Daniel Field

218

Dianne Jones on 8th April 2021

1832: On arrival in VDL, Daniel Field was 32, a butcher and groom and single, although he said he lived with a woman called Mary Meeking. 1842, 26 February: He was granted a Ticket of Leave. 1845, July: Daniel Field received a Conditional Pardon (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-14$init=CON31-1-14p65). What happened to Mary Meeking? She was transported to NSW per Burrell, arriving on 20 May 1832.

218

Dianne Jones on 8th April 2021

1831, 8 September: Daniel Field and Mary Meeking were tried at the Old Bailey, convicted for theft and sentenced to transportation for life. The following is a transcript of the trial: "Before Mr. Justice Alderson. #1552. DANIEL FIELD and MARY MEEKING were indicted for feloniously assaulting Duncan Gollan, on the 14th of August, putting him in fear, and taking from his person and against his will, 1 hat, value 20s.; 1 snuffbox, value 2s.; 1 watch-guard, value 5s.; 1 pocket-book, value 2s.; 8 sovereigns, 17 shillings, one 20l., and one 5l. Bank note, his property. DUNGAN GOLLAN: I am a private gentleman, and live in Wormwood-street. On Sunday morning, the 14th of August, about half-past one o'clock, I was coming home through Rose-lane, Spitalfields, and saw about six persons standing on the pavement and in the road - to the best of my recollection there were two men and four women; the prisoner Field was one of them - it was not very dark, and there was a lamp at a short distance; I had never seen him before - as I was about to pass them the men seized me by the arms, forced me against the wall of a house, and kept me there; the others began to rifle my pockets - they took a black leather pocketbook out of my left-hand trousers pocket, containing a 20l., a 10l., and a 5l. Bank note, and a guard-chain from round my neck; my watch was not attached to it - it was made of silk, and had gold beads fixed to it; they took a snuff box, eight sovereigns, and sixteen or seventeen shillings, from my right-hand trousers pocket - I had accidentally torn one corner of the 10l. note off, but cannot say at which end; I folded the torn part in the rest, and had the whole note - my hat was also taken off; this did not last more than three or four minutes, I should think - I had drank a little rum-and-water after supper, but was perfectly sober; I called Murder! and Police! a person immediately put his hand before my mouth, and I could not halloo - they tore my coat with pulling my hands from holding my pocket; they dispersed when they had got my money - it happened near the Bishopsgate-street end of Rose-lane; I am certain Field is the man who held my left arm - I do not know Meeking; I have seen none of the property except the chain - no blows were struck. Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS: Q. Have you always sworn that Field held your arm? A. I swore he was one of the party that held me; I do not know that I mentioned my arm - I swore to him at the first examination; I gave the name of Donald McTavish at the first examination - I was not asked my name before I was sworn; having shortly come from Scotland, I thought my name being inserted in the reports might distress my friends - McTavish was my mother's name; I gave my real name before my evidence was read over to me, and told the Magistrate my reason for giving the first name; I had been three days in London - I went straight home after the robbery; I went to no public-house, but after the robbery, as I was going home, one of the robbers followed me, and asked if I had any more money, as he wanted something to drink - I was in fear of my life at the moment, and glad to get away on any condition; I had a few halfpence left, and gave them to him - I should know him again, but have never seen him since; I gave nobody any thing else - I do not know the Queen's Head in Fashion-street. Q. Did you not sit yourself down on the step of a door instead of going home? A. I did not, except at the time they robbed me; it happened about half-past one o'clock - I had dined at my lodging, in Wormwood-street, at five, and had a glass of warm rum-and-water, and perhaps a glass of porter; I left home at half-past nine - I am not well acquainted with town; I went to call on a Mr. Ross, who was ill - he lives near Finsbury-square; I did not know his house - I was directed to a baker, who showed it to me; I cannot remember whether I drank any thing there - I swear I did not drink a bottle of wine there; I do not think I took any thing - I left about half-past eleven o'clock, and was going to a Mr. McDonald, in the Commercial-road, but could not find his house; I then returned directly home - I went to a tavern in Fenchurch-street before I went to Mr. Ross, and may have had two glasses of rum-and-water there: I could swear it was not three - I only paid 1s. there: I was at no other public-house - I drank nothing at Mr. Ross to the best of my recollection, and am sure I had no wine; I did not state at the office that I was intoxicated - I denied that I was; I swear I was not on the step of a door, except when these people were holding me. COURT: Q.How many times were you at the office? A. Five - my examination was written down the last time; I gave my right name at the second examination. MARIA JOHNSON: I live in Rose-lane. On Sunday morning, the 14th of August, I got out of bed to let a lodger in; I do not know what time it was - the prisoners lived three or four doors from me, on the other side of the way, in the same house, but I do not know that they live together; when I got up I saw five or six people standing over the way, and heard a gentleman ask for his hat - I saw the prisoners coming to the mob; they were about half a yard from the person who asked for his hat -I left them, went to bed, and next day, about one or two o'clock, I saw Meeking with a necklace round her neck: it was silk or hair - I saw beads on it; I have seen the guard - it was such a thing as that; I never saw her with such a thing before. SARAH JOHNSON: I am the last witness' mother. I got up about half-past one or