William Fenn

135

C H on 19th February 2024

Old Bailey Online JAMES SMITH. WILLIAM FENN. THOMAS JONES. Theft; grand larceny (to 1827). 5th April 1815. Text type Trial account Defendants JAMES SMITH, WILLIAM FENN, THOMAS JONES Offences Theft > Grand larceny Session Date 5th April 1815 Reference Number t18150405-76 Verdicts Guilty, Guilty, Guilty Punishments Transportation 699. JAMES SMITH , WILLIAM FENN , and THOMAS JONES , were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 13th of March , seventeen pieces of serge, value 34 l. one box, value 1 s. four gowns, value 4 l. a petticoat, value 12 s. and four shifts, value 12 s. the property of Nicholas Brown , and Charles Brice . JOHN THORN . I am book-keeper to the Wincanton and Taunton waggon; the owners are Nicholas Brown and Charles Brice . The waggon was loaded on the 7th of March, at four in the afternoon; Thomas Brown drives the waggon from Taunton to Egham, and Leves from Egham to London. I saw two packages loaded, and a box; the packages contained serge, consigned to Messrs. Herdsfield and Powell, and a box was put into the waggon containing wearing apparel; the box was directed to Priscella Wilkins; I saw these things put into the waggon, and go out on Saturday, at twelve o'clock at night. THOMAS BROWN . I am waggoner to the Taunton waggon. I took the waggon to Egham on Tuesday, the 11th of March. ROBERT LEVES . I took the waggon from Egham to London, as I received the waggon from Brown, so I took it on to London; at Piccadilly, I discovered something had been taken from the waggon, two packages and a box; I am sure they were taken from the waggon between Brentford and London. JOHN WARNER . I am a fisherman; I reside at Kew. On Sunday evening. the 12th of March, I was drinking at the Waggon and Horses, at Brentford, I went in there about six o'clock in the evening at Mr. Kill's, there were four men in the house, Smith, Feen, and Jones, are three out of the four; they came in between seven and eight, and staid till near eleven; they represented themselves to be Bow-street officers; they accused me of being a deserter from a Man of War; I told them I had a protection, and if they would shew me their authority for being officers, I would show them my protection; Fenn got up, and asked me to drink out of his gin and water; he has a patch on his eye now. I went home, leaving them there. JAMES KILL . I keep the Waggon and Horses public-house, at Brentford. Q. Do you know the persons of the three prisoners - A. I do; I think I have seen them in my travels. Q. Do you know John Warner - A. I do; he was at my house drinking on Sunday night, the 12th of March. Q. Did he sit in the same box where there were four men - A. I believe he did. Q. Were the prisoners three of them out of the four - A. I was in and out of the parlour to the taproom. Q. What is the prisoner's name with the patch on his eye - A. I heard him called Finny Morgan at Bow-street. Q. Will you swear that these three men were not in your house on the night that Warner was there - A. No. I said at Bow-street, I thought they were the men. JAMES DEWDIN . I keep the Chaise and Horse, at Hammersmith. On Monday morning, the 13th of March, about three o'clock in the morning, the three prisoners came into my house, and called for a pint of ale; I have seen them since at Bow-street, they were not dressed then as they are now; Fenn had a patch on his eye, he had no patch on when at my house. THOMAS FAITHFUL . I live in Cutler's-yard, City road; I sleep in the yard. On Monday, the 13th of March, two men called me up at half past five, they asked me to give them the horse and cart they had left three or four days before; I told them the cart was broken down. They then said I was to give them the horse, they could borrow a cart in Old-street. I gave them the horse; the mens names are Smith and Fenn; I gave them the horse, and they went about their business; and about ten minutes before ten the same morning, I saw them again, they came up the yard with a horse and cart; they had me to take care of the horse. Q. Was there any thing in the cart - A. Yes, two bales, something tied round with cord, and a box. I put the horse into the stable, the horse sweated very much; they tilted the shafts of the cart up in an open coach house, nobody could then see what was in the cart. JAMES JOHN SMITH . On the 13th of March, I and Bishop went to Cutler's-yard, City-road; I observed a cart in a cart-house, with the name of Read, Old-street; the cart contained a quantity of surge, and a box: after we had been some time in the yard, the three prisoners came into the yard; I and Bishop apprehended them. I produce the property. WILLIAM SMITH . I was coming to London with the Newbury waggon; I followed the Taunton waggon to London, coming along the road, I found two pieces of cloth; I gave it to Leves, the driver of the Taunton waggon. Robert Leves . The last witness gave me some serge that he said, he found in the road, by Gunnersbury-lane; I had past near Gunnersbury-lane coming to Town. PRISCILLA WILKINS . I am a servant in Ely-place, Holborn. I expected a box by the Taunton waggon; I have seen the box that is now produced, it is mine, and all the things in it. SMITH, GUILTY , aged 23. FENN, GUILTY , aged 26. JONES, GUILTY , aged 26. Transported for Seven Years . First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Recorder.

