John Brewer

Level 135

C H on 10th March 2024

Old Bailey Online JOHN BREWER. Theft; simple larceny (from 1827). 3rd March 1845. Text type Trial account Defendants JOHN BREWER Offences Theft > Simple larceny Session Date 3rd March 1845 Reference Number t18450303-707 Verdicts Guilty Punishments Transportation 707. JOHN BREWER was indicted for stealing 6 metal cocks, 14s., the goods of James Pelton. MR. BODKIN conducted the Prosecution. JOHN DODD . I shall be seventeen years old next month. I have been apprenticed to Mr. Pelton, the prosecutor, for two years—I was three weeks in confinement in Tothill-fields, and have since that been at liberty on my uncle's bail to appear here as a witness—the prisoner was in my master's employ as journeyman, and left, I think, nearly nine months ago—Mr. Pelton is agent for a brass foundry in the west of England, and keeps a large place of business where brass articles are sold, in West-street, Soho-square—I remember taking six brass cocks from my master's property about the 8th of Nov.—I had had some conversation with the prisoner about these cocks before I stole them from my master—the prisoner said he was in want of some of those cocks for one of his particular customers—I was to let him have six, and he knew where to sell them—he did not mention to whom they were to be sold or given—(I was in the habit of meeting him occasionally)—I said I would get them, and in about a quarter of an hour after this conversation I took the cocks from my master's premises—I went in for the purpose of getting them, and it was arranged that he should wait outside—I was gone five or ten minutes—when I came out he had shifted a little further down, but he was within sight—I gave him the cocks, and went with him to Mr. Baker, who keeps a coal-shed in a turning out of Clare-market, but I believe he is a plumber by trade—I waited outside while the prisoner went in—he was in a quarter of an hour, or twenty minutes—when be came out I went with him into the public-house next door to Baker's—he told me Mr. Baker had bought the cocks, and gave me 5s. or 6s.—he said Mr. Baker was not in want of them, or he would have given more—I had some beer—while we were there Baker and his wife came in—I do not know who paid for the beer—the prisoner left me, and went to another part of the bar—we staid there twenty minutes, or a quarter of an hour—Mr. Baker and his wife staid the best part of the time—I think we all left together. Cross-examined by MR. PAYNE. Q. Did you sell any cocks to Baker yourself afterwards? A. Yes, I stole six, and sold them to him three days afterwards for 12s.—I sold fourteen cocks for 18s. to Mr. Smith in East-road, City-road, about the 24th of Nov., twelve or thirteen days after I sold those to Mr. Baker—I did not sell any to anybody else—my master accused me of having robbed him for some time when he gave me into custody—it was not till after I was in custody that I made any statement about the prisoner—I could not do it before—I was three weeks in Tothill-fields—when Mr. and Mrs. Baker came to the public-house they called for some porter, but they went to a different part—while Mr. Baker was drinking I heard something, and the prisoner told me afterwards that Mrs. Baker knocked the pot out of her husband's hand—I heard the pot fall—they were at my back—I was drinking some beer. MR. BODKIN. Q. When did you first begin to steal your master's property? A. About July or Aug.—I knew the prisoner at the time, and be induced me to do it—I was in the habit of seeing him at the time, and it was through him I did it—he did not go with me when I took the six cocks the second time to Mr. Baker—I took them because the prisoner told me that Mr. Baker had given him an order for six—he was too busy to take them down, and I was to take them, and take the money to him—I was paid 12s. for them, and took 6s. to the prisoner—I had not seen Mr. Baker at all between the time of being in the public-house and my taking the six cocks. GEORGE BAKER . I live in Holies-street, Clare-market, and am a plumber. I have known the prisoner about twelve months—I think I first saw Dodd about the beginning of Nov.—I remember when I and my wife went to the public-house the prisoner and Dodd were there—on that day six cocks were brought to my house by the prisoner—I gave him 10s. or 12s., for them—after I had paid him I went to the public-house next door—he and Dodd were there—my wife came after me to fetch me out—I do not recollect that I had seen Dodd before then—some beer was called for, but I did not drink any—I was about drinking, when my wife hit the pot, and it fell to the ground—I ordered some more cocks of tie prisoner, and received them three days afterwards, from Dodd—I paid Dodd 12s. for them—I had not seen Dodd at all between the time he with the public-house and when he brought me the second six cocks, three and after—he would have had no means of knowing that I had ordered u more cocks except through the prisoner. Cross-examined. Q. What is your shop? A. A plumber's shop on one side, and a coal-shed on the other—there is no old iron—there an cocks in a glass case—ray wife knocked the beer out of my hand, as I was rather half and half, and she would not let me have any more. SARAH BAKER . I am the wife of George Baker—I remember the prisoner coming about these cocks on the 8th of Nov.—my husband went to the public-house next door after he purchased them—I followed him in about three minutes—I saw Dodd there—I did not want my husband to have any more drink, and I knocked the pot out of his hand while Dodd was there—I staid there about two minutes—my husband ordered half-a-dozen more cocks, and Dodd brought them afterwards. Cross-examined. Q. Your husband was a little the worse for what he had taken? A. Yes. JAMES PELTON . I am agent to a Brass Founder's Company, in Bristol—I have a warehouse in West-street, Soho, where I keep a large stock of brass goods in general—Dodd has been my apprentice about two years—during that time the prisoner had been my journeyman—he left me about a year ago—I have since seen him repeatedly outside my premises—for some reasons I have lately directed my attention to the conduct of Dodd; and in consequence of what reached me I had him taken into custody on the 7th of Dec, and accused him of having robbed me—he immediately admitted it—I told him I believed Brewer was at the bottom of it, and if he would tell the whole truth I would deal leniently with him—he was taken before the Magistrate, who admitted him as a witness, and in consequence of what he said, an officer went with me to apprehend the prisoner—the prisoner was afterwards taken into custody—these six cocks are part of my stock—I have missed articles of this sort. Cross-examined. Q. What do you know them by? A. They have a private mark on them, and the initials I. W. F. are on most of them—the prisoner has done work for me since he left; but he has never made a cock for me—he has no shop—he is a cock-maker—a cock-maker—a cock-maker cannot generally do screws. MR. PAYNE to GEORGE BAKER. Q. What did Dodd say when he brought the second half-dozen of cocks? A. He told me he had brought the cocks I ordered of Brewer—I said, "You are in a great hurry; the agreement was for him to take old metal, and I have not time to look it up now—if you like to leave the cocks you may"—I went in doors, and he sent a boy to say that Brewer was hard up, and if I would pay him I should take them for 6d. a piece less—I asked him if he hada bill—he said, "No"—I gave him a bit of paper, and he made out a bill, and I paid him—my bargain with the prisoner was that he should take old metal and allow me 5d. a pound for it—I was to have the cocks at half-a-crown a piece—I considered Dodd was in the employ of the prisoner. MR. PAYNE to JOHN DODD. Q. What is your father? A. A brass finisher—I did not tell the prisoner a short time before I went with him to Mr. Baker, that my father had half a dozen five-eighth cocks for sale, that he had made them and taken them home, but the party would not have them, that they were returned upon his hands; and my father had sent me to him to tee if he could find a purchaser—there was nothing of the kind—I wrote a letter to Mr. Tickle, under the prisoner's direction—I think the cocks I told to Mr. Smith for 18s. were worth about 30s.—he did not ask how I could sell them so cheap—he did not ask me anything—I did not tell him then that my father had dissolved partnership, and therefore he could afford to sell them so cheap—I told him so at another time; but it was not true. HENRY SHEPHERD (police-constable C 138.) By directions of the proseutor I watched Dodd from his place at the latter end of Nov.—I did not take Dodd into custody—I took the prisoner into custody on the 7th of Dec., after Dodd had been before the Magistrate—I did not find the prisoner at his house, No. 3, Grotto-passage—I went there, and saw his wife, as I understood, but it was said he was not at home—I hung about the place, and looked about the neighbourhood for nearly three hours—some intimation was then given to me which led me to a back-place behind the prisoner's house, where I found him concealed in a bed, and the bedstead turned up over him—I pulled him out, and told him there was a charge of felony against him for stealing a quantity of metal cocks of Mr. Pelton—he said he did not know it was for that, he thought it was for debt, and that the bailiffs were after him, or he would not have concealed himself—he said he knew nothing at all about the cocks—he was taken before the Magistrate that afternoon—Dodd had been examined that morning—the Magistrate allowed the prisoner to go on his own recognizance till the following Thursday—I was there on that Thursday, and saw the prisoner there, bat when he was called for he was gone—between the first appearance before the Magistrate and the second I had found Mr. Baker—he was in attendance, and the prisoner had an opportunity of seeing him. JAMES GANGE . I an✗ a police-officer of Taunton. I took the prisoner at Hill-Abbots, in Somersetshire, on the 3rd of Feb.—I told him it was for absconding from his bail—he said he should not have done it had he not been persuaded—I brought him to London, and he was committed for trial. Cross-examined. Q. Did he not say he was sorry for it? A. I think he did. (Samuel Bassett, a smith; and Charles John Brooks, a beer retailer; gave the prisoner a good character.) GUILTY . Aged 23.— Transported for Seven Years. (There were three other indictments against the prisoner.)

