Elizabeth Austin

116

Tony Beale on 21st October 2020

Old Bailey Online See originalClick to see original 820. ELIZABETH AUSTIN was indicted for stealing, on the 1st of April , 18 yards of ribbon, value 13s. , the goods of Thomas Hall . JOHN BEDDINGFIELD . I am shopman to Thomas Hall, haberdasher , of Bishopsgate-street, City . On the 1st of April, at two o'clock, I was attending in the shop, and saw the prisoner come in with another woman; the other See originalClick to see original asked to look at some ribbons to trim a bonnet - the prisoner was close by her; all the shopmen were engaged; I was shewing some handkerchiefs to a person, and the prisoner asked to see them - I was close to them both, only the counter was between us; I put the handkerchiefs away while I took the money to the cashier, and afterwards brought them again for the prisoner to look at - I observed the other woman take the handkerchief out of the basket and lay it down on the counter, close to a box of ribbons; I asked if I should cut one handkerchief off from the piece - the other said, "No, we will see the ribbons first;" I showed them a box of ribbons - they complained that they were too dark; I went to fetch a basket of ribbons, and as I turned round I observed the prisoner stooping - I looked, and saw her stoop a second time, and observed her put something into a basket which she had at her feet, between her and the other woman; she immediately fixed on a ribbon at 8d. per yard, and said, she would take three yards, which I cut off; she laid the money down, saying, she was in great haste, and could not stop; the other had not expressed any hurry - I said to the prisoner, "I thought you came together?" I had seen them come in together, and asked if they had not come together; they said, Yes, and both asked to see some goods. In order to ascertain to whom the basket belonged, I stood till the prisoner took it up, and was going out with it; I called her back, and asked her to allow me to make a bill of the articles - she came back and set down her basket, and sat down herself; I took the ribbon from her which she had bought, and desired our young man not to let her go; I went and told Mr. Hall; I then came down - called her into the counting-house, and in the basket which was at her feet was found 12 yards of French white ribbon; she had bought pale yellow - she said the basket was not hers; the other woman went out while I was gone to Mr. Hall - that was before the charge was made; the prisoner said she knew nothing of her - the basket the ribbons were taken from had been by the side of the prisoner, and was not what I had shown her, but what a young man was showing a customer; the other woman never had the basket in her possession. Cross-examined by MR. BARRY. Q. The young man who had produced that basket of ribbons is not here? A. No, there might be six persons serving, and about six customers; I call persons companions if they come together - I saw no bonnet in the prisoner's possession; the one she had on seemed to want a new trimming - the other young men never spoke to them; no other money was found in her possession - I did not state my suspicions to her, till she was taken into the counting-house, up stairs; I considered them to be both concerned, but did not tell the young woman to detain her; as the basket belonged to the prisoner, and I am certain the prisoner put something into the basket. THOMAS SAPWELL . I am a constable; I was fetched and took charge of the prisoner - I found a purse, but no money on her, thought she told me she had 17s. Cross-examined. Q. She denied stealing the ribbons? A. She said she bought the small ribbons, but the basket she knew nothing of - she was rather the worse for liquor I think.(Property produced and sworn to.) Prisoner's Defence. I had the money in my bosom; the officer asked to take it from me; I refused to give it him - the man sold the woman a handkerchief out of the same box. THOMAS SAPWELL . She said she had money; I felt her as well as I decently could - I could find none; she said she had money, but would not give it to me; I think she had some at the Mansion-house next day, but her husband and a friend had been with her. JOHN BEDDINGFIELD . The other woman did not buy a handkerchief, nor anything. GUILTY . Aged 20. Transported for Seven Years

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Tony Beale on 21st October 2020

New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 Bound Indentures 1827-1828 Age 22 has 1 boy and girl children. Could not read or write wife of John Austin. Prohibited to be with a man named John Hobcroft. Also a note stating "Brazen Looking" 4' 11 3/4" fair complexion freckled brown hair and eyes assigned to William Moore Elizabeth Austin in the New South Wales, Australia, Convict Applications for the Publication of Banns, 1830 Elizabeth Austin Gender: Female Birth Year: abt 1806 Age: 23 Arrival year: 1826 Arriving Vessel: Asia 1 Spouse Name: John Taylor Spouse Gender: Male Spouse Birth Year: 1803 Spouse Age: 26 Spouse Arrival Year: 1820 Spouse Vessel: Competitor Marriage Year: Abt 1829 Application Date: 26 Oct 1829 Application Place: Boong Boong, New South Wales, Australia New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Freedom, 10/4/1835 cert no 35/311 wife of John Taylor