John Daniels

341

Maureen Withey on 28th December 2025

Absconded. 1. John Daniels, Fame, 27, Gibraltar, 5 feet 3 and a quarter inches, black eyes, black hair, dark comp. from the Service of Aaron Barnett. Sydney Gazette, 27 Nov 1823. This notice continued to be posted weekly until the end of January 1825.

341

Maureen Withey on 28th December 2025

Tried at the Old Bailey, 3 Apr 1816. 431. WILLIAM HARRIS , JOHN DANIELS , and THOMAS SHORT were indicted for stealing, on the 27th of March , a seal, value 5s. and a key, value 2s. the property of John Marshall , from his person . JOHN MARSHALL. Between three and four o'clock in the afternoon I had a watch in my fob, and was looking at the cairicatotes at the corner of Beauford Buildings . A person tapped me on the shoulder, and told me I had lost them, and then I perceived that I had. BENJAMIN JOHNSON . I saw the three prisoners, some desseparated and sometimes in company together, on the afternoon in question; I saw the prosecutor looking at the print shop, with his seal and key hanging by a ribbon to his watch, and I concealed myself in a shoe shop opposite. The prisoners, Daniels and Harris, got close to the prosecutor, and beckoned Short over to them. Then Daniels got on the prosecutor's left, and Harris on his right. Daniels then got Short by the collar, and shoved him in between the prosecutor and another person. Daniels then put his coat round the boy, and his arm under the prosecutor's chin, and on to another man's shoulder, so as effectually to keep the prosecutor from looking down at his watch ribbon. Harris was behind the prosecutor putting his great coat round him, so as to screen from observations from behind. This is what they call covering. They were there a few minutes, and then the prosecutor came away. The boy Short was so covered that I could not exactly see what he did; but I observed Daniels' hand go down towards the boy's side, and I conceived that he had hold of the seal and key, while the boy was cutting the ribbon. The prosecutor came away, and I observed that the key and seal were gone from his watch. The boy left the prosecutor at a signal being given, and followed him into Southampton-street. The two other prisoners remained looking at the prints. I desired George Wooroffe, the young man that was with me, not to take the two prisoners that were in the crowd, for they might throw the seal away; but to wait 'til we got the boy, and until they got out of the crowd. When the boy got off a little way, Daniels and Harris quitted the shop. I took hold of Harris, and immediately Daniels ran away. I did not say any thing to Harris before Daniels ran. He ran down the middle of the Strand, and I hallooed stop thief; and he was stopped a great way down the Strand by another officer named Murry; George Woodroffe got the boy. When we got them altogether into a shop, I proceeded to search them, and in the bottom of the boy's trowsers, inside the lining, I cut out a pair of scissars made for the purpose for which I conceived they had been used; and also a piece of ribbon which matched with the remainder of the prosecutor's ribbon which was tied to his watch. These were in one leg, and on the other side I found a gold seal and gold key. GEORGE WOOROFFE. Corroborated the testimony of the last witness. Daniels's Defence. As I was going along the Strand, there was a crowd, and I thought there was row, and I went to look what it was; and the officer said I was one, and so I ran away. Harris's Defence. I was looking at the pictures, and never observed who was standing by me; and as for this young man and the boy, I never seen them before in my life. Short's Defence. I was sent to school by my father and mother one day, and met these two people, and after that I went home, and met them a great many times instead of going to school; and on this day, when I got to the picture shop with them, they put a pair of scissars into my hand, and told me to cut the seal off, and so I did. HARRIS GUILTY , aged 10. DANIELS GUILTY , aged 18. Transported for life . SHORT GUILTY, aged 13. Judgement respited . First Middlesex jury, before Mr. Common Serjeant. --------------------------------------------------------------- Colonial Secretary Index. DANIELS, John. Per "Fame", 1817 1817 Mar 14 On list of convicts disembarked from the "Fame" and forwarded to Liverpool for distribution (Reel 6005; 4/3496 p.54) 1819 May 11 On list of prisoners sent to Newcastle per "Elizabeth Henrietta" (Reel 6006; 4/3500 p.109) 1822 May 18 On list of prisoners assigned (Fiche 3290; 4/4570D p.28) 1822 May 18 Servant to John Butcher, District Constable. Returned to Government employ (Reel 6055; 4/1760 p.136) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 11 May 1819. On list of prisoners sent to Newcastle per "Elizabeth Henrietta" John Daniels, per Fame, convict, Tried by B. of M., Sydney, 26 Apr 1819, Labourer, One year sentence. ------------------------------------------------------------