Mary Barker

Level 116

Tony Beale on 20th February 2021

Old Bailey Online (DOB from here) 385. MARY BARKER was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 28th of April , a tin box, value 4 d. a guinea, a bank note, value 2 l. and four bank notes, value 1 l. each, the property of John Owen , in his dwelling house . JOHN OWEN . I live at No. 17, Lombard-street, Fleet-street, Whitefriar's Precinct ; I occupy the whole of the house; the prisoner was servant to my wife while she lay in, and she attended her as a nurse. On Tuesday the 28th of April, when I came home about half past two in the afternoon. Q. Where did you use to keep your money. - A. In the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers. Q. When you went out on the Tuesday, did you know what money you had left in the bottom drawer. A. Yes. Q. Was it kept locked. - A. Yes, I always kept it locked. Q. Had you seen your money in the course of that day before you went out. - A. I had not seen it for a week before, my wife had; when I last saw it there was one two pound note, four one pound notes, and one guinea; I kept them in a tin box. Q. Upon coming home Tuesday afternoon did you go to your bottom drawer. - A. I had no occasion to go to it; I looked at it and saw the drawer open; I always kept the keys in my pocket. Q. Was this woman in the house that day. - A. She was, she was hired that day to look after the children; my wife was gone to church. I looked into the drawer, I was alarmed that the tin case and the contents were gone; the indenture and the money together were gone. Q. Was the woman in the house when you returned. A. No, she was gone; I was alarmed that she should leave the house so clandestinely; I did not expect her to leave the house till my wife came home. Q. When did you expect your wife to return. - A. I did not know when my wife would return; when I came home the prisoner was gone, and left the house in the care of the children. Q. Did the prisoner come back at all. - A. No. I I found her on the Saturday afterwards in Shoreditch in the street, I saw her in company of my brother-in-law, he had found her out. Q. What age is your children. - A. The eldest is ten, the other is eight; I found the indenture by the prisoner's direction in the neighbourhood of Whitechapel, where she told me she had slept. Q. Did you get any of your money or your notes again. - A. No, she told me where she had changed the two pound note, that was at a pawnbroker's at Islington; the pawnbroker told me the woman had changed a note; he told me he did not know whether it was a two pound note or a one. Q. Before she told you that, did not you tell her it would be better for her. - A. No, she made no hesitation of telling me. The tin box contained the whole of the property. She changed the guinea at a gin-shop in Fleet-street; she told me she forced the drawer open and she took them; I found the drawer was forced open; the lock was standing up when I found it. Q. In consequence of her living in the house did she know that you and your wife kept the money there. - A. I do not know; she further told me that she went with Mrs. Butcher, and this Mrs. Butcher had robbed her of one of the one pound notes. The prisoner told me she had purchased a gown and cap at the pawnbroker's at Islington; he said that she had bought a gown and cap there, but he did not know whether it was a one pound note or a two. Prisoner. The drawer was open when I went to the drawer. Court. You thought the drawer was locked. - A. Yes, I always kept it locked. ELIZABETH SARAH OWEN . Q. You are the wife of the last witness are you. - A. Yes. Q. What time did you leave the house to go to church to return thanks for you recovery. - A. About half past eleven o'clock. Q. Did you leave this prisoner at the bar in care of your children. - A. I did. Q. Had your husband left the house when you went out. - A. Yes, I left her and the children only at home. Q. Then you expected to find her in the care of them when you returned. - A. I did. Q. What time did you return home in the afternoon. See originalClick to see original - A. It might be four o'clock, my husband then was gone out to seek for me. Q. When you left the house was that drawer safe that you kept the money in. - A. Yes, I looked at the money before I went out; I opened the tin case and I counted it; I opened the drawer by taking another drawer out, and then I could get at the money; I have frequently done that before the prisoner's face; there was one two pound note, four pound notes, and a guinea. Q. Did you see the prisoner after she was in custody. - A. I saw her at the Falcon public house; I asked her what she had done with the things. I told her I would not forgive her for leaving my five children, they might have been scalded to death; she told me if I would forgive her, she would pay me by installments; I said how can you get the money, she said she might pay me in a week; I said what rob another poor family, and distress them as you have me; she said she took it out of the drawer, and she knew it was there, for I shewed it her when I went out; I searched her, I found none of the money; she said she was robbed of a part of it. - HINKS. You are the brother-in-law to the last witness. - A. Yes. I went in pursuit of this woman, I found her on Saturday the 2nd of May, about a quarter before one, in the street in Shoreditch, facing the Swan public house. I asked her how Mrs. Owen did, she told me she did not know, she had not seen her since Tuesday; I then taxed her with the robbery, and she strongly denied it; I asked her if she would have the kindness to accompany me to Mrs. Green, an acquaintance of hers in Spitalfields, she said she had no objection to go; when we came to Mrs. Green's, Mrs. Green burst out a crying; I had prior to that told Mrs. Green what had past; the prisoner sat down, Mrs. Green told her she had ruined herself, and broke her heart. Mary Barker then told me she would tell me where the indenture was; she told me they were in a lodging house, in a street in Whitechapel. Q. Did you get them there. - A. Yes, I went with the prisoner back to the Swan public house, and there met my brother-in-law; we three went to where she had slept, and there we found the indentures, according to her directions. She then told me she changed a guinea at a wine vaults in Fleet-street; we then all three went to Islington; where she had purchased a gown and a cap, the pawnbroker said she was in his house believed on the Tuesday afternoon, in company with Mrs. Butcher, and bought a gown and a cap, but he could not be positive whether it was a one pound note or a two, that she had changed; then she told me that Mrs. Butcher and her went to Highgate to see a child of hers that she had out at nurse; and that she bought the child a doll that cost her eighteen pence, and a small tea pot that cost her four pence; and coming back from Highgate in company with Mrs. Butcher and the hackney coachman, they called at the Britannia to have tea; they went in the coach again, this woman told her the coachman had done her, meaning that he had taken part of the money away; she went to Mrs. Butcher the next morning, and asked her for the money that she had missed, when she was sober; Mrs. Butcher told her she knew nothing of it, and threw a gown after her, and shoved her out of the door. After that she pawned the gown that she had bought of the pawnbroker for four shillings, and laid it out in gin and spirits; and after that money was spent, she pawned her shift, and had no one on when I took her, according to her own account. Prisoner. When he first met me in Shoreditch, he told me it I would bring my master's indentures to him, my master nor mistress would not hurt me. Witness. I did not. Prisoner's Defence. In the morning when I went my mistress gave me some thing to drink; we drank freely together both she and I; my mistress took out the second drawer, which is next the bottom drawer, she shewed the woman and me these notes; she told me that she had taken one or two out, and he had never missed them Being a little in liquor that day before she went, she ordered me to bring the notes to this place, where she was gone; I did not take them with a view to rob her of them. I being in liquor I changed the guinea in Fleet-street; then I went on, I had something more to drink, and I forgot I had any thing to bring to my mistress; I did not know that I had got any thing of the kind, till I got to Mrs. Butcher's. GUILTY - DEATH , aged 47. London jury, before Mr. Common Serjeant. The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) Wed 1 Feb 1826 Page 1 Classified Advertising. Public Notice. THE undermentioned Persons have obtained Certificates, or Tickets of Leave, during the last Week ; CERTIFICATES. Speke (1) - - - - Mary Barker.