John Cameron

2

Richy Rich on 4th November 2025

Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser - Tuesday 13 March 1827 BURGLARY. JOHN CAMERON, 20, committed Nov. 19, 1826, charged with having burglariously entered the dwelling-house of John Sanderson, of Great Clifton, parish of Workington, and feloniously stealing and carrying away a printed cotton bag or purse, 9 sovereigns, 5 half sovereigns, one guinea bank note, three half crowns, one crown, and seven other pieces of silver, the property of the said John Sanderson. Mr. Courtenay also conducted this prosecution. The prosecutor, he said, is an unmarried man, and he and his sister lived together at Great Clifton. He occupies two houses near each other. In one the family generally live by day, and there the servants sleep. In the other, Mr. Sanderson, his sister, and two other branches of his family sleep. The burglary had been committed in the latter; and must have been made between the hours of six and nine. The entrance was effected by forcing a parlour window; while the family were at the other house; and the coin was taken from a chest of drawers, several locks having been broken to get at it. There was no direct evidence of the prisoner's guilt; but there could be no doubt of the fact. He had been seen near the place on the evening of the robbery, without money. He was seen on his way to Great Clifton and on his return, then having plenty of money of the description stolen; and, finally, the greater part of the purloined property, was found in his possession when apprehended. The prisoner had been in Mr. Sanderson's service; he therefore knew the premises, and was probably aware of the place in which the prosecutor kept his valuables. John Sanderson.—I live at Great Clifton in the parish of Workington; my sister lives with me. I have two dwelling-houses,—one in which my family sleep, and another in which my sister and myself sleep. We both keep valuables in the latter. On going to bed, between nine and ten, saw nothing amiss. The next morning, I found that a loose pane or casement had been taken out, and another pane broken, and the glass lying in the parlour. A man might have got in, and my sister's drawers had been broken open and robbed. The prisoner was once in my service. Elizabeth Sanderson.—I am sister to the last witness, and live in the same house that he does. In Nov. last, I had the care of money of my brother's, nine or ten sovereigns, one guinea, one guinea note, five or six half sovereigns, several half crown pieces, one five shilling piece, seven pieces of silver, (old coin); witness's own property, a quarter of a dollar, amounting in value to 14s. or 15s., and part of it kept in a small cotton bag, deposited in a drawer in my own sleeping room. This house I did not leave on the day in question, till past four in the afternoon. When I went to bed, at ten, saw nothing amiss. Next morning, when I got up, I found that the three locked drawers had been broken open, and the money had disappeared. The printed bag was my own. James Shepherd, the keeper of a public house, situated about 3 miles from Mr. Sanderson's. Prisoner arrived at the house on the evening of the 17th of November, about four o'clock, had something to drink, which he did not pay for, and left at six, saying he was going over to Broughton to pay a shoemaker's bill. At nine, he returned, and then he had money, and paid what he owed, in a five shilling piece, receiving the change. When he came in he seemed flurried. He stopped all night. Wm. Wood saw the prisoner on the 17th of Nov. at his house, about eight o'clock, a situation about half way betwixt the public-house spoken of and Mr. Sanderson's. He bought 6d worth of sweet-marbles, sugar and peppermint. John Swaine acted as constable, and apprehended the prisoner at Cockermouth. Searched him, and found on his person a guinea note, nine sovereigns, five half sovereigns, one guinea in gold, three half-crowns, a bank token (base coin), seven pieces of silver, different coins, and a stamped cotton bag. All these things witness carried to Mr. Steel's office. Prisoner afterwards said that he committed the robbery himself. John Smithson, from Mr. Steel's office, produced the articles which the constable delivered to him. Miss Sanderson identified the bag, the foreign and old coins, two sixpences with holes in them, &c. The prisoner satisfied himself with saying that he was not guilty. He had no witnesses to character, but put in a written paper, which was perused by the Judge. In summing up, the learned Baron said there could not, he thought, be any doubt of the prisoner's guilt. The offence must have been committed between 6 and 9, after dark, therefore a burglary. Verdict, judgment of DEATH recorded. Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser - Tuesday 15 May 1827 Yesterday week, Wm. Coward and John Cameron, against whom sentence of death was recorded at the late Cumberland Assizes, were removed from Carlisle jail to the Justitia Hulk at Woolwich, to be transported for the term of their natural lives.