William Mansfield

343

Maureen Withey on 23rd July 2024

Tried at the Old Bailey, 26 October 1826. Before Mr. Justice Park. 1817. GEORGE PARKER and WILLIAM MANSFIELD were indicted for feloniously assaulting William Blencowe Layton , on the King's high-way, on the 10th of October , at St. Sepulchre, putting him in fear, and taking from his person, and against his will, 1 watch, value 3l.; 1 watch-chain, value 4d.; 1 seal, value, 1s.; 2 watch-keys, value 4d.; 1 handkerchief, value 1s., and 1 rule, value 1s. , his property. WILLIAM BLENCOWE LAYTON. I am a carpenter and joiner , and live in Peter's-lane, Smithfield. On Tuesday, the 10th of October, I was returning home between eleven and twelve o'clock at night, and about the middle of Holborn the prisoner Mansfield came up and said he knew me; he did not call me by name, he called me Bill - I asked how he knew me - he would not tell me, He kept on talking about the scarcity of trade, and one thing or another, and accompanied me down to my house, No. 11, Peter's-lane - I told him I was going in there - he said, if I would go a little further, he would tell me when and where he knew me; I went a few steps further, and he forced his hand into my bosom and took off my silk handkerchief, which was tied round my neck; I resisted this, and as I was so doing, the prisoner Parker came up and struck me a violent blow on the bend of my arm, which made me lose my hold - they both kept on struggling with me, till they threw me down, and as I was falling to the ground, I felt my watch pulled out of my pocket - they pulled my pocket quite off, and tore it from my smallclothes - they ran off - I instantly called out Watch! - they threw my hat into the middle of the road; I went to find that - I soon after missed a two-foot rule from my coat pocket. I heard that two men were taken to the watch-house, which is very near the spot - I went there, saw them both, and knew them - the rule and handkerchief have been found. Q. Did they talk together while they were doing this? A. Yes, and I saw Mansfield give Parker the handkerchief. Cross-examined by MR. ALLEY. Q. Have you said that you did not see Parker previous to the robbery? A. I did not see him till I felt the blow on my arm - I never said I had seen him before, and watched him - I was not in liquor, I never said I was - Mansfield was an entire stranger to me. Cross-examined by MR. CLARKSON. Q. He called you Bill? A. Yes; I am not called Bill. I looked at him as I walked along, and did not like him at all as he kept pushing up against me - I observed his face several times; it was not a particularly dark night, I did not particularly observe; I went up Snow-hill straight into Peter's-lane. There were no other prisoners in the watch-house; I said directly they were the men; they were not pointed out to me; I knew them instantly. I am certain it was Mansfield who put his hand into my bosom - I was knocked down in rather a dark place, but a light came across from the lamp at the Queen's Head public-house, and I saw him give the handkerchief to Parker plainly. BENJAMIN PHILLIPS . I am a constable. About twelve o'clock on the night of the 10th of October, I was in St. John Street; in Peter's-lane I heard a cry of Stop thief! and saw the prisoners running together in a direction from the cry, very fast; I heard them speak together at the bottom of the street, where they separated, but I did not hear what they said - I ran nearly close behind them; I told the patrol to follow Mansfield; I followed and overtook Parker down a place which is no throughfare - I went up and collared him; he asked if I was going to eat him. I took him a few yards, another patrol came up into the passage, a light was brought from the watch-house, and on the spot where I took him we found this handkerchief, which I have had ever since. Cross-examined. Q. Was he in the watch-house when the handkerchief was found? A. Yes, I returned directly, and found it - the spot is very little way from the watch-house. I am quite sure of Mansfield, for I had known him two years - I have frequently seen them both together, and know they are acquainted. HENRY MORGAN . I am a watchman of Cow-cross. On this night I saw both the prisoners running - I pursued Mansfield, and took him to the watch-house, but found nothing on him: I knew them both well before. ABRAHAM HARNER . I am a constable. I saw Phillips pick up this handkerchief: I had assisted in taking Parker to the watch-house - I walked behind him, and saw a two-foot rule fall from him, which I picked up and now produce. Cross-examined. Q. Are you certain of Parker? A. I am - I saw the rule fall from him. Directly I took him into the watch-house, the prosecutor said, "That is one of the men who robbed me." He was not out of my sight after he dropped the rule - the prosecutor was sober. WILLIAM BLENCOWE LAYTON . This handkerchief is mine, and was round my neck on the night in question - I have had it three months: this rule is mine - here is a mark on it where I join another to it. The prisoners made no defence - one witness gave Parker a good character. EDWARD NEWBY . I know Parker. I am a surveyor, and was originally a bricklayer; I live in Devonshire-street, in the same house as Parker's sister - I have known him four years, and took much pains to get him employ - I always understood him to be an honest boy: I have seen the proseuctor about this. MR. ALLEY to MR. LAYTON. Q. Have you ever said to any body that you were drunk when this robbery was committed? A. No, I never told Mrs. Doveton so - she came to my house. COURT. Q. What did she come about? A. She came and said she hoped I would be merciful to her brother - she was talking to my wife some time before I came home; and Newby came to my house, and said, if I would not go on with the prosecution, but make a flaw in the indictment, the watch would be produced, if it was between heaven and earth - he said he was a relation, and that Parker had robbed him, and he was afraid to touch his life. MARY ANNE DOVETON . I live at No. 40, Devonshire-street, and am Parker's sister. I have seen the prosecutor - I went to him and asked him, about this, as my brother would not tell me: I said, "Was not you tipsy?" he said, No; he owned he had been drinking, but knew what he was about. COURT. Q. Did you not say you hoped he would he merciful to your brother? A. No; the first time I went I said, if he was guilty, I hoped he would suffer, but if he was not, I hoped he would recommend him to mercy. Newby is a distant relation of mine; he married my mother's sister; he is my uncle. NEWBY. I do not know that I am any relation to her; I lived with her aunt, who died about six months ago, but we were not married. Q. You passed as their uncle, and that woman took your name? A. Yes, we lived together six years. I went to the prosecutor's house, and said I did not know whether I got the truth from the sister, but had come to him to get the truth; that I understood the watch had been overvalued at 3l.; he then said he would not take 4l. for it, and sooner than lose it he would do any thing, and if he had the watch he did not care. I said, all I looked for was the lives of the men, and if the property was his only object, I would endeavour to make a search - that money should not be an object, and I would go home and make every exertion for the purpose of recovering it. PARKER - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 20. MANSFIELD - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 18.