Abraham Hart Braham

343

Maureen Withey on 17th February 2026

Colonial Secretary Index BRAHAM, Abraham. Per "Admiral Gambier", 1811 1815 Jan 13 On list of prisoners to be sent to Newcastle per "Lady Nelson" (Reel 6004; 4/3493 pp.416-7) 1817 Jul 21 On list of prisoners to be sent to Newcastle per "Lady Nelson" (Reel 6005; 4/3496 p.251) 1819 May 11 On list of prisoners sent to Newcastle per "Elizabeth Henrietta" (Reel 6006; 4/3500 p.109)

343

Maureen Withey on 17th February 2026

Tried at the Old Bailey, 6 June 1810. 414. ABRAHAM HART BRAHAM was indicted for feloniously making an assault, in the King's highway, upon Christopher Lewis Trumff , putting him in fear, and feloniously taking from his person and against his will, a watch, value 20 l. a chain, value 4 l. a seal, value 1 l. and a key, value 5 s. his property. CHRISTOPHER LEWIS TRUMFF . I live at No. 10, George-street, Westminster. On the 30th of March I was in Fleet-street , about ten o'clock at night, it was near to Mr. Adam's shop, a mathematical instrument maker. A man ran against me; I was walking at the time, and at the same moment I felt my watch was gone. No violence was offered me at all, his running against me did not hurt me at all, it only drew off my attention; there were two or three others with him. Q. Do you know that you had your watch about you at the time that the man ran against you - A. Most certainly. Q. Could you distinguish the person of the man who ran against you - A. I cannot identify him, it was dark, he was a man of that size and appearance, he was dressed in black. Q. Upon perceiving that your watch was gone what did you do - A. I ran after these men, all the three men ran, the other two put on the appearance as if pursuing him. I tried to lay hold of him, but he very soon disappeared. I called out watch, and stop thief. When he got to Temple-bar he took to the left hand side of the way. Q. How long was it after that you saw any person in custody - A. A little more than a fortnight; this was on the 13th of March, and on the 18th of April I saw the prisoner. Q. Was your watch ever found again - A. It was found the following day at the pawnbroker's, the chain was wanting. I have seen the watch key and seal again. Q. Now when you saw this man in custody, did you recollect this man to be one of the persons - A. It struck me very much; I cannot but believe that he is, but I do not speak positively to him. Q. What was the worth of your watch - A. It was a gold watch, I value it very little under twenty guineas; the chain was bought for four guineas, and the seal is worth a pound; it was marked with my initials, and the watch had my initials on it. Q. Do I understand you right that you felt the watch moving from your person, or did you only perceive that you had lost it after the man ran against you - A. I felt the motion of the watch as it was going from me, and in a violent manner. Q. Were you quite sober - A. Quite sober. CHARLES FREDERICK PRIDDLE . I live at Mr. Barker, 115, Houndsditch. On the 31st of March about, twelve o'clock in the day, the prisoner pawned a gold watch with me; it had a gold seal and gold key to it. I advanced 8 l. on it. On Tuesday the 17th of April he came to our house with another man to look at the watch, he did not say for what purpose, he produced the duplicate of this gold watch that he had pawned. I recollect him to be the very man to whom I had advanced money upon the watch. Q. Had you at that time heard of the watch been a stolen watch - A. Yes; on the same day that I took it in, about four o'clock in the afternoon, a bill came from Bow-street describing the watch. Q. Did you stop him or cause him to be stopped then - A. I pretended to be looking for the watch while I sent for an officer; when the officer came the prisoner ran off. Q. Before the prisoner ran off had you told him that you suspected him to be the person that stole the watch A. No. I told him nothing at all about it; he got off and the next evening I saw him in custody at Bow-street, I knew him directly. When he first came in with the watch he brought a gold chain, he wanted to know the weight of it; the chain at that time was not attached to the watch. I weighed the chain for him, it weighed an ounce and five pennyweight, it was worth about 3 l. 10 s. The property produced and identified. JOHN ADKINS . I am an officer of Bow-street. I apprehended the prisoner in a public-house at the bottom of Bow-street, he had been taken upon another charge and got away. I asked him what he had done with the chain that he had stolen with the watch, he said he never saw any chain. I said, where did you get the watch that you pawned in Houndsditch. He said, he had it of a man of the name of Smith, who lived at No 14, Charles-street Black-friars-road. I told him I would be obliged to him to let me know where the chain was because it would be proved that he produced the chain at the time that he pawned the watch. He said he could not tell me where it was. When I first apprehended the prisoner, I said, oh, master Braham, is it you? I have been looking for you a good while for a watch that you stole in Fleet-street. He said, I know nothing of a watch. I went to No. 14 Charles-street, no such person as Smith lived there as I could find. Prisoner. I am entirely innocent of the charge that I am accused of; I have dealt in watches, and I have pledged watches; the gentleman must be mistaken in the man. Mr. Morris can come forward to say that I have pledged watches at his shop. GEORGE MORRIS. I am a pawnbroker, I live in the Minories. Prisoner. I have pledged to the amount of an hundred pounds of watches at his shop and, Mr. Morris never knew any harm in my character - A. In all probability he has been at my shop I have some knowledge of his face; I have seen him before, upon particularly what I cannot say, it may be watches; I have taken things in pawn of him, but what I cannot say. GUILTY, aged 22. Of Simple Larceny . Transported for Life . London jury, before Mr. Common Serjeant.