Charlotte Brown

218

Dianne Jones on 12th May 2022

15 December, 1845: Trial 2: "#262. CHARLOTTE BROWN was again indicted for stealing 1 purse, value 3s. 6d., the goods of Harry Robert Sorrell; and that she had been before convicted of felony. JOHN SCOTT. I am in the service of Harry Robert Sorrell. He is a hosier, and lives at No. 80 in the Strand, which is about sixty doors from Mr. Whitelock's—on the 11th of Nov. the prisoner came, and looked out goods to the amount of 4l. 9l.—she desired them to be sent to No. 31, Queen-street, Holborn—she said, "You know where Queen-street is, it is not far from here"—I said, "Yes"—she gave the name of Mrs. Parker—she desired me to send change for a 51. note about five o'clock, and the goods should be paid for—I had shown her some purses in a box, and amongst them was one brown beaded pune, with steel rings—I took the goods she ordered at the time appointed, and found no such person lived there—I went to Little Queen-street, Great Queen-street, and Queen-square, and could not find her—I did not see her again till the 29th of Nov., when I saw her in the shop of Mr. Palmer, to whom I had given information—she was searched at Bow-street—the officer showed me a brown beaded silk purse—it was the one I had in the box and had shown the prisoner, and the one I had missed—I have no doubt in my own mind it wai that one—we had but one brown silk purse beaded, and there is a deficiency of that one from our stock—I have no doubt the purse the officer showed me was the one we lost. EMMA MILLS. I am a widow, and live in Great Wild-street. On the 29th of Nov. I searched the prisoner—I found this purse in her pocket, and four sixpences in it—I gave it to Sinnock. WILLIAM SINNOCK (police-constable T 91.) On the 29th of Nov. I was on duty in the Strand, and was called to take the prisoner—I took her to the station—Mrs. Mills handed me this purse. JOHN SCOTT re-examined. This is the purse I missed—I am able to speak to it from the manner in which it is beaded, and having no other brown beaded purse in the shop—there is no other mark on it than the manner in which it is beaded—if we buy a dozen purses we have seldom two alike, I may say never two alike, and up to the time the prisoner was given in charge no other person had seen the box, because I am constantly there. HENRY FOWLER (police-constable E 111). I produce a certificate of the prisoner's former conviction at this Court, by the name of Charlotte Collins—(read—Convicted 4th March, 1844, and confined one year)—the prisoner is the person—she has been to almost every shop—there were several other cases we could have had against her—she is one of the greatest shoplifters in London. GUILTY. Aged 31.— Transported for Seven Years." --00--

218

Dianne Jones on 12th May 2022

15 December, 1845: Trial 1: "#261. CHARLOTTE BROWN was indicted for stealing 6 yards of silk, value 2l. 5s., the goods of William Edmond Whitelock. JOSEPH FORD. I am in the service of Mr. William Edmond Wbitelock, a hosier, at No. 166, Strand—the prisoner came to his shop on the 18th Nov., she looked out a quantity of goods, and ordered them to be sent to Mrs. Harker, 22, Long-acre—I went there, and it proved to be a false address—our goods were examined, and some satin handkerchiefs were missed which I had been showing the prisoner—they were not included in the bill of those things she bought—they were satin handkerchiefs, and the value of them was 2l. 5s.—there was no other customer in the shop at the time I showed the prisoner the handkerchiefs—I saw nothing of the prisoner till the 29th Nov., when she was detained at a neighbouring shop. WILLIAM EDMOND WHITELOCK. I am the master of Ford—I recollect seeing the prisoner in my shop on the 18th Nov.—a great number of articles were shown to her—she detained my young man an hour in selecting articles—I suspected something wrong, and ordered the goods to be examined immediately she was gone, and I assisted in doing so—the handkerchiefs were missing, and could not be found—they had been shown to her with other things—no other person had been in the shop—it was not five minutes after she left that the goods were examined—the handkerchiefs have never been found—the goods the prisoner ordered to be sent amounted to about 10l.—I have three or four other shopmen. Prisoner's Defence written.—"My Lord Judge and gentlemen of the jury,—I hope you will take my case into your merciful consideration; I have been left a widow nine months, with two children, one at my breast; my other is two years of age; I get a living by needlework, and going out to work when I can get it to do; I am left destitute, without a friend in the world to speak for me; I solemnly declare my innocence of the charge that is against me; I hope, my Lord, you will have mercy on me for the sake of my children. NOT GUILTY." --0--

218

Dianne Jones on 12th May 2022

TRIALS IN THE OLD BAILEY: Charlotte Brown was tried twice on the same day -- second time unlucky, when she was convicted for stealing a purse. The transcripts of both trials follow. --0--

106

Carol Axton-Thompson on 17th May 2014

Charlotte Brown was convicted at the CCC, London for 7yr sentence. Transported to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) on the 'Emma Eugenia' arriving 05/06/1846. Aged 23yrs; dressmaker; 5'1"; dark hair; blue eyes; can read & write; widowed, 1 child. Native Place - Islington. 6mths Probation period. Died 16/06/1846 - shortly after arrival.