Henry Ancion

343

Maureen Withey on 9th March 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 09 March 2020), July 1830, trial of HENRY ANCION (t18300708-24). HENRY ANCION, Theft > simple larceny, 8th July 1830. 1280. HENRY ANCION was indicted for stealing, on the 3rd of June , 2 bird-cages, value 2s., and 1 pigeon-feeder, value 1s. , the goods of John Roberts . JOHN ROBERTS . I live at Camden-town . I missed two cages on the 2nd of June, and a pigeon-feeder on the 3rd, from an empty unfinished house; I had seen the prisoner lurking about that place on the night of the 1st of June, and on the night of the 3rd I went to the same place, and saw him and another running away - I took the prisoner, and this feeder dropped from him; a boy said he knew the prisoner, and stated where he lived - we went there, and found his father and mother lived there; I found these two cages, which I know are mine, and this feeder likewise. WILLIAM PRICE. I am an officer. I took the prisoner, and have the property. Prisoner's Defence. I do not deny taking the cages; I had a nest of birds, and being in want of cages for them I remembered seeing two exposed as if abandoned, on a heap of mould in the new building, and thinking they would answer my purpose, I, in the thoughtlessness of a desire to provide for my birds, took and cleaned and repaired them; they were quite exposed, and I had no felonious intention. GUILTY . Aged 14. - Whipped and Discharged . ------------------------------------------------ Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 09 March 2020), February 1833, trial of HENRY HERRICK HENRY ANCION WILLIAM NICHOLLS (t18330214-4). HENRY HERRICK, HENRY ANCION, WILLIAM NICHOLLS, Theft > housebreaking, 14th February 1833. First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron Bayley. 438. HENRY HERRICK , HENRY ANCION , and WILLIAM NICHOLLS were indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Henry Evans , on the 18th of January , at St. Pancras, and stealing therein 12 shoes, value 1l. 6s., his property; and that before the said felony was committed, towit, at the delivery of the King's goal of Newgate, holden for Middlesex, at Justicehall, Old Bailey, on the 8th of July, in the 1st year of the reign of William the Fourth, the said Henry Ancion was convicted of felony . HENRY EVANS. I am a shoemaker , and live at No. 2, Camden-row, Camden-town, in the parish of St. Pancras ; my shop is part of the house - there was a cracked pane of glass in my shop window; it had been broken nearly a month, but there was no piece out - it was only cracked. On Friday, the 18th of January, about seven o'clock in the evening, the piece which had been cracked, was taken out, and twelve shoes were taken away; I was at work in the back shop at the time - I was alarmed almost directly; I had seen them safe about half an hour before - I saw my shoes at High-street office, next day - (looking at six pairs of shoes produced by the witnesses Archer, Chenn, and Worters) I know all these to be mine; they are my own workmanship, and I can swear to them. HENRY ARCHER . I am an apprentice to Mr. Griffiths' of Ossulton-street, Somers's-town, pawnbroker. I have produced two pairs of shoes, which I received from Ancion, on Friday, the 18th of January, about a quarter to eight o'clock in the evening; he came into the shop to pledge them - I did not know him before; I asked him where he got them; he said they were the property of his mother - I asked him if both pairs belonged to his mother - he said No, one pair belonged to his sister; I lent him 4s. on them - he gave me the name of John Anderson; I saw him again on the Monday following - I have not the least doubt of his being the person. THOMAS WORTERS . I am a pawnbroker, and live in Phoenix-street, Somers'-town. Herrick came to my shop about a quarter before eight o'clock in the evening, on the 18th of January, and offered these two pairs of shoes in pawn for 4s.; I took them, and asked him whose property they were; he said his father's - he did not say who his father was; he pawned them in the name of Henry Jones- I did not know him before; I saw him again on Monday, the 21st of January - I have not the least doubt of his being the boy. HENRY CHENN . I am apprentice to Mr. Ridpath, No. 25, Upper Seymour-street, Somers'-town, pawnbroker. On the Friday night Herrick brought me two pairs of shoes, a little before eight o'clock, to pledge - I do not know what he asked for them; he spoke to John Poole, our young man, who is not here - I saw him, and saw what he brought; I am sure these are the two pairs of shoes he pawned - I wrote the ticket for him, and asked him who sent him - he said his father sent him; he gave the name of Herrick - I saw him again on the Monday following; I never saw him before - I have not the least doubt of his person. JAMES MARTIN . I work for a bricklayer when I have got any thing to do. On the 18th of January I was at Mr. Worter's, the pawnbroker's shop, and saw the prisoner Herrick come in there, alone - the prisoner Nicholls was outside the door; I did not see them together, but he said by the door when Herrick came in - I went out of the shop while Herrick was there, and walked up to Nicholls, and he said, "Do you want to buy a ticket of two pairs of shoes?" I said No - I did not see that he had any shoes; he was alone then, and I went home, leaving him standing outside the shop and Herrick inside. Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS. Q. What are you? A. A bricklayer's labourer; when I have nothing to do my father keeps me, and I have worked in a brickfield - I sometimes sell green-grocery in the street; I was never at Hatton-garden or any office on any charge - I know a boy named Couch - he asked me what expences I was to have here; I said I might have 3s. 6d. a day - a Policeman told me so; he is not here - he came on Sunday morning, and told me to come to the office on Monday, and I did not go; the Policeman came on Monday, and said, "You will be satisfied for your time, you will get 3s. 6d. a day" - I have 9s. a week; I have attended here three days and expect 3s. 6d. for each - I have seen Nicholls carrying a baker's basket about before; I did not see the ticket he spoke of - I was in employ last Christmas; my father is a bricklayer - there is no work for men, much more for boys; I have sold vegetables and onions about for the last three months - I sold some last week; I was once at Marylebone office - a boy lent me a coat; I did not take it back when he told me, and he sent a Policeman after me; I had gone into the country with my master's carter, but not to get out of the way - the young man did not appear against me at the office; he was employed at the turnpike - he was a friend of mine; I forget his name - I had known him about three months; it was six or seven months ago - I have not seen him since; he came to our house for the coat just as I came home from the office - I was in the watch-house from Saturday until Monday morning, but a boy found the coat at our house; I was taken at home - I had been in the country for a week, and he thought I had run away with it; I believe he lives at Battle-bridge - I never was at any other office. Q. How came you to tell Couch you was to have 3s. 6d. a day? A. He called me over to his house, and his mother put Nicholls' mother behind the door - young Couch asked how much I should get; I said very likely 3s. 6d. a day - I did not give that as a reason for appearing against him. ROBERT RATCLIFF (Police-constable S 194). I was on duty; Evans' boy called me on Friday the 18th, between seven and eight o'clock - I had not seen any of the prisoners that evening; I know them, and have frequently seen them together before - in consequence of what Evans' boy said, I went to the shop, and found he was robbed; we went round to the pawnbrokers, and found two pairs at Archer's and Worters: Ridpath would give us no information - when we took Herrick on the Saturday, we took him to Worters', the pawnbroker; he denied having been there, but when the pawnbroker said he was the boy, he owned it, and said he had taken but two pairs of them - that he took them out of Evans' shop; when we took Ancion, he owned that he had pawned two pairs in Somer's-town, and Nicholls owned that he had part of the money that had been raised - he said he had received 3s. 3d. out of 9s. 6d., and he said Herrick was the first that took two pairs out of the window; that he saw him - Herrick was not present; he said they took six pairs in all - he said he had two pairs himself; he did not say he took them out of the shop. Cross-examined. Q. Did you tell Martin he would get 3s. 6d. a day? A. No; what I stated, at the office was taken down - I dare say it was read over to me, and I believe I signed it; I said there that Nicholls told me he had 3s. 3d. - I do not know whether that was taken down; I dare say my evidence was taken down - I do not know whether it was; nobody was present at the conversation. COURT. Q. Is this signature your hand-writing, and what you said? A. Yes; I state here - "after Nicholls was at the watch-house, I asked if he was one of the three, and he said he had received his share of it." WILLIAM PRICE . I am a Police-serjeant. I have a certificate of the conviction of Ancion, which I got from Mr. Clark - (read); I took him in custody myself on the charge - I was present at the trial; he is the man who was convicted. ROBERT HAWKSLEY (Police-serjeant S 1). I apprehended Herrick on Saturday night, the 19th, and took him to Worters', who said he was the boy who pawned the shoes; I took Ancion about one o'clock the same night in Hampstead-road, and on the Sunday in Chalk Farm-fields I saw Nicholls with some more boys, and he ran away - about half an hour afterwards I met him, I took him in custody, and found 1s. 9d. on him; he saw the other prisoners there, and in the course of the evening I said to him, "I suppose that 1s. 9d. is part of the money for those shoes" - he said Yes, that he pawned them for 9s. 6d., and divided the money - I neither threatened him nor made him any promise. Cross-examined. Was any body present? A. Yes, a serjeant and a reserve man; they are not here. Ancion handed in a petition, as follows; "The humble petition of Henry Ancion - I hope your Lordship's usual clemency and lenity, will be graciously extended towards me in the situation into which I have been brought from want of employ, which I sought in vain; I was ignorant of the character of my companions when I yielded to their had example - I have had my name entered in the Marine Society, and was only waiting for the next vacancy to go to sea; a gentleman who frequently employed me, will come forward and prove I behaved honestly towards him. Two witnesses gave Nicholls a good character, and one deposed the same for Ancion. HERRICK - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 15. [Feb. 14.] ANCION GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 16. NICHOLLS - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 15. Recommended to Mercy, particularly Nicholls, on account of his good character and youth . ------------------------------------------------- ADM 101/34/8 . Medical and surgical journal of the convict ship Hive from 18 November 1833 to 27 June 1834 by George Fairfowl, surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed transporting convicts to New South Wales. Folio 3: Henry Ancion, aged 17, convict; case number 3; disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 23 January 1834 at Sheerness. Discharged 4 February 1834.