Level 96

Jillian Brewer on 29th April 2023

John Brewer was born in Southwark to John Brewer (cheesemonger, 1789-1833) and Hannah Ashton (1782-1851), both from Somerset. He had older sisters, Sophia and Sarah and younger sister Ann. His father died in 1822 and his mother remarried Adam Smith. John Brewer was apprenticed as a brass finisher and worked around Shoreditch. He married Jane Elizabeth Jackson (1821-1896) in 1840 but lived some or all of the time after that with a woman called Margaret. He had two children with Jane and one with Margaret. John Brewer had a shop at Lazenby Court, Covent Garden. He was convicted of inducing an apprentice to steal a number of brass cocks from his employer, James Pelton, and selling them to a brass dealer at the Clare Market. He was sent to Pentonville (number 896) and was trained in tailoring and carpentry. While he was in prison, Jane contacted his uncle in America and asked him to employ John, if John could be sent to America instead of Australia. The Home Office was prepared to consider this, but the Pentonville governors dismissed it, saying it would deprive his sentence of its punitive nature. He wrote to Jane from Mount Macedon on 26 Dec 1847 but she never heard from him again. She wrote to Charles La Trobe in July 1850 asking after him, but he did not respond to a Gazette notice asking for information. John Brewer married Ann Bray (1835-1921) in 1850. He was publican of the Black Bull Inn in Great Bourke Street in 1852-3, before he and Ann moved to Kyneton to run the Royal Oak Hotel. They had six children: Mary Hannah, John (born and died 1853), Annie, Emily, John and Sarah Jane. After running the Royal Oak, John and Ann bought a farm from Ann's father and called it "Oak Farm". John Brewer died there in Jun 1861. He is buried in the Kyneton Cemetery. Ann remarried William Muntz and had two more children. Jane Elizabeth Jackson-Brewer worked as a house servant until her brother left her an annuity in his will in the 1880s. She died from cancer in 1896. See article "For Better or Worse: The Wives of John Brewer", Ancestor Journal, March 2025