William Barnadier

Level 221

D Wong on 4th October 2017

Old Bailey: WILLIAM BARNADIER, Theft > housebreaking, 15th April 1830. Offence: Theft > housebreaking Verdict: Guilty Punishment: Death WILLIAM BARNADIER was indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Benjamin Stripling, on the 17th of March, at St. Matthew, Bethnal-green, and stealing therein, 1 coat, value 6d., and 2 pairs of trousers, value 3s., his property. SOPHIA STRIPLING. I am the wife of Benjamin Stripling - we live in the parish of Bethnal-green; we only have one room, which we lodge in - it is the first floor front room; the landlord does not live in the house - it is let out to different people; I have three children - I had known the prisoner for six weeks before the robbery; he sells matches and bearth-stones. On the 17th of March, in the morning, he came to my room - my children were with me; he came, and said, "Mrs. Stripling, my father wants to speak to you to tell you where they are giving away beef and bread in St. John-street;" his father lived in the next street to me - he told me to go to his father's house directly, as he wanted to tell me where to go; as he went down stairs, he said, "Don't take the children with you;" he did not say why: I washed my two children, and then went - it was half-past ten o'clock in the morning when I came out; I shut and latched my door, leaving the children in the room - nobody could go in from outside without opening the door; I left the key inside the door, and did not lock it - nobody could open it from without, unless they forced it; I went to try to get some bread and beef - I went to his father's house, but could not find him; I came back immediately - I was absent about five minutes, I ran all the way; when I came back I was coming up stairs, and saw my room door open - the door had been forced, and the staple of the lock laid in the room; I saw my bed very much pulled about, and missed two pairs of trousers and a coat of my husband's from under the bolster, which had been disturbed - the trousers were worth 3s.; I had left the bed rolled up in one corner of the room. ELIZABETH STRIPLING. I am ten years old - (the witness being questioned appeared perfectly aware of the obligation of an oath) - I saw the prisoner come to my mother's; before she went out he went away - my mother washed me and my brother and sister's faces, and brushed our hair, and then went out; she latched the door, and left my sister with me - I am quite sure neither of us unlatched the door after she was gone; she had been gone out about a minute when William Barnadier, the prisoner, came up, and forced the door open; he forced the staple into the room, went up to the bed, and pulled it down - it was rolled up; he took a coat and two pairs of trousers - he told me he would take the two pairs of trousers and coat, and sell them, and bring my mother the money; he took them away with him. WILLIAM CLARKE. I am a Policeman. On the 6th of April I apprehended the prisoner at his father's house, No. 26, Thomas-street - Lawson was with me; I went to his father's about half-past seven o'clock in the morning - he was up; as soon as I saw him I told him I wanted him for a robbery, and collared him - he made a great resistance, laid hold of the latch of the door, and held by it; his father caught hold of me by the collar, and tried to pull me away from his son - he found he could not do it, and called to his daughter to bring him the poker; she brought it, and he began to lay upon me most unmercifully - the prisoner succeeded in getting into the back room; I was obliged to let go of him - I left Lawson there, holding him, and went for more assistance; I got Read, and as I came back I saw the prisoner running down Hare-street as hard as he could; I secured him, and took him to the watch-house. CHRISTIAN LAWSON. I went with Clarke, to apprehend the prisoner; while Clarke was gone for assistance, the father locked the door; I kept hold of the prisoner; his father went to open the back door into the yard; the prisoner said he must go into the yard; I said I must go with him; he said I should not go; his father took the poker, and said if I did not let him go he would knock me down - he did not strike me with it - I had my staff in my hand and kept him off; he said if I would let him go, he would be bound he should come back again; the prisoner then gave a wrench from me and got away; the father prevented my following him - he stood at the door with the poker in his hand; I endeavoured to follow him; he would not let me; the father opened the front door, and insisted upon my going out; I went out, and when I got to the Police-station, I found the prisoner there. ELIZABETH RICHARDSON . I live on the ground floor of the same house as the prosecutor. On the 17th of March about half-past ten o'clock, I saw the prisoner coming down stairs; I had seen him before and knew him; I had heard him go up - I heard him say to the prosecutrix,"Don't bring the children;" and that there was meat and bread giving away; I saw him come down stairs as I was going out; I did not see him again till he was at Worship-street. MRS. STRIPLING. I have never got the clothes back. Prisoner's Defence. She had known my father a short time; she wanted to move her things away, because she owed a little rent, and said to my father, "Will you be kind enough to help me away with these things;" my father took some things and brought them to our place at six o'clock in the morning - they remained there till five or six o'clock in the afternoon, and I want to know if she missed any thing then; if I wanted to rob her I should have taken things when they were at my father's. MRS. STRIPLING. I was placed in a baker's shop in Air-street, to attend to it for a lady who kept another shop; his father came one morning, about a fortnight before the robbery, and took away two chairs, a table, and my bed tied up; they remained there about seven hours, and were brought back - the father removed them, not the prisoner; they were only put there till my own room was ready; I did not move them to cheat my landlord; I had been in this lodgings about a fortnight; the coat and trousers were at his father's, tied up in the bed. ELIZABETH RICHARDSON. I have lived at the house nine weeks - the prosecutrix had been there about a fortnight when this happened. [Wednesday, April 21.] GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 19. Occupation: Spadesman. 24/11/1831 Sydney Gazette: Absconded: 1. Barnadier William, No 31-104, York, 21, Spadesman, London, 5 feet 8½, brown eyes, sandy hair, ruddy comp, from Mr. Gilbert Wright, of Bathurst. 24/11/1831: Convict Death Register. Not registered on the NSW BDM.

Level 4

Ginette Bennewith on 3rd October 2017

He arrived in February 1831 but was dead on 24th November 1831 and was buried at Bathurst. Annoyingly the records don't give a cause of death.