took him to Cambridge; he had this deal box that is here. Q. Do you know the box? (the box produced) - A. This is the box that he took with him to Cambridge. Q. When did he return to your house? - A. On Saturday night, he brought the box with him; he had a chaise of me on Sunday morning to go down to Cambridge again; he returned from Cambridge in my chaise on Sunday evening, with the box, again; he took a fresh pair of horses to go to Puckeridge; he told me he was short of money, and requested that I would lend him some; he told me that he was going to London, and he should there receive money, and he would pay me for the chaise; I told him I did not like to do any thing in that way; he said he had plenty of property, and he would leave me more than double the amount of it; he unlocked that box, and gave me out a silver bread-basket, which I gave to Mr. Dennis when he came down. Q. When did Mr. Dennis come into your house? - A. On Monday night; the prisoner came in about three hours before Mr. Dennis and Mr. Rivett came. Q. Where was the prisoner when Mr. Dennis came? - A. In bed; the prisoner paid me for what he owed me, and I offered him the bread-basket; he told me to keep it till morning. Q. On him giving you the bread-basket, did you lend him any money? - A. A one-pound note; he paid me the one-pound note, and for the chaise as well; then he went to-bed; when Mr. Dennis and Mr. Rivett came, they brought the box to my house; he had taken the box to Puckeridge; Mr. Dennis asked the prisoner whether he had any plate at my house; he said, no; I said I had a bread-basket before the prisoner; I produced the bread-basket, and Mr. Dennis said it was his; they took the prisoner with them, and I gave the bread-basket to Mr. Dennis. JOHN RIVETT sworn. - I belong to the Public-office, in Bow-street: On Monday, the 15th of April, I went with Mr. Dennis to Puckeridge; I found these boxes in Mrs. Patmore's bed-room; Mr. Dennis identified this box to be the box that he lost; he wished very much to see the contents of it; he recognised it immediately he came into the room; we asked Mrs. Patmore if she had the key; she said she had, and immediately she gave it up, and it was unlocked; she had only this one key. Q.(To Mrs. Patmore.) Did the prisoner give you the key of that box? - A. Yes; the reason of his giving me the key was, he said it had been lostin the course of his travelling; he came back with it, and when he was going away, he said, I wish you to have the goodness to take care of this key; I put it in my right-hand pocket, and directly Mr. Dennis came to me, I said, Mr. Aldrich gave me the key. Q.(To Rivett.) You opened the box? - A. Yes, and there were several articles of plate, which Mr. Dennis identified to be his property. Q. Are they there now? - A. Yes; we went after the prisoner, and took the box with the plate with us; the others were left at Mrs. Patmore's; I have had the care of this box ever since; I have kept the box under lock and key; I have had the key likewise. Q. Having found the box, you and Mr. Dennis took a chaise, and went on to Royston? - A. Yes; I apprehended the prisoner in bed; Mr. Dennis asked him what he had done with all his plate, as there was a great deal missing out of this large box; the prisoner replied he had pledged some; I asked him where the duplicates were; the prisoner replied they were locked up in a box at Puckeridge; we had taken his keys from him, and when we came to Puckeridge, he found the key that opened the smaller box; he pointed out where the box and the duplicates were. Q. He shewed you the box himself? - A. He did; the box was brought to him at the chaise-door. Q. You found the duplicates where he shewed you? - A. Yes. Q. You took the prisoner into custody at Royston? - A. Yes. Q. Do you remember any thing about the bread-basket? - A. Yes; Mr. Dennis asked if there was any plate there, and the landlord immediately answered he had a silver bread-basket; he gave it to Mr. Dennis; I have had it in my possession ever since Mr. Dennis gave it to me. Q.(To the prosecutor.) Is that the bread-basket that was produced to you at Royston? - A. Yes. Q. Whereabouts is the value of that? - A. I do not know; I believe the weight is upon it; I think it weighs thirty-two ounces. Q. Look at it, and tell us whether it is worth about forty shillings? - A. No doubt of that, and here are two silver candlesticks. Q. You have no doubt but the greatest part of them were deposited in the trunk? - A. They were deposited by me; there was a great deal more that was deposited, which are at the pawnbroker's. Court. The pawnbroker must deliver it up. JOEL EDWARDS sworn. - I produce these dishes; the prisoner is the person that pledged them with me. Q.(To the prosecutor.) Are those your's? - A. They are. Q. You had a good character with the prisoner? - A. I had. Mr. Knapp. Q. Have you taken any pains to find out who this young man is? - A. I have. Q. Whether you did not find him to be of a very respectable family? - A. Yes. Q. Whether you do not believe that he had been set upon by other persons to commit this depredation? - A. I had a good opinion of him till that day, he had lived with me about two months. The prisoner called one witness, who gave him a good character. GUILTY , Death , aged 23. First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron Graham . --------------------------------------------------- Portsmouth Hulk records. HO 9-8_2. Received 30 prisoners from Newgate, London, 20 Dec 1805. Joseph William Aldrich, age 33, Crime, Felony, Tried at Middlesex, 29 May 1805. NSW Life, per ship Fortune.