John Ambrey

221

D Wong on 17th September 2015

JOHN AMBURY, Theft > grand larceny, 8th June 1791. Reference Number: t17910608-28 Offence: Theft > grand larceny Verdict: Guilty Punishment: Transportation JOHN AMBURY was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 21st of April , one wicker bread-basket, value 6 d. six quartern loaves, value 3 s. 7 1/2 d. one three-penny loaf, and one penny brick , the goods of Lucy Davis , widow . GEORGE THOMAS CURL sworn. I live with my aunt, I left all the things in the indictment at the corner of Norris-street, Hay market , on the 21st of April, on Thursday, about a quarter past eleven o'clock; I recovered them in about an hour after, in Great Earl-street, the prisoner had hold of the basket; I asked who it belonged to; and the prisoner said to him; it was standing in the street; I told him it belonged to me, I lost it in such a place; he said it belonged to his master, Mr. Paine, Piccadilly, he wanted me to go to Mr. Paine's with him; he took up the basket, I laid hold of it, and said he should not go till I got a constable; I sent for one, but could not get one. He again took up the basket, and I went to lay hold of it, and he knocked me down, I fell against the other witness's knees, Thomas Roberts , who came up, and we secured him I took the bread and the basket to the Justice's with the prisoner, and they said, I might keep the basket, the bread would be of no use. (The basket produced and deposed to by knowing it by sight a year and a half, ever since he lived with his aunt.) Court. Does any body else carry bread, besides yourself, in this basket? - Yes, the man servant does. Was there the same quantity of bread in it when you found the basket as when you lost it? - All, except a penny brick; I am sure it was the same bread and basket. THOMAS ROBERTS sworn. About a quarter after twelve I was coming from Great Earl-street, and I saw the prisoner at the bar and this boy having a scuffle about this basket of bread; I said nothing at all, nor interfered till the prisoner knocked the boy down; he gave him a blow on his forehead, and I catched him as he was falling; then he asked him if he would give him his basket, and go away quietly; I advised him so to do, but he would not; he said he lived with Mr. Paine, and he would take me along with him, if I would go with him; afterwards he made some objection, and said he would go to Litchfield-street; I took him there, the magistrate told the lad to take the basket home, and put a mark upon it, that he might know it again. Court to Curl. Did you mark the basket? - The officer that went home with me put six notches on it, just by the handle. PRISONER's DEFENCE. I was going along, and out of place, and I met a baker, and asked him, if he could inform me where I could get work; he said he would, if I would go along with him; we went into a public-house, and had some beer and gin, and coming along afterwards, he asked me to carry his basket for him. The prisoner called one witness to his character. GUILTY . (Aged 20.) Transported for seven years .

105

Denis Pember on 16th September 2015

In 1800 Sarah Piggs (Convict, Mary Ann, 1791) was pregnant to convict John EMBERY and gave birth to a girl child. No marriage was recorded. In 1802 p. 27 no. 97 John Emery [sic] of the parish of St John's and Ann Clark of ditto were married in this church by banns this sixteenth day of November in the year one thousand eight hundred and two by me Samuel Marsden. John Embrey signed the register and Ann Clark made her X mark in the presence of Thomas Brown who signed the register and Elizabeth Vawkrans (?) who made her X mark. Ann Clarke (Convict, Speedy, 1800).