William Blake

Level 110

Ron Garbutt on 11th July 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 11 July 2020), April 1812, trial of WILLIAM BLAKE JOSEPH DARKE (t18120408-15). WILLIAM BLAKE, JOSEPH DARKE, Theft > grand larceny, 8th April 1812. 326. WILLIAM BLAKE and JOSEPH DARKE were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 1st of March , a bushel of coals, value 1 s. 10 d. the property of Joseph Holl and Paul Bevan . JOSEPH HOLL . I am a coal-merchant , I live at Eagle Wharf, Milford-lane; my partner's name is Paul Bevan . The prisoner, I believe, are fishermen . THOMAS HARDY . I am a lighterman, I am a servant to Mr. Holl, and Paul Bevan . On the 1st of March a little after ten at night I was coming out of my own door on the wharf, I saw somebody outside of the barges and heard the rattle of coals; I got a gun and went on the craft where the prisoners were. The prisoners were in the barges, on the river Thames, I went on the barges, it was near low-water, when I came where the prisoners were I saw a person taking coals out of the barge, he had got a basket of coals, and seeing of me he jumped into a boat with the basket of coals; I told him to stop or else I would certainly fire; both of them endeavoured to conceal themselves under the deck of the boat It was a decked boat they were in called a Peter boat, with a good many coals. I jumped into the boat to them, immediately I got into the boat they put out the sculls and rowed away with me in the boat; as soon as I get my feet to stand at the bottom of the boat where there were a good many coals, I demanded them to stop, and if they would not leave off rowing I would shoot them; telling them that my piece was loaded that I had in my hand; with that the prisoner Blake began to throw the coals over board which were in the boat, I told them it was of no use to throw the coals overboard, I was determined I would take them; the prisoner Darke left off rowing at that time, and begged the other to leave off, saying it was of no use to resist any more. I ordered them to row me on shore, towards Blackfriars-bridge, a young man whom I had left on shore came in a boat along side of us; I then told them I would not trouble them to row me to Blackfriars-bridge, to row me to where I came from, they rowed me back again. Q. What quantity of coals were there on board - A. Twelve bushels and odd in that boat and the lighter where I saw the prisoners at work; both lighter and coals belonged to Mr. Holl and Bevan. Blake's Defence. I was rowing a west country barge out of Pool. Darke's Defence. We rowed up to the Pool, there was a west country barge wanted to be rowed up to Putney, they gave us some coals to do it. BLAKE - GUILTY , aged 45. Transported for Seven Years . DARKE - GUILTY , aged 23. Confined Six Months in the House of Correction , and fined 1 s. Second Middlesex jury, before Mr. Recorder. https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/print.jsp?div=t18120408-15