Martha Bellamy

221

D Wong on 6th August 2020

Old Bailey: MARY ANN SULLIVAN, MARTHA BELLAMY. Violent Theft: highway robbery. 11th January 1827 Verdict Guilty > with recommendation Sentence Death; Death MARY ANN SULLIVAN and MARTHA BELLAMY were indicted for feloniously assaulting Joseph Ortega, on the 16th of December, at St. Giles in the Fields, putting him in fear, and taking from his person and against his will, 1 ring, value 20s., 1 umbrella, value 9s; 3 sixpences, and 6 halfpence, his property. JOSEPH ORTEGA. I live in Arthur-street, Somers-town. I am a native of Spain , and am a teacher of languages. On the 16th of December, about a quarter past six o'clock at night, I had been to a coffee-house to see the newspaper, and as I was going home, the prisoner Sullivan came up to me in Soho-square, and asked me to go with her - I said No; being a stranger, I could not find my way home if I had gone with her - she said, "Come with me, I will give you a direction to Somers-town;" I went into her house, not knowing the character of such women; I do not know what street it was in - she took me into a back room, on the first-floor; she shut the door, and then said she wanted my money - I said, "I have no money;" she said, if I would not give her my money, I should not go home that night; I said, if she would open the door I would go home - she said she wanted my money first, and after that she beat me - I said that I would give her 1s., which I did; she said I had more money than that - I said, No; she said, "Let me see your pockets;" I said I would not; she said, "If you will not, I will kill you;" I then gave her 9d. - she then said that I must let her see my pocket - I said I would not. There was then a knock at the door; Bellamy came in and said, "What is the matter?" Sullivan said, "That gentleman will not give me his money;" Bellamy said, "If he will not give you his money, take the poker, and kill him" - I said I had no money; Sullivan said, "Let us see your pockets" - I said I would not; she said, "Well, if you won't, we will kill you to-night" - I had a watch in my pocket, and did not wish them to find it - I then said, "I will show you my pockets myself" - I turned them out, and Bellamy said,"Very well, if you have no money, give me your umbrella," and she took it out of my hand herself - I had a diamond ring on my finger, and Sullivan said I must give that to her - I said I could not get it off my finger; she told me to prove that I could not get it off - I tried, and could not, and she tried, and could not - she then said that I must put my finger into her mouth; I did so, and while I was doing that, Bellamy pushed my arm against the wall, and Sullivan pulled her head away with the ring in her mouth - she had got it off my finger against my will; she took it out of her mouth, and put it on her own finger - Bellamy then said, "Let him go;" she took my umbrella, and went away - Sullivan blew the candle out, took hold of me by the coat, and went away - I went out, and met the witnesses in the next street; I told them what had happened, and they accompanied me to the place - I never saw the prisoners before, but am quite sure they are the women; they were not there when I went back. Q. What made you go to their room? Did you know your way home? A. I did not know where I was; I went with her, as she promised me a direction home; that was my motive - I thought her a bad woman. JOHN TOFFT. I am beadle of St. Giles. On the 16th of December, about a quarter to seven o'clock in the evening, the prosecutor came to me in High-street, and gave me information - I went with him to these women's lodging, in Maynard-street; I was going up to the room, and I met a man at the door, who gave me some information, and we went down High-street, where we met the prisoners together - Ortega said, "Those are the two women who robbed me" - they denied it, but did not deny having seen him; we took them in charge, but found nothing on them - I never went up into the room. WILLIAM BELL. I am a beadle, and was with Tofft - the prosecutor said he was certainly with the women. SULLIVAN's Defence. I never saw him till he came and took hold of this young woman, and then he said, "I don't think this is the girl" - he let her go, took hold of me, and said, "I believe this is one," and we were taken - he went up to Bellamy and said, "If you will tell me who robbed me, I will let you go" - she said she could not tell him, and he said, "I will punish you for it." BELLAMY's Defence. He took hold of me, then let me go, and took me a second time. TOFFT re-examined. I was with the prosecutor - he pointed them out six yards before they came up, and had no doubt about them. SULLIVAN - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 20. BELLAMY - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 15. Recommended to Mercy. Mary Ann Sullivan was also on board. Martha Bellamy was listed as 17 years old on arrival. Place of Birth: London. Occupation: Prostitute/nurserymaid. Martha was 4'10½" tall, brown hair, grey eyes, single. 31/3/1832: Permission to marry William Guise (Chapman 1824). 5/6/1832: Married at Oatlands - registered at Green Ponds. 11/9/1832: William Guise born Launceston. 5/6/1835: Elizabeth Guise born Launceston. 28/9/1837: Mary Ann Guise born Launceston. 1/2/1840: Eliza Guise born Launceston. 21/4/1844: James Guise born Launceston. 1848: John Albert Guise born Geelong, Vic. 1832-33 Musters: Assigned to Mr. McKenzie. 1835 Muster: Assigned to her husband. 25/5/1846: Martha Guise accompanied by four children departed George Town per 'Shamrock' to Port Phillip. 1888: Martha died at North Fitzroy, Melbourne, Vic., aged 78.

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Julia Kennedy on 26th November 2011

Convicted along with Mary Ann Sullivan at the Old Bailey.