two o'clock, when this took place - I let the lodger in myself; my daughter was up- I saw both the prisoners in the street; there were four or five other people altogether - I saw them doing nothing but hanging over a man: I do not know who it was - I cannot say whether it was the prosecutor; they were stooping towards him - he was sitting on the step. as near as I could judge, while they were hanging over him. MARY WARD: I saw these people in the street that night - the prisoner were among them; I think it was about half-past one o'clock - I cannot say what the people were doing: I was only looking through the window- there were a great many people there. Cross-examined: Q. Were not the prisoner at some distance from the gentleman? A.There might be seven or eight people standing, and they were among them. JOSEPH ALLEN: I live in Wentworth-street - I saw the people in Rose-lane, standing round a gentleman, who was rather intoxicated; I saw one lift up his arm - I do not know who it was, as it was dark; I did not see them take any thing - I saw one man with a brown guard-chain in his hand; it was just like the one produced - the gentleman had no bat on; he was asleep on the step of a door when I saw him - five or six were round him; he appeared to be asleep, because his hands were on his face, and his elbows on his knees; he made no noise, nor resistance - he appeared to be asleep - I was coming home, and met Reynolds; he and I went up, and saw this. Cross-examined: Q. Did any body come up after you? A. No; I have known Field some years - I saw him come up backwards and forwards two or three times; I did not see him take any thing from the man, but we kept at a distance from them - I did not rouse the man, as there were five or six; they might have struck me, or something. COURT: Q.Your only reason for saying he was asleep is because he sat with his hands on his face? A. Yes; I saw the female prisoner there. THOMAS REYNOLDS: I am a butcher, and was with Allen - I know the prisoners well by sight; I saw them both there - there were four more men, but I saw no other woman; I did not see the transaction till I saw the prosecutor sitting on a step - he had no hat on; he was rather in liquor, I think, and asleep - these people were round him; I saw one of them take the guard off his neck while he sat in that state - he did not resist; he appeared fast asleep - I do not know who took it; the prisoners might be a yard or a yard and a half from the man who took it. Cross-examined: Q. He made no sign that he knew they were taking the guard? No - they lifted his head back, and took the guard off, but he never spoke; he was between asleep and awake - Allen and I were about the same distance as the prisoners, but they were there before us; I cannot say whether Field took the guard off or not- I gave no alarm; I wanted to get home. HENRY KENNY: On the night in question I was in Fashion-street, near Rose-lane; I heard a person cry Robbery! and Murder! I ran into Rose-lane, and saw the prosecutor standing up, with a parcel of women holding his hands; there were four or five women, I suppose - they were encouraging each other to take something out of his pocket; there was no man there that I particularly noticed at that moment, but there might have been; I do not know whether Meeking was there: when I got there I picked up a hat, and put it on the gentleman's head; it was laying in the kennel - I turned round, and saw a person very much like Field with a black pocket-book in his hand; he opened it, shook it, and said, "My friends, there arn't a bl-y mag in it;" he and another man enticed the prosecutor up to the top of Fashion-street, and asked him for something to drink; they brought him up to the door of a private house, and said, "This is a public-house, let us have something to drink;" the prosecutor put his hands into his pockets, and gave them three or four halfpence; I think it was the prisoner took them - they both said, "Good night, my friend;" I did not see them do any thing to his pockets. Cross-examined: Q. Are you sure it was to two men he gave the halfpence? A. There were two men together - I was not at the Queen's Head; I swear I never said Field was not the man - he is as much like the man as I ever saw: I never said the prosecutor offered me 5l. to swear to Field - I said if I could swear to him the inspector would make it as good as 5l. to me; the inspector of the Police told me so. CHARLES VANDERSTEIN: I know the prisoner Field - he came to me about a fornight ago last Saturday, and asked if I could change a 10l. note; I looked at it - it was very much rumpled: it was a Bank note, and the lefthand corner was torn off; I did not change it, thinking it ... was not a good note; I returned it to him - I did not see the other part of it; this was after the 14th of August - I keep a public-house. CHARLOTTE MOLLER: I live at the Black Swan, Rose-lane, which my father keeps. I saw Meeking in our taproom last Sunday three weeks - she had a chain, and asked if I would have it; I said Yes, and she gave it to me - I took it up stairs, and afterwards gave it to Attfield. WILLIAM ATTFIELD: I received this chain from Moller. DUNCAN GOLLAN: This is the guard I had on my neck - I was not on the steps till they forced me down against the wall - I was leaning backwards, not standing straight- the chain was taken from me after the pocket-book- I was kept at that time with my head back against the door; my hat was taken off before. Cross-examined: Q. Do you swear that just previous to the chain being taken, you had not your elbows on your knees, and your hands on your face? A. No, I had not. Meeking's Defence: I got up on Sunday morning between four and five o'clock, and picked up this chain at the corner of Catherine Wheel-alley, all over dirt - I did not think it of any value, and in the afternoon I asked the witness if she would have it, and I tore it off my neck. FIELD - GUILTY. Aged 31. MEEKING - GUILTY. Aged 31. Of stealing from the person only. - Transported for Life." (see https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/)