Sarah Fletcher

7

Kaye McKeown on 6th February 2022

Married Thomas White, Hobart, 1822.

343

Maureen Withey on 6th January 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 06 January 2020), July 1821, trial of SARAH FLETCHER , alias MARY PAYNE (t18210718-2). SARAH FLETCHER, Theft > theft from a specified place, 18th July 1821. 909. SARAH FLETCHER , alias MARY PAYNE , was indicted for stealing, on the 27th of May , at St. Mary, Islington , in the dwelling-house of James Capling , two pocket-books, value 1 s.; eighteen sovereigns; one 7 s. pieces; one 50 l., two 10 l. eight 5 l., and forty-two 1 l. Bank notes, his property . MARY CAPLING . I am the wife of James Capling , who keeps the Cock, public-house, at Holloway , in the parish of St. Mary, Islington. On Sunday, the 27th of May, about half-past five o'clock in the morning, I examined a box which was in my bed-room, there were 100 l. in Bank of England notes, among which was one of 50 l., also eighteen sovereigns, a 7 s. piece, and some wearing apparel, and at half-past five o'clock on the Monday morning. I found the box had been broken open, and they were all gone; the prisoner had lived with me for about a month, and did so at this time. As soon as my husband came home I told him - The prisoner had been taken up about a disturbance; she was brought home, and my husband gave her in charge for this robbery, suspecting her; she was searched, in my presence, by Read, and accused a young man, a gentleman's servant, with it; he was taken up, but discharged. She said if any body knew where the money was, he did. I have found none of the property. MARY ANN SMITH . On the 27th of May, I lived at the Cock, and remember the money being missed; I saw the prisoner in her mistress's room between three and four o'clock on the Sunday afternoon (she was servant to Mrs. Hobson, who was there for her health); I went in, she had the box lid open, and directly as I went in she shut it down, turned her back to it, and then picked up a basket, and put it on the top of the box; I asked her what she was looking for - she said for her white apron; I asked her what she had on her arm. (she had an apron there.) She said that was one, and she was looking for the other, to lend to me, as I had greased mine; I said the one she had on would do for me - she said she did not like to see girls without white aprons on of a Sunday afternoon. She went up stairs about ten minutes before I did. I came down again, and she came down after me, almost directly, and went into the bar. I afterwards went up stairs with her to clean herself. She said nothing to me. EDWARD READ . I am an officer of Hatton-garden, and took charge of the prisoner. When we were at the office I asked her if she knew where the money was; she said she did not know any thing about it, but that a young man, a cousin of her's, who had visited her that afternoon, about four o'clock, asked her if she knew where her mistress's money was, and she told him; that he went up stairs into her mistress's room, with a crow-bar, which he brought with him, opened the box, and took the money out. I think she said it was between four and five o'clock - she said the man's name was William Coulson ; he was in custody at the time, and denied it. MRS. CAPLING re-examined. Coulson came to my house about half-past two o'clock that afternoon, and asked to speak to her - he called her cousin - he sat in the parlour, had a pint of ale, and remained there till she came down stairs. I do not believe that he was up stairs - they were in the kitchen together. He lives in Cheapside. MARY ANN SMITH re-examined. I did not see the young man in the house at all - he was not in the room while I was there. EDWARD READ re-examined. I was present at the examination, and saw her put her mark to this paper after it was read over to her. Nothing was said to induce her to make the statement. The young man was examined, and discharged, in about a fortnight, as nothing could be traced to him - (read) - The prisoner voluntarily says, Edward Coulson , my cousin, came to me on Sunday afternoon, a fortnight ago, last Sunday, he came into the kitchen, and said he had been asking my master if he might speak to me, he asked me about the money, and where it was - I told him up stairs in the box, and between seven and eight o'clock in the evening he went up with me, and broke it open himself, with an iron instrument, which he had in his pocket; I left him in the room - he came down to me in the kitchen and there told out eighteen sovereigns, and three 1 l. notes, in a black pocket-book, which he gave me, and took the rest himself. her SARAH X FLETCHER , mark. Prisoner's Defence. I do not think my mistress ever lost any thing, she is a very suspicious woman; she once said she had lost her husband's shirt, and I saw her take it out of the drawers herself. GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 23. First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Burrough. https://www.femaleconvicts.org.au/docs/ships/SurgeonsJournal_MaryAnn_1822.pdf SURGEON’S JOURNAL OF HIS MAJESTY’S FEMALE CONVICT SHIP MARY ANN 1822 MR JAMES HALL(2) SURGEON SUPERINTENDENT BETWEEN 27th OCTOBER 1821 and 23rd MAY 1822 108 convicts departed Portsmouth England on 25 December 1821 via Rio De Janeiro & arriving at Hobart Town VDL on 2nd May 1822 (45 women disembarked) and arriving at Port Jackson, New South Wales on 20th May 1822 (62 women disembarked) (1 woman died at sea) ADM 101/52/1 14 December 1821. Sarah Fletcher, age 23 " A robust country woman, complains of symptoms of pleuritis." Sarah was seen by the doctor almost every day with a variety of complaints and her health seemed fragile. At the end of his report on the journey Dr Hall wrote: The next serious case in the Journal is one of Pleuritis which had nothing worthy of notice in itself, but it induced a train of nervous symptoms, which the patient (Sarah Fletcher) artfully employed, and made subservient, to her lustful and wicked designs. I would not here mention one of her arts, did I not hope that the perusal of it may put such of my brother officers as may be placed in charge of female convicts on their guard, and thereby prevent an imposition being practised on them, and defeat an artful attempt on their professional and moral character:- this young woman was able at any time to excite various symptoms of Hysteria, and greatly accelerate the pulse; and oftentimes she feigned a retention of urine, with all the attendant symptoms, in order, especially in the middle of the night, that I might be urged to introduce the Catheter! Sarah Fletcher was landed from the Mary Ann in Hobart Town. Tasmanian Record: Marriage Permission: 56. Sarah Fletcher, ship Mary Ann, and James Cowell, Free, permission approved and memo sent to Rev. Mr Bedford, 9 Dec 1829.