Mary Arrowsmith

341

Maureen Withey on 20th January 2024

Lawrence Holden„ Mary Ann Lochraine, and Mary Arrowsmith, were charged, on the oath of Thomas Cooper, with stealing, at Manchester on the 31st of January last, 4 sovereigns and a watch, his property.—the prosecutor stated, that, on Thursday the 3lst Jan. he met with the two female prisoners, and went with them to a house in Angel Meadow, where he had remained about an hour and a half, when five or six men rushed into the room, threw him back in the chair on which he was sitting, and took from his person four sovereigns and some silver. Ile was sure the prisoner Holden was the man who first laid hold of him. Whilst they were robbing him, the women sat still, and did out interfere on either side. When the had effected their purpose, they rushed out of the room in the same manner in which they entered it; and the prosecutor observed to the women, that the rascals had not taken his watch; and as for the money, he feared nothing about it. Of this declaration he very soon had reason to repent; for the prisoner Lockraine took an opportunity of slipping out of the room; and after being absent about a quarter of an hour, she returned, and shortly afterwards Holden and two other men again made their appearance,—told the prosecutor they were peace-officers, —that they understood he had been robbed, —that they would not suffer him to remain there after that had happened, and that, it he would not go out by fair means he should by foul. He accordingly went out, and had got a very short distance from the door when he was attacked by the three men, who robbed him of his watch, and made He immediately gave the alarm a watchman came to his assistance, and the two female prisoners apprehended in the house. Holden was taken in consequence of a description of his pew. given to the police.—Witness was rather severely cross-examined with respect to another transaction of a similar nature, in which he had been a sufferer, and for which a woman was prosecuted at the last sessions. He admitted that he then swore to the wrong woman. On the part of the prisoner Holden, two witnesses, one of whom was his mother, were called to prove an alibi; but there were some very material discrepancies in their statements. The jury returned a verdict of guilty against all the prisoners.—ln passing sentence, the chairman observed, that, fortunately for the ends of justice, the indictment charged the prisoner Holden with stealing from the person; and that he should go to the utmost extent  of the law with respect to him: he therefore sentenced him to be transported for life.—Mary Arrowsmith, who had been convicted before, was sentenced to be transported for seven years, and Mary-Ann Lockraine to be imprisoned two years in Lancaster Castle. Manchester Guardian, 27 April 1822. At the last Salford sessions, a man named Holden, and two girls of the town, convicted of robbing Mr Cooper, an export officer, and sentenced to .various punishments. As we understand some persons have affirmed to doubt the correetness of the evidence given by the prosecutor at the trial, we are authorised to state, that, before Holden was went off to the hulks, he made a full and unreserved confession of his guilt to Mr. Dunstan, the governor of the New Bailey, and described the manner in which the robbery was committed. Manchester Guardian, 25 May 1822.

341

Maureen Withey on 20th January 2024

Tasmanian Record. Conduct Record. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON40-1-1$init=CON40-1-1P15 No 25. Mary Arrowsmith, per Mary, arrived Oct 1823. Tried Salford April 1822, 7 years. Record details of transportation too faint to be legible

341

Maureen Withey on 6th February 2023

Tasmanian Records. List of prisoners per Mary (3) who do not appear to have landed at Sydney. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-2$init=CON13-1-2P278 See list for details.