Charles Astell

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 9th July 2024

1850 - Departures Name: Astell, Charles Record Type: Departures Rank: Passenger Status: Conditional Pardon Departure date: 29 Aug 1850 Departure port: Launceston Ship: Queenstown Ship to colony: Lord Lyndoch Bound to: Adelaide

174

Iris Dunne on 5th October 2018

Convict Pardons 1849-1851: Named Astell or Axtell - Charles Description List: aged 23, Trade: Servant http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/ImageViewer/image_viewer.htm?CON18-1-26,208,3,L,43 Departure 29 August 1850 from Launceston, Tasmania to Adelaide on ship Queenstown - Status: Conditional Pardon https://stors.tas.gov.au/POL220-1-1 Criminal Register:- aged 23, Offence: Burglary simple, 15 years sentence Convicted: 11 May 1840 - Old Bailey, London Theft: burglary 1344. CHARLES ASTELL was indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Augustus Parkes Fownes, about the hour of three in the night of the 20th of April, at St. Dunstan in the West, with intent to steal, and stealing therein, 2 shirts, value 1l. 5s. 22 scarfs, value 10l.; 7 spoons, value 1l. 15s.; and 1 pair of sugar-tongs, value 10s.; the goods of the said Augustus Parkes Fownes and another. AUGUSTUS PARKES FOWNES . I am a glover, and live at No. 27, Fleet-street, in the parish of St. Dunstan in the West. On the night of the 20th of April I went to bed about twelve o'clock—my servant, Joseph Morris, was the last person up in the house—I left my shop and house quite safe—Morris did not stop up above a minute or two after me—my servant awoke me in consequence of the police ringing the bell—I got up—it was between three and four o'clock—I sent the boy down to inquire what was the matter—he returned to me—I went down, and found the prisoner in my first-floor room, which is unfurnished—I found the silk scarf and spoons lying on the floor—the scarf had been in the shop the night before, and the spoons in the kitchen—the scarf belongs to myself and my brother Frederick, but he does not live in London—I am the only occupier of the house—the stock and business belongs to myself and brother—I found the doors down stairs broken open—he had come through the back dining-room window, got over the roof of a back shop, got in at the window, and opened the shop and street-doors—there is a private passage which runs between she houses, by which he could get to the back of the house and climb up a broken spout—the private passage leads from the street, and is open all night—it has merely a gate on the latch—he might then climb up the broken spout, and get on the roof of a low building, on to a back shop of mine, and then to the dining-room window, which I found open—it was down when I went to bed, but it might not be hasped—I am quite sure it was quite down at twelve o'clock the night before. ROBERT HAY (City police-constable, No. 345.) About three o'clock on the morning in question, I was in Fleet-street—I heard a noise in Mr. fownes's house, I went to the private passage, turned on my light, as the lamp in the passage is put out at eleven o'clock every night, and observed a piece of water-spout across the passage from one side to the other—I looked up at the opening, and concluded that somebody had gone to the back part of the house—I went to the street, and called my brother officer—he stood at the passage entry—I examined the house, and found all the doors fast—I thought the spout had fallen down, decayed, but in about twenty minutes I still thought I heard a noise in the house, and the door open, and the party fall back, and shut the door—I rang the bell—Mr. Fownes's apprentice let me in—I went there, and found the prisoner in the room—the prisoner had opened the side-door, but, seeing me, went back, and shut the door—I found him in the house—I took him to the station-house, and found two shirts on his back, which Mr. Fownes Identified. JOSEPH MORRIS . I was left up after my master went to bed—I did not open the dining-room window—I left it as it was when he went to bed—I did not see it myself, but I did nothing to it. MR. FOWNES. re-examined. These shirts are my property—they were hanging up in the shop, and are shop goods—he had broken through a window, and got them, and dressed himself in them. Prisoner's Defence. I was in the house, but I was in such a state of intoxication that I do not know bow I got in; the prosecutor said at the office it was more like a frolic than a robbery. MR. FOWNES re-examined. He was intoxicated, or pretended to be so—I certainly thought he was drunk, but the policeman said at the station-house that he was not—a candle was left burning, which burnt nearly through the wainscot. ROBERT HAY re-examined. He pretended to be very drunk, but the inspector said he only shammed, and I thought so myself—he could walk perfectly well—he must have climbed about ten feet to get in. GUILTY . Aged 23.— Transported for Fifteen Years. https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=def1-1344-18400511&div=t18400511-1344#highlight