Mary Davis

221

D Wong on 1st October 2016

Old Bailey: SARAH AUSTIN, MARY DAVIS, GEORGE GOODWIN, Theft > shoplifting, Theft > receiving, 6th June 1821. Offences: Theft > shoplifting; Theft > receiving Verdicts: Guilty; Guilty; Guilty Punishments: Transportation; Imprisonment SARAH AUSTIN and MARY DAVIS were indicted for stealing, on the 22d of May , eight yards of of muslin, value 10 s., the goods of John Sparrow Benstead , privately in his shop ; and GEORGE GOODWIN was indicted for feloniously receiving the same, knowing it to be stolen . JOHN CHAPMAN . I am a headborough of St. Pancras. On the 22d of May, between twelve and one o'clock, as I returned from Hatton-garden, I saw Austin come from Little Bath-street, into Great Bath-street, and meet Goodwin; something passed from her to him so quick, I could not discern what it was - thinking all was not right, I took him, and asked what he had got, he said, "nothing" I took him into a public-house, and took this muslin from under his jacket; he said, he found it - I left him in charge, and went to look for Austin; and saw her and Davis sitting in Mr. Benstead's shop, in Little Bath-street; I took her, she asked Davis "What does this mean" - I took them both, and on coming out, Davis said to Austin, "I am afraid he is taken;" I found nothing on Davis, and discharged her - she followed us to Hatton-garden, and was taken - Benstead's shopman claimed the muslin. JAMES SMITH . I am an officer. I was with Chapman, and saw Austin give something to Goodwin; we secured him and found the muslin on him. JOHN HOLLIER . I am clerk to a solicitor. I had been to Hatton-garden with Chapman, and saw Austin pass something under Goodwin's jacket - the muslin was found there. FREDERICK CARY . I am shopman to Mr. J. S. Benstead, linen-draper , No. 7, Little Bath-street . On the 22d of May, the female prisoners came in together, and asked to see some prints; I asked if they had tried a pattern which I gave them yesterday; they said, No, but they wanted another dress - they had paid 1 s. on a dress the day before - I gave them a pattern; they said, if it washed, they would have another - I shewed them a great many prints, on the 22d, and as they liked none of them, I asked them to look in the window, outside, and see if there were any they should like; and in a few minutes, Austin went out to look at the window, as I thought, Davis remained - she returned, and the officer came in - I did not then miss any thing, till he produced the muslin - they had come together the day before. (Property produced and sworn to.) AUSTIN'S Defence. I never saw the man, or gave him any thing. DAVIS'S Defence. I do not think I was ever there before. He told us to look in the window; Austin went out, the officer came in and asked if she was with me, I said, Yes; he took us both, nothing was found on me, he discharged me - I said, I would not go without her. GOODWIN'S Defence. I saw a man come out of the shop and drop it - I picked it up. AUSTIN - GUILTY . Aged 17. DAVIS - GUILTY . Aged 18. Transported for Seven Years . GOODWIN - GUILTY . Aged 17. Confined Three Months. (Sarah Austin was also on board). Mary had been assigned to Henry Rice (Bencoolen 1819) as a housekeeper - they had a child together, Johanna Maria Rice, born in 1824. No marriage registration found. 19/11/1824 Hobart Town Gazette: Another Inquest was held on Tuesday, before the same Coroner, on view of the body of Mary Davis, a young woman whose death occurred the preceding night, under the following lamentable circumstances :—Henry Rice, a farmer residing at Glenarchy, deposed, that the deceased, who arrived in the Colony by the Mary Ann, was his housekeeper, by whom he had an infant, nearly a year old. They all left Hobart Town on the preceding evening with a cart and four bullocks, one of which was unruly. The deceased with the child were in the cart, and witness was imprudently riding on the front, with his feet on the pole, when the accident happened ; witness turned the cart off the high road to save his bullocks’ feet, as the road had been newly made with stone. “One of the wheels struck a tree —the unruly bullock pulled on, and overturned the cart ; witness then called the deceased, obtained no reply, but heard the baby scream, and on looking under the tail board, found the deceased covered with blood, and her bonnet broken— she was lifeless. Witness took the child from her arm, and in agony cried ” murder !” After which, he scarcely knowing what he did, loosened the oxen, and two men, named Michael Wade and Hugh McShane, with some others, came up. The witness and the deceased were sober, though they had been drinking. Wade and McShane confirmed Rice’s statement of the manner in which the unfortunate woman lay at the time they heard the cry ; and Mr. Henry Crocket, an assistant Surgeon, who examined the deceased, proved, that she had an extensive wound in the forehead, with a fracture reaching from the right temple to the back of the head, which he considered to have caused her death, and to have been produced by some heavy pressure. Verdict—Accidental Death. Henry then married Mary/Maria McShane on 3/11/1827 - Henry died 18/8/1829 in Sydney.