Richard Housegoe

135

C H on 25th February 2024

Old Bailey Online RICHARD HOUSEGOE. Theft; grand larceny (to 1827). 19th February 1800 Text type Trial account Defendants RICHARD HOUSEGOE Offences Theft > Grand larceny Session Date 19th February 1800 Reference Number t18000219-72 Verdicts Guilty Punishments Transportation 230. RICHARD HOUSEGOE was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 9th of January , four silver tea-spoons, value 6s. a great coat, value 7s. 6d. and a pair of shoes, value 3s. the property of Edward Sykes . EDWARD SYKES sworn. - I live in Castle-street, Holborn : On the 18th of December last, the prisoner at the bar applied to me for a situation; I asked him where he had lived, he informed me he had lived with Dr. Rowley, at Malling, near Maidstone, for two years, that he left his service on account of his going abroad; I asked him if he had any person who could give him a character, he informed me there was a Mr. Rowley, who was a relation of Dr. Rowley's, who lived in the house during the time he was in his service, and if he would write to him, he would give him a character; I accordingly wrote, and I received an answer; I have a copy of the letter I wrote, but not the answer; I put the answer into a card-rack in the parlour, and in about two or three days I missed it; I made every reasonable search after it, and desired my family would also do so, but no account could be given of it; I then immediately suspected the prisoner had taken it; if it was here, I could not prove the hand-writing, nor is Mr. Rowley here. Court. I must tell the Jury to put the letter intirely out of the question. Sykes. That made us suspect him, and then I desired he might be asked where he had lived in town, and I found he had lived with Mr. Foss, in Essex-street, and upon enquiry there, I found he had lived there about six weeks; I discharged him, and after that, a washer-woman brought a duplicate, which she said she found in the pocket of his great coat; after which we found one of my great-coats missing; in consequence of which, he, not having taken the things away, which the washer-woman had to wash for him, I desired, if he came, that he might be stopped, and that I might be sent for; he accordingly came about the 21st of January, and I was sent for; I asked him how he could think of being guilty of stealing so soon after he came, for the duplicate was dated the 1st of January, and he only came on the 24th of December; he said, he had done it for want, and that he intended to get it out again; soon after this, the constables came, and I gave charge of him; they searched his pockets, and found upon him, four tea-spoons, and a duplicate of a pair of shoes; upon the constable taking out the tea-spoons, I said, Richard, whose are these? they are your's, sir, said he; how came you by them? he said, he was very apt to put things in his pocket; I told him, so it seemed; he said, he had put them in his pocket by mistake, and that he came for the purpose of returning them to me; I told him, I thought it was a pity he had not mentioned it before the constable took them out of his pocket. EMMA CLARKSON sworn. - I am occasionally employed to wash at Mr. Sykes's; I know the prisoner; he employed me to wash a shirt, a waistcoat, a cravat, and a pocket-handkerchief; I found a duplicate of a coat in the pocket of the waistcoat, pawned for seven shillings and sixpence; when I carried the linen home, I took it to Mr. Sykes; that is all I know. SUSANNA NEVILLE sworn. - I am a pawnbroker; I do not know the prisoner: There was a great coat pawned in the name of Housegoe, on the 1st of January, for seven shillings and sixpence; a young man pawned it, and called himself Richard Housegoe; I have no recollection of the prisoner; he never pawned any thing before with me. Mr. Sykes. This is my coat, and he admitted to me he had pawned it; I missed such a coat; I have had it nine years. MARY CARTER sworn. - I am house-maid to Mr. Sykes: I remember the prisoner coming to live there; he called on the 21st of January, for some things that he had left of his, between seven and eight in the evening; my master ordered him to be stopped when he came; I opened the door to him, and asked him to walk into the kitchen, which he did, and I left him there while I went into the parlour to acquaint my mistress, who was there; my mistress and another person went down to the kitchen, and they sent me for Mr. Sykes; he returned with me; about a quarter of an hour before the prisoner came, I had washed the tea-things, and four spoons, and laid them at the end of the shelf in the kitchen; as soon as the prisoner was taken out of the house I missed them; I was present when he was searched, and saw the spoons taken from him. JOSEPH INWARDS sworn. - I am a constable belonging to Hatton-garden; I was sent for to Mr. Sykes's, on the 21st of January; I went to the kitchen, and Mr. Sykes said, that is the prisoner you must take care of; in consequence of that, I searched him and found four silver teaspoons in his left-hand coat pocket; (produces the spoons;) there was a key that Mr. Sykes said belonged to his stable; the other officer, named Rose, searched his breeches-pocket, and found two duplicates; we went to the pawnbroker's, and got a pair of shoes that Mr. Sykes believed to be his property, and the other was a duplicate before he came to Mr. Sykes's service. SUSANNA NEVILLE sworn. - (Produces a pair of shoes).) On the 18th of January, a young woman, of the name of Ann Pratt , brought them, and pawned them for 2s. 6d. (The shoes were deposed to by the prosecutor.) Prisoner's defence. I have nothing to say, I have no witnesses. GUILTY (Aged 18.) Transported for seven years . Tried by the London Jury, before Mr. RECORDER.