Mary Brown

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Ron Garbutt on 21st March 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 21 March 2020), January 1809, trial of HANNAH SKIDDAY MARY BROWN (t18090111-29). HANNAH SKIDDAY, MARY BROWN, Theft > shoplifting, 11th January 1809. 117. HANNAH SKIDDAY and MARY BROWN were indicted for feloniously stealing on the 12th of December , twenty two yards of printed cotton, value 22 s. and a shawl, value 2 s. the property of William Brown and William Brown , privately in their shop . JOSEPH POBJOY . I live at 118, Ratcliffe highway ; I am an apprentice to Mr. Brown, linen draper . Q. Are there two Mr. Browns that carry on that business - A. Yes, William and William, they are cousins. On Saturday the 10th of December, between seven and eight o'clock in the evening, there were three of them came in, the prisoners were two of three, one went out; when they came in one of the prisoners said they wanted to look at some shawls; I shewed them some, I counted each shawl as I put it down; they did not like any of them; I went to get another, and when I returned I missed the uppermost shawl; I went round and mentioned it to Thomas Waitman ; I went and got a constable, leaving this youth to attend them; I came back with the constable; he let themgo outside of the door, they had not bought any thing; while they were going out the youth Waitman said he had missed a piece of print; the constable brought them back, they were standing just by the door. I picked up the piece of print just by Skidday's foot when she moved, I saw the dirt of her foot on it; he took them further up the shop and found the shawl, it lay rolled up on the ground. Q. How near was that to the place where you had put the shawls - A. About four yards. Q. How near was it to where either of the prisoners stood at the same time - A. About three or four yards off the prisoners when it was found. Q. Did you perceive or suspect them doing any thing - A. No further than they were in the shop two months before; we missed something; I did not see them do any thing this time; I expected they would thieve. They had bid me a price for a shawl which I could not take. JONATHAN WAITMAN . Q. You are likewise in the service of the two Mr. Brown's - A. Yes. When the prisoners came in I was folding up of goods. When Pobjoy went out I continued shewing them different kind of shawls; when they came in the shop there were a large quantity of prints laying on the counter; I took them all away to another counter excepting eight pieces, I counted them. When Pobjoy came in I gave them up to him; they stood bargaining for a shawl, bought nothing, and went out; Pobjoy and the constable followed them; they brought them back in the shop and this piece of print was picked up off the floor. I counted the pieces on the counter and there were only seven. Q. You had not shewn any of these pieces to them - A. No, only the shawls. Q. Now who was in the shop at the time - A. There was another man in the shop at the time. Q. Do you know whether he was attending to any thing that passed - A. I cannot say. The place where the shawl was picked up was about four yards from that. JOHN MATTHEWS . I am an headborough. I went with Pobjoy to Mr. Brown's shop, there I found the two prisoners; I let them go out of the shop and then I brought them back again; I told them they had got something that they had not paid for; about one yard from the door; I proceeded to examine the prisoner Skidday; in stooping down to look round her, the witness Pobjoy exclaimed, here is the piece of print; that was about six yards from where the print had been laying; I moved them further up in the shop, five or six yards; I observed the floor when I put the prisoners there, it was perfectly clean; on searching them for the shawl I picked up the shawl. Skidday was the person who dropped the print; who dropped the shawl I cannot say. The property produced and identified. Skidday's Defence. When I went out of the shop the gentleman laid hold of my arm and brought me back. I never made any attempt to go away; I could have got away if I pleased. Brown's Defence. I am innocent of what I am here for. SKIDDAY, GUILTY, aged 20. BROWN, GUILTY, aged 22. Of stealing, but not privately in the shop . Transported for Seven Years . Second Middlesex jury, before Mr. justice Chambre. https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/print.jsp?div=t18090111-29

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Ron Garbutt on 17th March 2020

Mary Brown Convicted: Middlesex Gaol Delivery, Old Bailey, London, 11 January 1809 Crime: Shoplifting Age: 22 Sentence: 7 years Mary was with 20-year old Hannah Skidday when they were caught shoplifting 22 yards of printed cotton and a shawl from Mr Brown and Mr Brown Linen Drapers. It was Skidday who dropped the cloth when they were apprehended outside the shop. Mary claimed she was innocent though they had entered the shop with another woman and the apprentice in the shop was immediately suspicious of the trio. The third woman got away. Mary and Hannah were both convicted and sentenced to transportation. Hannah travelled to NSW on the Indispensable just one month later. Mary had to wait two years in Newgate Gaol for her passage on the Friends. Then, after a six-month voyage, Mary died just over two weeks after her arrival in Sydney. She was buried on 29 October 1811. Reverend William Cowper recorded her age as 26. CS Despite her death, Mary’s name appears on convict lists until 1819. Sources: Old Bailey 11 January 1809 CS: Burial returns for quarter ending 31 December 1811, St Philips, Sydney, NRS 898 Reels 6020-6040, 6070 http://friendsconvictship.com/convict-women/