341

Maureen Withey on 1st September 2019

William Fenn was convicted at the Old Bailey with two other men. JAMES SMITH, WILLIAM FENN, THOMAS JONES, Theft > grand larceny, 5th April 1815. 699. JAMES SMITH , WILLIAM FENN , and THOMAS JONES , were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 13th of March , seventeen pieces of serge, value 34 l. one box, value 1 s. four gowns, value 4 l. a petticoat, value 12 s. and four shifts, value 12 s. the property of Nicholas Brown , and Charles Brice . JOHN THORN . I am book-keeper to the Wincanton and Taunton waggon; the owners are Nicholas Brown and Charles Brice . The waggon was loaded on the 7th of March, at four in the afternoon; Thomas Brown drives the waggon from Taunton to Egham, and Leves from Egham to London. I saw two packages loaded, and a box; the packages contained serge, consigned to Messrs. Herdsfield and Powell, and a box was put into the waggon containing wearing apparel; the box was directed to Priscella Wilkins; I saw these things put into the waggon, and go out on Saturday, at twelve o'clock at night. THOMAS BROWN . I am waggoner to the Taunton waggon. I took the waggon to Egham on Tuesday, the 11th of March. ROBERT LEVES . I took the waggon from Egham to London, as I received the waggon from Brown, so I took it on to London; at Piccadilly, I discovered something had been taken from the waggon, two packages and a box; I am sure they were taken from the waggon between Brentford and London. JOHN WARNER . I am a fisherman; I reside at Kew. On Sunday evening. the 12th of March, I was drinking at the Waggon and Horses, at Brentford, I went in there about six o'clock in the eveningat Mr. Kill's, there were four men in the house, Smith, Feen, and Jones, are three out of the four; they came in between seven and eight, and staid till near eleven; they represented themselves to be Bow-street officers; they accused me of being a deserter from a Man of War; I told them I had a protection, and if they would shew me their authority for being officers, I would show them my protection; Fenn got up, and asked me to drink out of his gin and water; he has a patch on his eye now. I went home, leaving them there. JAMES KILL . I keep the Waggon and Horses public-house, at Brentford. Q. Do you know the persons of the three prisoners - A. I do; I think I have seen them in my travels. Q. Do you know John Warner - A. I do; he was at my house drinking on Sunday night, the 12th of March. Q. Did he sit in the same box where there were four men - A. I believe he did. Q. Were the prisoners three of them out of the four - A. I was in and out of the parlour to the taproom. Q. What is the prisoner's name with the patch on his eye - A. I heard him called Finny Morgan at Bow-street. Q. Will you swear that these three men were not in your house on the night that Warner was there - A. No. I said at Bow-street, I thought they were the men. JAMES DEWDIN . I keep the Chaise and Horse, at Hammersmith. On Monday morning, the 13th of March, about three o'clock in the morning, the three prisoners came into my house, and called for a pint of ale; I have seen them since at Bow-street, they were not dressed then as they are now; Fenn had a patch on his eye, he had no patch on when at my house. THOMAS FAITHFUL . I live in Cutler's-yard, City road; I sleep in the yard. On Monday, the 13th of March, two men called me up at half past five, they asked me to give them the horse and cart they had left three or four days before; I told them the cart was broken down. They then said I was to give them the horse, they could borrow a cart in Old-street. I gave them the horse; the mens names are Smith and Fenn; I gave them the horse, and they went about their business; and about ten minutes before ten the same morning, I saw them again, they came up the yard with a horse and cart; they had me to take care of the horse. Q. Was there any thing in the cart - A. Yes, two bales, something tied round with cord, and a box. I put the horse into the stable, the horse sweated very much; they tilted the shafts of the cart up in an open coach house, nobody could then see what was in the cart. JAMES JOHN SMITH . On the 13th of March, I and Bishop went to Cutler's-yard, City-road; I observed a cart in a cart-house, with the name of Read, Old-street; the cart contained a quantity of surge, and a box: after we had been some time in the yard, the three prisoners came into the yard; I and Bishop apprehended them. I produce the property. WILLIAM SMITH . I was coming to London with the Newbury waggon; I followed the Taunton waggon to London, coming along the road, I found two pieces of cloth; I gave it to Leves, the driver of the Taunton waggon. Robert Leves . The last witness gave me some serge that he said, he found in the road, by Gunnersbury-lane; I had past near Gunnersbury-lane coming to Town. PRISCILLA WILKINS . I am a servant in Ely-place, Holborn. I expected a box by the Taunton waggon; I have seen the box that is now produced, it is mine, and all the things in it. SMITH, GUILTY , aged 23. FENN, GUILTY , aged 26. JONES, GUILTY , aged 26. Transported for Seven Years . First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Recorder.