William Horne

341

Maureen Withey on 12th April 2026

NSW Convict Index. William Horne, per Royal Admiral, 1830, Ticket of Leave, No 39/31. District, Goulburn; Tried London GD. William Horne, per Royal Admiral, 1830, Conditional Pardon, 16 Jam 1847, No 47/039.

341

Maureen Withey on 12th April 2026

Tried at the Old Bailey, 15 April 1830. 1017. WILLIAM HORNE was indicted for breaking and entering the warehouse of Charles Hancock , on the 22nd of February and stealing, 713lbs. of tea, value 300l., his property . CHARLES HANCOCK . I am a tea-dealer , and live in Leadenhall-street. On Monday morning, the 22nd of February, I came to town from my country house, about ten o'clock in the morning, and heard that my warehouse had been broken open and robbed - it is in the parish of St. Catharine, Creechurch ; and is not a part of my dwelling-house -I went there and missed the tea stated, which had been kept in large cans; the cost price of it was 293l. 17s. 10d. and the weight 797lbs.: I saw the cans were empty - but the thieves brought their own bags; there was some tea in bags of mine in the warehouse - but they had not been removed. EDWARD DAVIES . I am warehouseman to the prosesecutor; no persons sleeps there. On the Saturday evening I had been at the warehouse at six o'clock -I locked it up; I am sure it was secure - the outer door had a lock and a padlock; I went there at eight o'clock on Monday morning, and found the lock of the outer door had been broken, and the hasp of the padlock had been wrenched, so that any one could get in - I did not observe any other mark of violence on the door: I went up three or four steps, and there was another door which had been broken open, and then a third door, which gave access to the tea - I missed some, but I cannot say how much; there were twelve, and ten of them had been emptied - they held 90lbs. or 100lbs. in each; a great quantity was spilled about - I crossed the yard to Mr. Brandon's cellar; it goes by the name of Brandon's warehouse - we occupy one wing and Mr. Brandon the other; when I went to Mr. Brandon's cellar it was about half-past eight o'clock - I found in the cellar three bags, with tea in them, to the weight of 232lbs., and a little further on was the window or door-place, from which the egress was made: there is an opening into Creechurch-lane, but the principal entrance is from Leadenball-street - I compared what I found in the cellar with that scattered about; it appeared to be the same- I saw the bags of tea the same day, about nine or ten o'clock, in possession of the officer; there were seven bags, and 80lbs. or 90lbs. in each - the prisoner was then in custody. ABRAHAM MOSES . I am a fishmonger, and live in Creechurch-lane, almost opposite the warehouses. I came down about half-past six o'clock that morning, and saw a cart loading at the warehouse-wall; the prisoner and another man were putting bags into the cart, but I only saw two come out of the middle warehouse window, even with the street - I never saw any thing brought out that way before - I did not notice how many bags were in the cart, but there must have been five besides the two I saw put in, as when it was stopped, there were seven in it; two more young men came out of the cellar window, and went away with the other person who was with the prisoner - the prisoner went on in the cart, but was taken before he got to the London Tavern; he went along Leadenhall-street, and I gave information - he appeared to be the driver; the other three men got away, and the prisoner got into the cart and rode off - he had assisted in putting the two bags into the cart. Cross-examined. Q. How far were you from the men? A. Not above twenty yards, at my own door; the door was open, and the prisoner was carman - I did not hear the others give the prisoner any directions; they spoke together about two minutes. WILLIAM PLAISTOW . I am an officer of Aldgateward. I received the information when the cart had just got beyond St. Mary-axe - I pursued and came up with it; the prisoner only was with it - I stopped the horse; the prisoner was taken by my brother officer - he had no opportunity of leaving the cart; he said he was hired by two or three men to go and load in Creechurch-lane - he did not say who the men were, but he was to meet them by Bishopsgate-church; he did not know where the things were to go to - there were seven bags of tea in it, which weighed 499.lbs; I know the warehouse perfectly well - he was not going the nearest way to Bishopsgate-church; he said he was hired, and was told to come the back way to the warehouse - it was a small chaise cart. Cross-examined. Q. Did you say a word before the Magistrate about the back way? A. No; I was not asked what he said - he did not immediately say he was hired; it might be five minutes - it was at the watch-house he said so; he was not asked on the spot in my presence - we passed Creechurch-lane; he did not point out the spot to me - he said he was hired to take a load from a warehouse in Creechurch lane. WILLIAM ARTHUR . I apprehended the prisoner in Bishopsgate-street, near the London-tavern; I do not know that that would have been a round-about way to go to Bishopsgate-church, because there is no way of turning the cart in Creechurch-lane; I asked what he had got in the cart - he said he did not know; I saw the name of William Horne , No. 5, Hall's-place, John's-row, St. Luke's, No. 166,780, on the cart - I asked him this question before I took him to the watch-house; Plaistow was at the horse's head, but I cannot say whether he heard it - we were nearly out of breath at the time: we took the cart to the watch-house, and found seven bags of tea in it - he said three men were to meet him at Bishopsgate-church, but he had never seen them before; he owned the horse and cart were his. Cross-examined. Q. Was it at the watch-house, or before you got there that you asked him this? A. As soon as I took him - I did not ask him again at the watch-house; the other officer went out several times, but I staid there all the time he was at the horse's head. and I took the prisoner some yards from the cart - we did not go back to the watch-house together; he never said at the watch-house that three men had hired him, and told him to go to Bishopsgate-church - he told me so when I stopped him; I think he pointed down Creechurch-lane - as we were going down Leadenhall-street. he did not mention the name of the lane; the other officer was leading the horse - I did not go to Bishopsgate-church. COURT. Q. How long was the prisoner at the watch-house? A. About half an hour before he was taken to the Magistrate; I did not hear any one enquire about the tea. COURT to WILLIAM PLAISTOW . Q. Did you hear of any one enquiring after this tea? A. No. except an Excise-officer, who came within a quarter of an hour. - I am an Excise-officer. I saw the bags of tea; in consequence of what we heard, it was permitted to be returned into stock - the whole weighed 484 lbs.; the bags weighed 14lbs. Prisoner's Defence. I was hired on Sunday evening at the Three Jolly Weavers, in John's-row, St. Luke's, between seven and eight o'clock. GEORGE PARGITER . I live at No. 7, Garden-row, Brick-lane, Old-street, and am a chair-maker. The prisoner is a carman, and removes goods; I have seen his cart- it has his name and address on it. On Sunday evening, the 21st of February, I was at the Jolly Weavers, in John's-row, St. Luke's, and saw the prisoner there; I was drinking a pint of beer with a friend, named William, and smoking a pipe - it was between seven and eight o'clock; a man came and asked if a person named Horne was there - the prisoner said, "My name is Horne;" he was a genteel dressed man, and said, "I understand you remove goods?" Horne replied, "I do;" he asked if his cart was engaged for the morning - Horne replied No: I heard no more. COURT. Q. Where was Horne at that time, in the same box with you? A. No; he was not in our company at all- I have known him about eighteen months to the best of my knowledge; only one person made this enquiry - I dare say I should know the person again, but I had not seen him before nor since; I was not in Court when the prisoner made his defence. JOHN WILLIAMS . I am a watchmaker, in business for myself, and live in John's-row; I have known the prisoner twelve or thirteen years, living in the neighbourhood - I was at the public-house on that Sunday evening with Pargiter; no one else was in our company - I remember Horne being there; Pargiter had had a pipe, and I was smoking - a man came in and asked for the name of Horne; the prisoner said, "My name is Horne," and he asked if his horse and cart were disengaged for the morning - he said they were; he was a young man of respectable appearance. COURT. Q. Did you hear any thing more? A. No, nor any particulars of where the things were to be taken from, or to; I did not go before the Magistrate - I said I would come if it was requested, and they said they did not think it would be necessary; I said so to his wife and family. JOHN McQUISE . The prisoner lived at my house at the time this happened, and was there at six o'clock in the morning, on the day he was taken up; he keeps a horse and cart - I heard a man calling for him, but I did not see him; I did not hear the knock at the door - I heard the prisoner come down; he kept his horse and cart in my yard, and I heard it go out through the passage. JURY to MR. HANCOCK. Q. Was it a glazed window? A. No, two doors, which open outwards, and are secured inside. GUILTY . Aged 29. - Transported for Life . Hulk Records, HO-9-9_4 page 46/54. Portsmouth, Hardy Hulk Received from Newgate, 7 May 1830. Wm. Horne, age 29, brkg & entg. warehouse, Tried Newgate, 15 April 1830, Life, To NSW 25 June 1830.