William Anthony

218

Dianne Jones on 17th May 2021

1832: On arrival in VDL, he was listed as 20, single and a labourer. 1841, 4 August: Granted a Ticket of Leave (ToL). 1846, 3 October: Granted a ToL (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-2$init=CON31-1-2p74)

218

Dianne Jones on 17th May 2021

1832, 6 February: The death sentence was commuted to transportation for life. He was 19.

218

Dianne Jones on 17th May 2021

1831, 1 December: He was tried and convicted at the Old Bailey: "Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Littledale. 13. WILLIAM ANTHONY , JAMES BROWN , and ANDREW ROGERS were indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Richard Davis, on the 30th of November, at Hillingdon, and stealing therein 6 spoons, value 6s., his property. RICHARD DAVIS JUN: I live at Uxbridge, with my father, Richard Davis, who occupies the house; it is in Uxbridge parish, and in Middlesex - my father is a pawnbroker. On Wednesday night last I went to bed about half-past ten o'clock; I was the last person up - I bolted and barred the front door, and my sister or the servant secured the back; the windows are generally kept fastened - we have no occasion to open them in general; they were fastened with a hasp - I know they were fastened that night, for I looked at them; I got up on Thursday morning, about half-past seven o'clock, and found the kitchen window, at the back of the house, open - it appeared they had attempted to take a square out; they broke sufficient of it out to get a hand in, and unfasten the hasp- they could then open the window, and get in; it was open - it was fastened the night before; there were marks all over the kitchen - the table was marked with red;the bricks are generally done over with red ochre - there were red footmarks all over the kitchen, the window of which was opened; we traced the footmarks to a part of the wall, where they got over - six silver tea-spoons were missed out of the kitchen cupboard, which is nine or ten feet from the window; I had not seen them there that night - I saw five of the spoons at tea time: a salt spoon was also missed off the dresser, by the side of the cupboard - I had seen that at dinner time: the spoons belong to my father - I am in partnership with him, but I have no interest in them - he keeps the house, and pays the rent and taxes; I live there. Q. Are the rent and taxes paid out of his pocket, or out of the business? A.Generally out of the business; my father pays the servants' wages, and the house provisions, and 1 allow 10s. 6d. a week for my board and lodging - I generally pay it every week; we never divide the profits of the trade - I am a tailor by trade. Q. Then are you in partnership with your father in the pawnbroking business? A. I have part of the profits- what little money I have in the concern I reap the benefit of, in proportion to the money I put in; when I saw the silver salt-spoon at dinner time it was entire - in consequence of information on Thursday morning I went to Attwell, a silver smith and pawnbroker, at Uxbridge, between nine and ten o'clock, and told him what had occurred; while I was there the prisoner Rogers came in, and sold three of the spoons, which I have in my hand- here is the handle of one spoon, the bowl and handle of the salt-spoon, and one entire spoon; they are my father's - I can only swear to the salt-spoon; we have the fellow, and it has been in the family many years -Rogers received 2s. 11 1/2d. for them. and then left the shop- I borrowed the spoons of Attwell, and took them to my sister; she recognized them. Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS: Q. You closed the front door, and nothing else? A. No; I looked to see that the back doors were fastened - every place was fastened; we are very particular about it - I carry on the business of a tailor in the house; my father and I have settled no account at present - I have been in partnership with him nearly three years; there is a running account between us; the business has been decreasing some time, and I am trying to bring it round - my father pays the servants' wages, but I have nothing to do with them; my father did not sleep in the house that night, only my two sisters, the servant-maid, and myself. COURT: Q. You pay 10s. 6d. a week, is anything else paid on account of rent? A. No; my father pays the rent out of his own pocket - it is a charge upon him only, and not on the profits. CHARLOTTE DAVIS: I am sister of the last witness-This salt spoon bowl and handle belong to the same spoon, and are my father's; also this whole spoon, and this handle - we have the fellow, which matches it; I am positive they are my father's; two of them are tea spoons - I saw them last Wednesday evening, before five o'clock, in the parlour; Dorvill, the constable, brought me two tea spoons - I know the doors and windows were all fastened on the Wednesday night. Cross-examined: Q.Do you know any of the prisoners? A. I know Rogers; he keeps a lodging-house, and deals in small articles - he has kept a house at Uxbridge for twelve months. CHARLOTTE DORMER: I am servant to Mr. Davis. Last Wednesday evening, at five o'clock, I put five silver tea-spoons in the kitchen closet; the two salt-spoons were on the dresser - I saw them on the dresser at seven o'clock; I know the salt-spoon to be my master's - it is one of those I saw on the dresser; the silver tea spoon and the handle of one are part of those I put away - they have the initials I.M. A. on them; all the windows and doors were fastened that night. WILLIAM ATTWELL: I am a silversmith, and live at Uxbridge, in the parish of Hillingdon; Davis' house is in the same parish. Last Thursday morning, between nine and ten o'clock, Davis, Jun. came to my shop, and stated this circumstance; while he was there, Rogers came in to sell this spoon and three pieces - I bought them for 2s. 11 1/2d.; he said nothing - I showed them to Davis; he took them away, returned to me immediately with them, and took them away again; he made a statement to me, and I went to look after Rogers - I found him in the market-place; he lives in Uxbridge, and hawks little things about in a basket - I have known him some years; I told him the spoons had been stolen - he expressed much surprise, and told me he had them from the other two prisoners, describing them as Billy, the sweep, and Bagley's brother-in-law; the prisoners were