Robert Guy

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Phil Hands on 26th March 2018

Old Bailey Trial Transcription. Reference Number: t17880910-22 518. ROBERT GUY , JAMES DAWSON , and ROBERT FENVELL , were indicted for feloniously stealing on the 23d of July a Gelding, price 10 l. the property of Thomas Hill . THOMAS HILL sworn. I live at Pinner, in the parish of Harrow; I lost a horse either the 22d or the 23d of July; the horse was put into the field in the evening, and he was missing the next morning; I was twenty miles from home. What sort of a gelding was it? - A brown bay gelding; we call him a bay gelding, but he is rather of a brownish colour, about fourteen hands three inches high, as near as I can tell; three years old at most, bald-faced, and either two white feet behind or one I cannot be certain; he was taken on the Wednesday, and I had him again on the Saturday; I found him at Paddington, in the custody of a man whose name is Kettle; I think it is the White Lion, but he has been sent for by order of the magistrate. JOHN SMITH sworn. I live with Mr. Daniel Hill, a son of the last witness; I turned the horse out the 22d into a field of my master's, about seven in the evening, I missed it the next morning about ten; the road was just by the field. Were the gates fast? - I cannot say; it is just by a school; I shut the gate after I had put the horse in. Are there more gates than one? - I cannot particularly say, because the boarders very often throw it open; I went home and told my mistress; she sent me away after it, and there was another long tailed grey colt got away along with it, and I found the grey colt about three in the afternoon in my master's field; I heard of the gelding on the Wednesday; I was looking about after it; I came home and heard how such a thing was taken in Paddington; I knew the gelding when I saw it. The witnesses were here examined separate, by the prisoner's desire. WILLIAM FENNING sworn. These three young men passed us about half after three in the morning; I work for Mr. Carter, a cow-keeper, three miles from Paddington; there were two on the bay gelding, that was Dawson and Guy; we had been milking, and the three men met us; Mr. Hill's horse took fright; my fellow servant said he wished some Irishmen would come by, and drink out of the pails; one of these young men said, I wish you would give us a drop; and my fellow servant said, if it is not worth coming for, it is not worth having; but they did not turn then, they kept on. It was not light then? - Yes, it was just light. You had never seen them before? - Never, to my knowledge. Can you take upon yourself to swear to these three young men, from that cursory view? - Yes, I can. Did you give information of this? - No. Did you observe the gelding? - It had a long tail; I cannot particularly say it had a white face. Court to prosecutor. Had your gelding a long tail? - Middling; it was what we call a longish swish tail. Is that the tail you mean? - Yes. Prisoner. Did you see us turn these horses up? - No. Did you see us take these horses? - No. WILLIAM BIRCH sworn. I am a milkman; I was with Fenning; we were pitching our milk out of the field into the road, and these men came by us; and whether my fellow servant asked them to have any milk, or they asked him, I cannot say; there were two men on the first horse, that was Dawson and Guy; it was a bay gelding with a long tail; I cannot tell the face, it was rather before it was light; the other prisoner was on a black horse; I had a son as big as myself; I said, they are thieves; how do you know that, said my son; let them alone, and let them go about their business. How do you undertake to swear to their faces, if you could not see the bald faced horse? - I was nigh the man, and could see the colour of the horse. You said it was not light enough for you to see the colour of the horse's face? - I did not take notice of it; the horse was found at Mr. Kettle's. WILLIAM BUDGE sworn. In the morning, just before four, I was alarmed by my dog; I looked forward, and saw two of the prisoners leading away an ass belonging to a servant of mine; it was the prisoners Fenvell and Dawson; they told me it belonged to them; I told them I would let them know that; they immediately slipt the halter, and turned it loose; I dressed myself and followed them. Had they any horses with them at that time? - They had not; they had turned the horses loose on the green opposite to my house. What horses were they? - A bay horse and a black one; I followed them immediately down the green; then they were got into Black Lion Lane, and I called watchman to come along with me; I said I believed they were thieves; I took hold of Fenvell and said, you villain, you was going to steal the ass; he said he was not; says I, I believe you to be three thieves, I will see what you have got; immediately I pulled a horse-cloth from him, and it fell on the ground with some poultry in it, I believe six or seven fowls, and a shoulder of mutton, and they were taken; the horses were on the green facing my house; I never saw them with the horses. THOMAS WALTON sworn. They brought these three men to me, and I put them in the round-house; and I went to the common, and put the two horses in Paddington pound; Mr. Hill came and swore to his horse at the justice's door. Court to Birch. Do you know the horse that Hill came and swore to; was that one of the horses that was on the green? - Yes it was. Prisoner Dawson. We know nothing of the horses, nor never saw them. ALL THREE GUILTY , Death . Tried by the first Middlesex jury before Mr. BARON HOTHAM .

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Phil Hands on 26th March 2018

Tried and convicted at the Old Bailey on 10th September 1788 for horse theft, sentenced to death, this was later commuted to transportation for life. Left England on 19th January 1790. Ship:- the 'Scarborough' sailed with 259 male convicts on board of which 73 died during the voyage. Arrived on 28th June 1790. Robert lived with Maria Nash (nee Haynes) for abt 1802. Maria, who had left her soldier husband William, remained with Robert until his death at Castlereagh in December 1820 age 48. In December 1803 Robert had received a gift of 30 acres of land at the Nepean River Castlereagh from fellow Second Fleet convict John Harris. Robert and Maria settled there with her youngest children, and successfully cleared and farmed the land. Maria remained at the farm until her death also at Castlereagh on 13th November 1844 age 73. In 1819 Robert Guy signed a will bequeathing the Castlereagh farm to Maria and, after her death, to her grandson Robert Williams. The property remained in the latter's possession until 1863 although he had left the farm by the mid-1840's.