Mary Fitzgerald

343

Maureen Withey on 17th February 2021

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 17 February 2021), July 1814, trial of JEMIMA BOWERS MARY FITZGERALD (t18140706-61). JEMIMA BOWERS, MARY FITZGERALD, Theft > shoplifting, 6th July 1814. 622. JEMIMA BOWERS and MARY FITZGERALD were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 5th of June , eighteen yards of ribbon, value 17 s. the property of Henry Stubbs , privately in his shop . SARAH STUBBS . I am the wife of Henry Stubbs ; he is a haberdasher ; he lives at 51, Holborn; I cannot say the name of the parish. On the 5th of June, some time before five o'clock, the two prisoners came in together; I was in the shop when Bowers asked for ribbons; I shewed them some. Bowers took off Fitzgerald's bonnet, said she wanted ribbon to trim it; she put the bonnet on the drawer, in which the ribbons were, and with her hand that was under the bonnet, she took a piece of ribbon. I did not see the colour of the ribbon, but by the motion of her hand, I perceived that she had taken a piece of ribbon. Q. Did you perceive that - A. I did. I perceived that by her motion of her arm, that she took a piece of ribbon from the drawer; this was Bowers, and by some management or other, she got the ribbon out of the drawer, and put it down by her side. When I detected her, Bowers had got the ribbon into Fitzgerald's hands; by what manner I cannot say; her hands were under the counter. Q. Did you give any alarm before any thing was said about missing any ribbon - A. Fitzgerald said, she had paid me for what ribbon they had; I said, no. She said, very likely it had fallen down; I told her, I looked for the money on the counter. I told them if the money had fallen down, it had fallen on their side of the counter. I pushed Bowers away from the counter very easily, but when I came to push Fitzgerald, she would not move. I at last with great force, pushed her away; I was leaning over the counter; then she caught the ribbon in her hand. Q. Are you sure just before that, that piece of ribbon was not on the ground - A. Yes, I am; I am certain it had been in the drawer. I leaned over, and saw her catch the ribbon; I saw the ribbon then, and its colour. Then I went round the counter; I took hold of Fitzgerald's arm, and told her she had got a piece of ribbon; she then put it on the counter. Q. Now, at the time you saw Bowers take Fitzgerald's bonnet off and put it on the drawer, and you saw her take a piece of ribbon out, from that time until this time, how long might it be - A. It might be a minute and a half, not more. Q. When she put it on the counter, did you look at it and see what it was - A. Yes; it is here; the officer has it. This is the piece of ribbon; there is eighteen yards of it; it is of the value of seventeen shillings; there is my shop mark upon it. I sent for an officer. Jemima Bowers went away in the mean time. One only of them was taken in custody at that time; Fitzgerald stopped; Bowers did not. Q. How came you to let her go away - A. I had only a boy and a young man in the shop, they did not know any thing of the business; there was nobody but me to manage the business. It was not with my consent that she went away; she went away because I could not stop her. Bowers. Q. Are you sure I am the person - A. I am; you were in my shop three minutes. I had seen you before. I had seen you in my shop twice before that, and suspected you. JOHN LIMBRICK . I apprehended both the prisoners. Bowers's Defence. I went to Hatton Garden office; at the same time, Mary Fitzgerald was there; I never saw the ribbon, nor do I know any thing of the young woman. BOWERS, GUILTY, aged 20, FITZGERALD, GUILTY, aged 20, Of stealing, but not privately . Transported for Seven Years . Second Middlesex jury, before Mr. Justice Bailey. -------------------------------------------------- Tasmanian Records https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-1$init=CON13-1-1p51 List of 16 female convicts discharged from the Public Factory at Parramatta and to be forwarded to the Derwent, on board His Majesty’s Armed brig Emu, Lieutenant Forster R. N. Commander. January 27th 1816. Mary Fitzgerald, per Northampton, Tried O.B. London, July 1814, 7 years.