Elizabeth Harriet Guy

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Robin Sharkey on 13th September 2021

__________________________ 1828 PETITION to the HOME OFFICE "Elizabeth Emma Guy" wrote a petition after her conviction. She set out reasons she believed gave her grounds for clemency. The UK Archives HO summary description of the petition states: "1 individual petition (the prisoner) on behalf of Elizabeth Emma Guy, housewife, convicted at the Old Bailey in April 1828 of larceny (stealing 2 draperies). "Grounds for clemency: the desertion of her husband resulted in her need to steal in order to avoid starvation; her petition seeks the conversion of her sentence to imprisonment in England so she could re-establish relations with her family. "Gaoler's report: a loose woman. Initial sentence: 7 years' transportation. "Annotated: Nil. On board a transport on the point of sailing to New South Wales. FN11" The gaoler's report effectively killed her petition. And the petition was dated June 1828, but "Competitor" convict vessel sailed on 9 June 1828, so it was also all too late. Either the same petition, or another by supporters, claimed Elizabeth Guy was of previously unblemished character, and that she "used to move in circles of the utmost respectability in Derbyshire". [HO/17/40/2/Fn11] referred to in Palk, Deidre "Gender Crime & Judicial Discretion 1780-1830" at p.141

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Tony Beale on 5th November 2020

New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 Bound Indentures Married protestant who could read and write. From Portsmouth. 5' 1 1/2" dark ruddy complexion dark brown hair and eyes. Assigned to C G Bowerman The Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842) View title info Mon 9 May 1831 Page 3 Police Incidents. Friday, May 6.—Elizabeth Hannah Guy, a showy dame, assigned to Mrs. Bunker, was charged with intermarrying without the consent of the Government to her Sydney husband, her London one being yet alive. It appeared pretty clear that she had not obtained the consent of the Governor, as the indents which are always referred to in such cases, contained her statement, that she was a married woman at the time of her arriving in this Colony. The Bench remanded her to ascertain that fact The Sydney Herald (NSW : 1831 - 1842) View title info Mon 16 May 1831 Page 3 Police Incidents. Mrs. Elizabeth Hannah Guy, who was brought up on a former occasion, under suspicion of having been married surreptitiously, was handed over to her lord and master, it appearing she had been legally espoused.