apprehended in consequence of that. Cross-examined: Q. You have known Rogers some years? A. Yes; I knew where to find him, or I should not have bought them - I found him immediately; there was no concealment about it - I have known him three years; I would not have bought them of the other prisoners. JOHN DRINKWATER: My father keeps the Grapes. at Uxbridge. I know the prisoners; I saw them come into my father's house together. on Thursday morning, between seven and eight o'clock - Rogers called for a pot of beer; I served him - he paid me for it; they drank it between them. Cross-examined: Q. Had you known Rogers long? A. Two or three years, living in the place, and getting his bread by industry. THOMAS HEARN: I am a bird-stuffer, or animal preserver. Last Thursday, between ten and eleven o'clock, I went to Windsor with Mr. Dorvill, the constable; it is between eight and nine miles from Uxbridge - I saw An' hony and Brown there, who are called Billy, the sweep, and Bagley's brother-in-law; there are three or four mothers, and only one husband in the family - I told them they were the two men I wanted, that they had been into Davis', the pawnbroker's, shop the night before, according to the account given by Rogers, and I did not want to ask them any questions, as the Irishman had split all about the spoons; I did not either threaten or promise them - Billy, the sweep, said they had not been to Uxbridge for a fortnight, and Brown said he was innocent; Billy began to pipe his eye a little - I told him not to fret; I was sent by the high-constable to assist the other constable. Cross-examined: Q. Did you know them before? A. Yes, well - I used to see them at Uxbridge, but had not seen them for some time; I went after them, from the description Rogers gave - I have known Rogers more than three years; he rents a lodging-house under Mr. Davis - I am certain they said they had not been to Uxbridge for a fortnight. JAMES DORVILL: I am a constable of Uxbridge, which is in the parish of Hillingdon; Davis' house is in that parish. Last Thursday Rogers was given into my charge by Davis, Jun. - he told me voluntarily that he bought the spoons of Billy, the sweep, and George Morgan - he believed that was the name he went by; I do not know Morgan, but Anthony is called Billy, the sweep - Rogers said if I would go with him, they were up at the lodging-house, in Chequer-yard, he believed; I went there, but did not find them - I put Rogers in the cage; he there told me he had got two more spoons, which he had not sold, and which he had bought of the other prisoners - he pulled them out of his pocket, and gave them to me; I have had them ever since - he told me if I went to Windsor I should find the two prisoners, for they had told him they were going there that day; I went with Hearn, and found them at a public-house - they were searched, and a knife and 1s. 6d. found on Anthony, but nothing on the other. Cross-examined: Q. Were you present when they were conversing with Hearn? A. No; Anthony is called Billy, the sweep, and Brown is Bagley's brother-in-law. CHARLOTTE DAVIS: I know these two spoons to be my father's, by the initials; one is marked J.P. RICHARD DAVIS: I do not know them. Cross-examined: Q. How long have you known Rogers? A. About twelve months; he rents three houses of my father. and bore an excellent character - he saw me in the shop, and sold them in my presence. CHARLOTTE DORMER: I know these two spoons to be Mr. Davis', and part of those I put away on the Wednesday. JAMES DORVILL: I was present when the prisoners were examined before Messrs. Clark and Newdigate, the Magistrates - what they said was taken down in writing by Mr. Richards, the clerk; it was read over to them afterwards - they said nothing to it - (looking at it); this is Richards' hand-writing - I cannot read well enough to say whether it is correct. WILLIAM ATTWEIL: I was present at the examination; Mr. Clark said, "Now, prisoners, you may say any thing you think proper, but it is not necessary to say any thing"- he did not make them any threat or promise; what they said was taken down by Richards - he read it over to them; they said they had no further remark to make, that what was read was correct - I believe this to be Richards' hand-writing; I saw him writing while they were examined - this is an accurate account of what was said (read). Rogers voluntarily states, that yesterday morning, about half past seven o'clock, he met Anthony and Brown in the street at Uxbridge, near the Grapes; Anthony said."Will you buy these old broken spoons?" they were dirty with soot; I said,"Perhaps you did not come honestly by them!" they both said they found them in the soot: I bought them for 2s. 6d., and a pot of beer. Anthony voluntarily says, "I found two spoons as I was coming out of Acton - I found them among some dirt, picked them up, and that is all I know; we slept at the Green Man." Brown voluntarily states, "I do not know any more than what he says - we were together when he picked them up; we laid in the loft at the Green Man." CHARLOTTE DAVIS: The spoons were on the table when this examination was taken. Anthony's Defence: When I came along the road I picked them up in the dirt on this side Acton - I went as far as the Green Man, and laid all night in the loft; I got up in the morning, and went to Uxbridge. Brown's Defence: I was with him when he picked them up - we laid at the Green Man, and in the morning went to Uxbridge. Roger's Defence: I went out to send a little boy to London in the waggon, with some rabbit-skins - I met these two men opposite Drinkwater's, who asked me to buy these articles - I asked how they came by them, and said I was fifty-three years old, had a large family, and would not wish to he disgraced; he said, "We found them in the dirt;" I said I had only 2s. 6d. and a few halfpence - they said, "Give us the half-crown and stand a pot of beer;" I left them, and went home - shortly after I wanted money to go to buy skins, and sold these - the constable then came. and told me they were stolen; I told him who I bought them of - we could not find them, and the constable said he would lock me up till he could; Davis was in the shop, and I should not have sold them if I had known they were stolen. ANTHONY - GUILTY - DEATH. Aged 18. BROWN - GUILTY - DEATH. Aged 19. [Dec. 6.] ROGERS - NOT GUILTY." (see https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/)