Mary Ballard

Level 116

Tony Beale on 20th February 2021

old Bailey Online 444. MARY BALLARD was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 9th of July , in the dwelling house of Ann Palmer , a bank note, value 10 l. and a bank note value 1 l. the property of Caroline Susan Herbert . CAROLINE SUSAN HERBERT sworn. In July last I lived at No. 11, Dean-street , in Mrs. Palmer's house. Q. Do you know the prisoner. - A. Yes, she lived in the house while I was there as servant. Q. Do you remember on the 9th of July her coming into the room. - A. Yes, it was in the morning about nine o'clock, I was awaked by the rustling of the curtains, the prisoner called out to me not to be, alarmed, it was only Mary come to take the candlesticks, she took them from the chair. Q. At that time where was the money. - A. I had put it the night before on the dressing table, it was in my purse. Q. Were there any bank notes. - A. There were notes to the amount of fourteen pounds, there was one ten pound bank note, I believe the others were one pound notes, I am sure there was a ten pound note, as to the others I am not sure. Q. You had left this purse on your dressing table when you went to bed, I wish to know if you know what money you had in your purse. - A. I had expended some money in the day, having to go to Windsor. Q. Do you know the number of the note. - A. Yes, I sent to Liverpool to know the number of the note from whence I received it; I saw the girl lay her hand upon the place, exactly where I put my purse, but I cannot swear that it was my purse that she took away, I heard a rustling, upon that I got up, I saw her take something from the very spot where I had placed it, when I got up I was just awaked, but I was so very sleepy that I could not tell whether I should arise or not; in consequence of suspecting her having taken something, I got up soon afterwards. Q. Did you go to your dressing table. - A. Yes. Q. Was your purse there. - A. No, it was not, the purse and the notes were gone, I followed down stairs after her, and while I was putting on a night gown she returned into the front room, and put the purse in the table drawer in the front room. Q. How soon was this afterwards that you got up. - A. I dare say it was not above ten minutes altogether. Q. You heard her go into another room, and there you found your purse with two one pound notes. - A. Yes, and the same seven shilling piece and some silver was in it that I had left there. Q. You had searched the drawers before she came up. - A. Yes, with my child, and the purse was not there; I pursued her afterwards from information that I received from a companion of her's; I went down to Mrs. Palmer immediately, she was in bed, I awaked her from her sleep, and I found the prisoner was gone. Q. Where did you see the prisoner again. - A. I saw her at Captain Fleming 's in Titchfield-street, she came in there the same day before eleven o'clock, with a large parcel under her arm. Q. Did you then charge her with having taken See originalClick to see original your property. - A. Yes, she denied it, and afterwards the acknowledged it, Q. Before she acknowledged it did you tell her it would be better for her to tell you. - A. No, I told her I was determined to have my money, or she must be punished, then she confessed it; I said I saw her take it, and she confessed it immediately. - LUCAS sworn. I am a pawnbroker, I live at No. 4, Rider's court, Leicester square, I produce a ten pound note. When I came in the shop about nine o'clock on the 9th of July, a decent dressed short person, I believe it was the prisoner but she was decently dressed, I cannot swear it was her, the prisoner or some other person very much like her, came into my shop, the lad in my shop was going to deliver her a small parcel, I took hold of the parcel, and sent the lad down stairs to his breakfast; I put the parcel towards her, she put down a ten pound note for me to give her change for it. Q. What did the parcel contain. - A. A table cloth, for four shillings and three pence halfpenny; I observed to her it was such a trifle to give change for, to which she did not make an answer, I then asked her her name and where she lived, she answered me her name was Mary Freeman , living at No. 18, Lower Water lane, Cheapside, which I wrote upon the back of the note, I then gave her change. Q. Do you remember the table-cloth being pledged at your shop. - A. No. Q. You will not swear that it was the prisoner that paid that note at your shop, - A. I have very little reason to doubt it, she was very differently dressed, I gave her in change a five pound note, a two pound note and two ones, and the rest in silver; I produce the ten pound note. - sworn. I am a pawnbroker, I live at No. 26, Cranbourn, street Leicester square Q. Do you know the prisoner. - A. Yes, on the 9th of July last, about ten in the morning, she came to redeem two articles that were in pledge, and bought different articles of wearing apparel, she paid me seven shillings and two pence for the sheets that were in pledge, and for the articles that she purchased, to the best of my recollection, two pounds ten shillings, she gave me a two pound note, and a one pound note. Q. Had she any other money about her. - A. I thought she had a five pound note in her hand, indeed she offered me the five pound note, I am sure the prisoner is the person. Prisoner. I did not offer you the five pound note. Witness. You did, you had all the notes in your hand. Prisoner. I had not. - sworn. I am a parish officer; I apprehended the prisoner on the 9th of July, about eleven o'clock in the morning in Titchfield street, Marylebone, I searched her, and found two seven shilling pieces, and sixpence in small change, and some halfpence; I enquired what she had done with the bank notes, she referred me to Mr. Lucas, where she had changed it to redeem a table-cloth, which is in my possession; I looked round and saw a quantity of linen which she had purchased at a linen draper's, and the bill of parcels was with it. Q.(to prosecutrix) Look at the ten pound note, can you speak to it from your own knowledge, can you from any mark that is on that note say that it is the ten pound note that you lost from your pocketbook. - A. No, the account that I had of it from Liverpool was, there was Strut upon it, and I see the same. Prisoner's Defence. I have nothing to say, I leave myself to the mercy of the jury. GUILTY - DEATH , aged 20. Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron Sutton . New South Wales, Australia, Convict Registers of Conditional and Absolute Pardons, 1788-1870 for Mary Ballard no 229. may have left Australia June 1813