116

Tony Beale on 5th November 2020

Old Bailey online 930. ELIZABETH HARRIET GUY was indicted for stealing, on the 28th of March , 2 dresses, value 3l. , the goods of Agnes Susan Jobling . AGNES SUSAN JOBLING. I am single , and live in Tabernacle-walk . I am a dress-maker ; I rent the house - the prisoner had a back room on my second floor; she came on the Tuesday before the 28th of March - these two dresses were in my front parlour, hanging on nails for show; I saw them safe at half-past seven o'clock in the evening, of the 28th of March. I then went out, leaving the prisoner in the kitchen; my mother, and a person named Ferguson, were at home - I returned a little before twelve o'clock, and found the door open, and the watchman in the passage; the two dresses were then gone - the prisoner was in the passage, and appeared surprised at the door being open, as well as my mother; the watchman had found it open - the next evening I saw one of the dresses in my parlour, on the table, and I went and took the prisoner in Waterloo-road. Cross-examined by MR. BARRY. Q. Does your mother keep the house? A. No, I do; the dresses were mine. FRANCES JOBLING . I am the prosecutrix's mother. On the evening of the 28th of March she went out; the prisoner and I were in the kitchen; after supper the prisoner read the newspaper, and then we both fell asleep - I awoke a little before eleven o'clock, and missed the prisoner - Ferguson had gone out a little after ten o'clock, and I had fastened the door after her; when I missed the prisoner I got up, and saw her coming in at the yard door- I said, "I thought you were gone to bed;" she said,"No, I should not have gone to bed, and left you, till your daughter came home;" we then sat down, and I heard a great noise; I said, "What is that?" I took the candle, went up, and found the watchman in the passage, who said the door was open; I said I was sure I had fastened it, and I begged him to go with us and see if any person was in the house, but there was no one; I never thought of my daughter's dresses till she came home; she said, "I am afraid the work is not safe" - we went, and saw that the work which we had been about was safe; and we went into the kitchen again - she then thought of the dresses; we went and looked, and they were gone; the prisoner said,"I am very much frightened, and cannot sleep by myself"- I said, "My daughter will sleep with you." The next morning another lodger said it was very strange; the prisoner said it was so, but they would never do the person good whoever had taken them; the other lodger then would have an officer sent for, to search her room, as she was going out, and she might be suspected; we sent for the officer who came and searched her room, but nothing was found; the prisoner was at that time dressing, and my daughter, from motives of delicacy, would not let the officer go into her apartment, but she went and looked herself, and there was nothing there; after tea the prisoner went up stairs, and Mrs. Bristow (the other lodger) said, "I have had no peace since this happened;" I said, "I can't help it - I know nothing about them;" Ferguson then went into See originalClick to see original the yard, and found a tippet belonging to one of the dresses which she brought in; the prisoner was there at that time, and I said to her, "Had you not better write to your brother, as there is an officer sent for to search the house; she said she would write to him, and she took a candle and went up stairs; I then went into the yard, and saw all the air was in a cloud of feathers, and in a tree in a neighbour's garden I saw something suspended - I went and called Mrs. Bristow, and said, "Your eyes are better than mine, come and see what this is;" she came and said, "It is like one of your daughter's dresses;" I said, "How shall we get it down;" we went to the neighbour's, (Mr. Mackinnins) - he got his steps, and got it down, but he said he would not give it to us, but to an officer; I then went into the kitchen, and the prisoner came and said, "I have taken the dresses, but pray forgive me;" I said, "I am afraid it is out of my power - the officer is coming;" I said, "Where is the other dress?" she said, "On the drawers in my room;" I said to Mrs. Bristow, "Go and see if it is there" - she went and found it there, all covered with feathers, and the bed was cut open, as if they had been put in there. Cross-examined. Q. Who was present when she made this statement the first time? A. No one but me, but she said so again before Mrs. Bristow; Ferguson went out at ten o'clock at night. The prisoner desired some person might sleep with her, and my daughter did sleep with her. HARRIET BRISTOW . I have a room on the same floor with the prisoner - I went to bed at ten o'clock on the night in question; I afterwards heard a noise, and called to know what it was; I heard that the door had been open- I went to bed again, and heard a voice again; I got out of bed, and called to know what was the matter - the prosecutrix said she had lost her two dresses, and went to bed again; next day I went down, and told Mrs. Jobling I was uneasy, and begged her to send for an officer, as I was going out, which she did, and the officer came and searched - before he came I sent down for some boiling water, and saw the prisoner, 'no' she did not say anything; the officer then came and searched, but found nothing - the prisoner was then in her own room, dressing, and Miss Jobling went and searched there. In the evening Mrs. Jobling called me to see what was on the tree; I went into the kitchen - the prisoner was there; she fell on her knees, and said, "I did do it - I hope you will forgive me;" I said, "I have nothing to do with it. but I am glad God Almighty has given you grace to acknowledge it." Cross-examined. Q. Did you go down on the night of the robbery? A. No - I thought it rather curious that a robbery should be complained of, because Mrs. Jobling said she had locked the door, and put the chain up. SAMUEL BRIDGES . I am an officer. I was sent for to Mrs. Jobling's; I went and found this dress at Mr. Mackinnin's - he gave it me. JOHN MACKINNIN . I am a linen-draper, and live next door to the prosecutrix. I found this dress hanging on a tree in my yard - I gave it to the officer. JAMES BROWN . I am an officer. I went to the house on the evening of the 29th of March; I saw the prisoner in the passage - I asked who was the person suspected, and the prisoner made her escape; I searched her room, and found the bed had been cut open; I found a card in her room, by which I traced her to the Waterloo-road; I found her there, and said to her, "Your name is Guy - I dare say you know what I want with you;" she said, "I do;" I asked her what could possess her to do such a thing, as she seemed respectable; she said, "I can't tell you, Sir - I have done wrong, I know." GUILTY . Aged 23. Transported for Seven Years .