Samuel Green

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Maureen Withey on 26th November 2021

Edward Green, Thomas Lincoln and James Morris were hanged for burglary at Reading on 4 Aug 1832.

342

Maureen Withey on 26th November 2021

Berkshire Assizes. Edward Green, aged 20, Samuel Green, 23, Thomas Lincoln alias White, 26, and James Morris, 21, were charged with having the night of the 5 of June feloniously and burglariously broken into and entered the dwelling-house of Jane Robson, in the parish of Cookham, and stolen and carried away divers articles of plate and money, her property, of the value of and upwards. All the prisoners are fine young men, with the exception of Morris, who has quite a boyish appearance, and does not seem to be more than 16 years of age. Mr. Justice conducted the prosecution. The prisoners bad no counsel. The first witness examined was a girl, who deposed to having seen the prisoners together on the night of the robbery.— Wm. Barfour was then called. He stated that he was a blacksmith, residing near Maidenhead and little previous to the robbery the prisoner Lincoln came to his forge, and got him to make an instrument such the one now produced, which he believes is the same he made for the prisoner. By the Court.—Did not know the purpose for which prisoner wanted the iron instrument. He asked him, and prisoner said that be dealt in the thimble rig. Never made or saw instrument before; believes the thimble rig to be a species of gambling. Mrs. Jane Robson, a very venerable old lady, examined by Mr Justice.-- I am a widow. live Pinkney's-green, in tbe parish of Cookham, two miles from Maidenhead. My daughter lives with me. She sleeps in the same room with me. I keep two servants. I recollect, on Tuesday, the 5th of June, as I was going to bed, I heard a noise, looked through the window. My daughter was in bed, fast asleep. Just as I was getting into bed I heard a noise on stairs approaching my room; at the same time I observed a light under the sill of the door. I immediately said, Who is there! A voice answered have come for your money or your life, and I was asked to open the door. I said I would not. The door was immediately burst open, and three men entered. One of them had an axe in his hand, which be held over my head, saying, Your money or your life. I immediately called to daughter, and said, Mary Anne, for God's sake get up, there are thieves in the house : open the window and spring the rattle, which she did. One of them immediately caught hold of her by the neck and threw her on the bed, and threatened to strangle her if she would not be silent. then I gave the prisoners all the money I had, 4 sovereigns. they searched my pockets, and took my spectacles, which were in a case, as well as the keys of my drawers. They immediately opened the drawers, , and took out half a-guinea of Geo. III., as well as an Indian coin. There were various pieces, such as crowns, half-crowns, shillings, sixpences ; there were also a dozen of tea-spoons, besides many table-spoons. They also broke open and rifled the trunks. Amongst various articles they contained were two silk bandkerchiefs, which I saw when before the magistrates, and which, heard, were found on the prisoners. They broke in all ten locks. The person who held the axe over head wore a handkerchief over his forehead. (Witness was desired to look round to the dock, which she did, and she identified Edward Green and Lincoln, but was not quite so certain of Samuel Green or Morris.) When they broke into my room I had a rush-light, and they brought a candle. After they rifled they went to that of the maidservant. They desired her to open her box, which she did, They then returned into my room, and said they wanted something to eat. My daughter was sitting on the bed and told them to go down stairs with the servant, and they should have any thing which was in the house. They went down stairs. They remained upwards of two hours in the house. The next morning I missed property to the value of 20L I think I lost seven table-spoons, tea-spoons, besides salt-spoons, and various other articles. Bourton, the constable who took Samuel Green into custody, stated, tbat when he was just entering the gaol he said to him that he forgot to search him. Prisoner resisted : however, he insisted on it. Prisoner broke from him, and saw him thrust red morocco spectacle-case into bundle of straw. Witness immediately pulled out. Prisoner said 'You did not see me put it in. Witness replied, have seen enough. The one now produced is it, and which has been identified by the prosecutrix. then went to the lodging of the prisoner Morris, and from i nformation he received he found in garden under lettuceplant, a sovereign and half tied up in a bit of rag. He subsequently found on the prisoner Samuel Green pocketbook with a sovereign and soma silver it, all of which has been identified as the property of the prosecutrix. Miss Mary Anne Robson, daughter of the last witness, corroborated her mother's testimony, and added that it was the prisoner Lincoln who caught hold of her the neck, and forced her back on the bed. She screamed violently, and he said, All we want is your money, she replied, That you shall have. She saw an iron instrument similar to hat now produced lying on the floor of the room. Her mother M this time was sitting her easy-chair near to the chest of drawers. The prisoner Edward Green asked her for the key ; she gave to him, and showed him where the plate was ; they rifled all the drawers, as well as the pockets of her mother. Green held the candle while Lincoln opened the drawers. The subsequent morning she missed all the property enumerated in the indictment; the silk handkerchiefs now produced she had already identified before the magistrates. After the drawers had been rifled, the prisoner Green asked her for the gold watch ; she said that she had no gold watch. The boxes in the room appeared to he broken open with the iron instrument which lay upon the floor, and when they were leaving the room they said that they could not without it. When asked for something to eat, she told them that they should have any thing which the house afforded, at the same time appealing to the servant whether she ever knew the poor to be sent from her mother s door without food. The prisoners said that they came for money, and not with intention of spilling blood, Hannah Guy, servant to the prosecutrix, corroborated her mistress's testimony, and added that she accompanied the prisoners down stairs; there was nothing the house for them to eat, except some gooseberry-pie, of which they partook, as well as some wine and gin- they then went to a cupboard in the parlour, from which they took, silver table-spoon, and four tea-spoons. She identified the Greens and Lincoln. The prisoners remained nearly an hour in the kitchen. Robert Cannon, neighbour of the prosecutrix, saw the prisoners Green and Lincoln coming from the direction of the prosecutrix's house about o'clock the morning. Barney, constable, deposed to taking deposed to taking Lincoln into custody the morning after the robbery. He found him asleep the Hound and Horn public-house in Maidenhead. searching him. he found half-a-guinea of George III. as well as an Indian coin. After he had been committed to prison, on searching his cell, under some straw he found a silk handkerchief. The one now produced is it, and has been identified as the property of the prosecutrix. ... The case was supported by many other witnesses, and the prisoners were convicted. The five prisoners were then put to the bar,—namely, Edward Green, Samuel Green, Thomas Lincoln, James Morris, and Daniel Piggott. The learned Judge having put on his black cap,... Reading Mercury, 23 July 1832. ------------------------------------------------------ Mr. Baron Gurney has reprieved Daniel Piggott, one of the five persons on whom sentence of death was passed at these Assizes. Bells New Weekly Messenger, 22 July 1832.

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Chris Hughes on 26th November 2021

When Samuel Winsor Green was born on 24 March 1809 in Berry Pomeroy, Devon, his father, Daniel, was 44 and his mother, Sarah, was 40. He had five sons and four daughters with Margaret Kirby between 1843 and 1862. He died on 30 January 1864 in Bendigo, Victoria, at the age of 54, and was buried there.