William King

135

C H on 20th February 2024

Old Bailey Online WILLIAM KING. WILLIAM TODD. Theft; housebreaking. 7th April 1845. Text type Trial account Defendants WILLIAM KING, WILLIAM TODD Offences Theft > Housebreaking Session Date 7th April 1845 Reference Number t18450407-881 Verdicts Guilty, Guilty Punishments Transportation 881. WILLIAM KING and WILLIAM TODD were indicted for breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Matthew Wood, on the 11th of March, at St. Benedict, alias Benet Fink, and stealing therein 4 pairs of trowsers, value 1l. 12s.; 1 coat, 2l.; 1 waistcoat, 8s.; 1 shirt, 4s.; 3 handkerchiefs, 12s.; and 2 pairs of shoes, his property. MARY ANN FRYER . I am housemaid to Matthew Wood, a grocer and tea-dealer, at No. 78, Old Broad-street, in the parish of St. Benet Fink; it is his dwelling-house; he resides there. On the 11th of March, about half-past two o'clock, or twenty minutes to three, I was going up from the ground floor to the second floor—there is a door which is three or four steps from the second flight of stairs—it is always kept shut—it fastens with a latch-lock, and cannot be opened on the outside except by a key or a piece of string, which we can open it with, but no stranger could do it—the first floor is let out to Messrs. Bowers and Co.—as I was going up I found that door open—it is a public staircase to the first floor—anybody could have walked up to where the door was—it could not have been opened by me without pulling the string, nor by anybody else without a latch-key—I found this door open, to my surprise, and on going up I met the prisoner Todd coming down the stairs which lead to Mr. Wood's private apartments—there is no other way to get in or out of those apartments but by that door—I asked Todd what he wanted—he looked confused, and said, "I want a gentleman there," pointing to Mr. Bowers's office—I said, "Very well"—I took hold of his collar, and came down with him—I said, "That is Mr. Bowers's office"—he then tried to get away from me, but I kept him till Mr. Bowers and another gentleman came out and took him—I then went up, and met King at the same place—before I had time to speak to him he said, "I know nothing about it, Miss, I know nothing about it"—I said, "Very well, but you must come to the office"—he did not hesitate, but went in, and was secured—I went up stairs, and found the bed-room door, on the second floor, which is always kept shut, standing open—(no one could get to this second floor without going through the latch-door)—I went into the bed-room, and a large black bag was on the bed—I went into Mr. Wood's room, and opened his drawer—I found his clothes had been taken out of his drawer—this coat and other things had all been moved out of that room, and were in this black bag in the bed-room—I had been in the rooms not an hour before, and the things were all safe—no one lives up stairs, and no one could have gone into those rooms up stairs without going through the latch-door—they would have to go through to get up, and to come through to go down. Cross-examined by MR. BALLANTINE. Q. What interval was there between your meeting one of the prisoners and the other? A. Not more than a minute or two—Bowers and Co. live on the first floor, and no one on the second—the latch-door leads to all the apartments above the first floor—my master occupies the whole of the upper part—I believe my aunt, who is the housekeeper, had been in the upper rooms after I had—I did not see her go, but I know she had been there—she went up stairs to clean herself, as she was going out—I think she did not put on her clothes in the room where I found the bag—there was nothing taken out of that room—my aunt is not here. COURT. Q. Did you ever see your aunt with a black bag like this? A. No—she does not know anything about it. GEORGE BOWERS . I have the first floor at No. 73, Old Broad-street. On the 11th of March, about half-past two o'clock, I had to go out on business—I opened our office door, and' saw Todd on the second flight of stairs, by the latch door, which was open—I looked at him, and he hung his head down, as if he wished to shun observation—I still watched him—he went down, and went out, and when he was in the passage he made way for me to pass him—he must have gone out, and returned again—I came back in about five minutes, which was about ten minutes before Fryer made the noise, and both the prisoners were brought in. Cross-examined. Q. Was the door wide open? A. No, only partly so—it was always kept shut when the housemaid was not up stairs. STEPHEN QUESTED (City police-constable, No. 171.) I took the prisoners—I produce this bag, containing four pairs of trowsers, and the other articles stated—I found 13l. 10s. in gold, and 8s. in silver, on Todd; and on King I found a watch and chain, 2s. 8 1/2d. and several keys—two of them are latch-keys. MATHEW WOOD . I live at No. 73, Old Broad-street. These articles are all mine—the prisoners had no business in my apartments—I had never seen them. MARY ANN FRYER re-examined. One of these keys found on King is just like the key of the latch of that door—I do not know whether it will open it. (Henry George, a silk-weaver; and Catherine M'William, a widow, of Collet-place, Bethnal-green, gave King a good character.) KING— GUILTY .† Aged 22. TODD— GUILTY . Aged 20. Transported for Ten Years. (See pages 894 and 895.)

96

Jillian Brewer on 26th April 2023

Son of James King, Weaver and Ann Viel. Convicted of burglary with William Todd (also Thomas Arbuthnot exile). It appears he may have returned to England before his sentence expired.

341

Maureen Withey on 4th December 2022

ADM 101/71/6 . Medical journal of the convict ship Thomas Arbuthnot for 30 November 1846 to 8 May 1847 by Henry Baker, RN, surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in carrying prisoners to Port Philip. • Folio 1: William King, aged 26, prisoner; sick or hurt, catarrh; put on sick list, 21 January 1847; discharged 24 January 1847 cured.