Robert Fisher

343

Maureen Withey on 19th November 2020

NSW Govt. Gazette, 8 June 1836. Colonial Secretary's Office. Sydney, 7th June, 1836. TICKETS OF LEAVE CANCELLED. THE Tickets of Leave granted to the following Prisoners have been Cancelled for the reasons set against their respective names. Fisher, Robert, Champion, prevarication in giving evidence.

343

Maureen Withey on 15th February 2020

ROBERT FISHER. Theft: stealing from master, Theft: grand larceny. 7th December 1826 Reference Number t18261207-14 Verdicts Guilty; Guilty Sentences Transportation Actions Cite this text | Print-friendly version | Report an error Navigation < Previous> See originalClick to see original 14. ROBERT FISHER was indicted for stealing, on the 25th of November , 112lbs. of canvas wrappers, value 15s.; 4 pamphlets on the silk trade, value 4s.; 1 printed book, value 18d., and 2ozs. of thread-leish, value 9d., the goods of Thomas Davidson , his master . THOMAS DAVIDSON. I am a silk-manufacturer , and live in Star-court, Bread-street . The prisoner was my porter . On the 25th of November two officers called, and I found him in custody, with a quantity of wrappers, weighing 112lbs.; they are worth 15s., and most of them have my mark on them; I had examined the packages, which they had formerly enclosed, and numbered the wrappers; he had no authority to take them; they were kept in the lower warehouse with the silk which they had formerly enclosed; the prisoner slept on the premises; and in a closet behind his bed, of which the officer produced the key, I found four pamphlets on the silk trade, and another book, belonging to my child, and several skeins of thread-leish. The prisoner had possession of that cupboard - he lived four years and a half with me. JAMES TOMKINS . I am a patrol of Cripplegate. - About ten minutes before six o'clock on the evening of the 25th of November, I was in Milk-street, and saw the prisoner come into Robinhood-court; he pitched a load down, which I took up, and Henman secured him; we asked whose property he had got - he said it was his own - Henman took him to Mr. Hayter's, the beadle, in Milk-street; we afterwards went to Mr. Davidson, in Bread-street; we showed him the wrappers, at Hayter's house, and he claimed them. Cross-examined by MR. ANDREWS. Q. He said it was his own? A. Yes at first - I did not hear him give any other account. WILLIAM HENMAN . I am a patrol, and was with Tomkins - I took the prisoner in the court, and asked what he had got - he said, "Some wrappers" - I asked if they belonged to him; he said they did - I asked if they were his perquisites; he said they were - I asked how long he had had them as perquisites; he said about six months - I took him a little way, and said I did not believe his statement, and asked who he lived with - he said, with Messrs. Davidson and Perks, of Star-court - I said I should send for Mr. Davidson, as I thought it was a robbery - he immediately asked what Mr. Davidson would say if he came - I said I could not tell; he then said they were his master's property, and not his - he said he would give me the whole of it, if I would let him go - I refused, and took him into Hayter's - I found a purse containing two sovereigns and 5s. 6d. on him - I went to Mr. Davidson, who saw the wrappers and claimed them. Cross-examined. Q. Are you a City constable? A. I am a ward-officer, and have been ten months in office. See originalClick to see original I thought it my duty to question him - it was not with a view to convict him; but if the property was his own, he had a right to go about his business - he said they were his perquisites at first, but I doubted that, and questioned him to judge whether I was right in detaining him - I did not say that what he said would be given in evidence - he gave no account before the Magistrate, that I heard, but said he deferred it till he came here; no witnesses were offered in my presence - I and Tomkins were close together. MR. DAVIDSON. I have examined the wrappers; they are mine; they are not allowed as perquisites - the prisoner never understood so, for they are always made into bags again - they are my sole property; Mr. Perks has been dead four years. Cross-examined. Q. How long had the prisoner been with you? A. Four years and a half. Wrappers of this description are made into bags, and there is also a common sort, which the people make the bags of; they are all made up into two sorts of bags, new and old - this was all good, and was packed up to be sent to the workhouse next day, to be made into bags, and the prisoner would have to deliver it out. I have two apprentices - they were not examined before the Magistrate - thread-leish is used in making harness - the greater part of this is excellent wrappering, and would all make good bags - I never allowed any thing of the sort as perquisites, nor has it ever been claimed - it has never been considered that damaged wrappers are perquisites. GUILTY . Aged 22. 15. ROBERT FISHER was again indicted for stealing on the 7th of December , 1 crape scarf, value 20s.; 1 shawl, value 10s.; 1 piece of silk handkerchiefs, containing 5, value 20s.; 7 handkerchiefs, value 20s., and 3 leather wrappers, value 7s. , the goods of Thomas Davidson, his master. WILLIAM SPINSLEY . I am warehouseman to Mr. Davidson, and have been so for three years and a half; the prisoner was porter there all that time; he slept in the house, but was not boarded. When the officers gave me information, I went with them to his father's house - they searched three boxes which stood in the fire-place, and found this property; the keys found on the prisoner opened the boxes - in one of them was found a silk damask shawl, worth 10s., which had never been worn - it has no private mark, but corresponds with similar articles in Mr. Davidson's possession; the prisoner was not present - in the same box were three leather wrappers, which came from a silk throwster whose initials were on them - the same person supplies other people, but these wrappers had been missed, and the prisoner was asked several times if he had returned them to the throwster; he said he had - I asked him myself if he had returned them, and he said he had; this was at least six months before - there were seven silk handkerchiefs in the same box, which I believe to be Mr. Davidson's - there is the mark where the ticket had been gummed on them - they were folded in a paper, with the mark of our house; it is in the hand-writing of the manufacturer - a crape scarf was found in another room in a drawer which was not locked. Cross-examined. Q. The constable produced the keys which opened the box? A. Yes, the prisoner was in custody at the time - he did not lodge at his father's. When goods are sold, we seldom take the ticket off; it seldom comes off, unless it has not been sufficiently gummed, and then it would not leave the gum mark which is on these handkerchiefs. WILLIAM HENMAN . I attended this search, and opened three or four boxes with some keys which I found on the prisoner; one box containing the property was opened by one of these keys - he did not know I was going to search his father's house. Cross-examined. Q. Which is the key that opened the box? A. One key opened all the boxes - I cannot say which; I found three of the keys in the prisoner's cupboard at his master's house - I do not conceive them to be common keys. MR. DAVIDSON. The goods produced are such as I have in my possession; I never sold the prisoner or his father any thing of the sort - his father sells wood about the street - these were my property, but may have been sold. GUILTY . Aged 22. Transported for Fourteen Years .

Parents were Thomas and Susannah Fisher. Married Catherine McPhee in Port Maquarie.Lived in Rollands Plains and then was a farmer at Turners Flat.Died 8th April 1880 at Turners Flat NSW.