Henry Lockie

343

Maureen Withey on 16th January 2026

National Archives. Criminal Petitions. HO 17/84/43 [1833 Dec] Prisoner name: Henry Lockie. Prisoner age: 18 years. Prisoner occupation: Domestic servant. Court and date of trial: Old Bailey, 1 November 1833. Crime: Stealing in a dwelling house, namely that of Harriett Edger (employer) and stealing 40 sovereigns the property of Elizabeth Chambers (fellow-servant to his employer) in November 1833. Initial sentence: Transportation for life. Gaoler's report: 'Character unknown, connexions decent'. Annotated (Outcome): 'Nil'. Petitioner(s): Elizabeth Chambers (prosecutrix) undersigned by Thomas Clark (late employer) and 25 other persons known to the convict or the prosecutrix. Grounds for clemency (Petition Details): His youth; previous good character; employed satisfactorily since age of ten years; first offence; tried on the first day of the sessions; no violence offered; his penitence; he surrendered to the magistrates three weeks after the offence.

135

C H on 25th March 2024

Old Bailey Online HENRY LOCKIE. Theft; theft from a specified place. 28th November 1833. Text type Trial account Defendants HENRY LOCKIE Offences Theft > Theft from place Session Date 28th November 1833 Reference Number t18331128-22 Verdicts Guilty Punishments Transportation 22. HENRY LOCKIE was indicted for stealing, on the 29th of September , at St. Botolph without Bishopgate, 40 sovereigns the monies of Elizabeth Chambers , in the dwelling-house of Harriett Edger . ELIZABETH CHAMBERS. I lived in the service of Miss Harriett Edger, No. 8, Devonshire-place, St. Botolph without Bishopgate ; the prisoner lived servant with Miss Edger, and on the 29th of September, he was discharged; he asked leave to sleep there that night, which Miss Edger allowed - and next morning I found the front door of the house open, and in about half-an-hour, I missed 40 sovereigns out of my clothes box in the kitchen; I keep my box locked and found it unlocked - the money was in a small box inside the clothes box - the small box had no lock - I afterwards missed some spoons from the kitchen shelf; and I afterwards found the small box in a room up stairs, where the prisoner slept - it was in a closet in the room - (I have lived some years with Miss Edger) - on finding the door open, I missed the prisoner and did not see him till he gave himself up, about a fortnight after. JOHN WILKINSON . I am inspector of the division N of the police; on Tuesday night, the 22nd of October, the prisoner came to the station-house, Southwark-bridge, and inquired what the punishment would be for robbing in a dwelling-house, in the night; whether it would be hanging; I told him it depended a good deal on the circumstance, and asked what he meant, he said, "I am the person who have done it and am come to give myself up;" I thought it might be a hoax - he said, "you may think I am joking, but I am come to give myself up for robbery; let me come round and I will tell you the whole of it" - he came round, took a chair, drew himself up to me and began to state the particulars - I said, "before I can entertain the charge, I will send to see if such a robbery has been committed" - I sent the sergeant who came back with Mr. Edger, who said (in the prisoner's presence,) that it was correct; and the prisoner said, the cook had often said, she would be glad when he was gone, but said he, "I wonder now whether she would be glad or sorry," he said he lived at No. 8, Devonshire-square, in the service of Miss Edger; that he was going to leave the service, and had often watched the cook's keys - that he took a pattern with the eye, of the nearest he could, and tried it to the cook's box; that he slept in the house that night, and took nine silver spoons from the kitchen, and Captain Christie's shoes, and 40 sovereigns from the cook's box, and he would have made them remember it, had not the old stairs creaked so in going up, or else he should have had all the plate in the house; I have no doubt he had been drinking for some days before - I thought he was deranged, but he was not the least altered before the Lord Mayor - he said that after the robbery he went to Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham, for he was determined they should never have any of the property; I told the sergeant to search him - he said, "You will find nothing, for I was determined they should have nothing back," and when 1s. was found on him he said, "Oh there is a shilling here - I would not have come here till I had spent it, if I had known it;" this was on the 27th of October - he said, "Now you think I have been romancing and joking with you, but for all I have told you, I mean to have a trial for it, for they do not know whether it was before twelve or after twelve o'clock that I left the house - and I mean to stand my trial for it, after all I have told you about it" - next morning I thought on reflection, he might contradict his statement but he has never contradicted it at all - I found a key in his box which the cook says opens her box better than her own - I found at the place where he directed me that I should find his clothes, the property in the box with his clothes - I found a pair of shoes with Captain Christie's name written in them - I am not acquainted with the name of the parish myself - I have not recovered any property - he said three duplicates I found, was the produce of what he bought with the money. WILLIAM RILEY . I am a Ward officer of Bishopsgate; I know No. 8, Devonshire-square; it is in the parish of St. Botolph without, Bishopsgate. ELIZABETH CHAMBERS. Miss Edger keeps the whole house, and pays the rent and taxes. Prisoner. I leave it to you my Lord; I have nothing to say at all. GUILTY . Aged 18 - Transported for Life .