Esther Matthews

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 24th February 2022

Conduct Record; CON40-1-7 Indent No; 84. Transported for "Stealing from the Person" Description List. CON19-1-13 Trade; Housemaid Height; 5 ft 1 3/4 in Age; 26 years Noted across the description. "Has been Schoolmistress on board. strongly recommended by the Dr for a quiet family where there are children 1829 - Marriage permissions. Esther Matthews. Ship; Harmony John Richmond. Ship; Malabar Permission Date; 31 Jul 1830 - Assigned; Dr. Ross. Absent from her service yesterday after being admonished by the P S of Convicts. Cell and bread & water & C class. House of Correction 1830 - 22 Feb. Dr. Ross. Found drinking in the Public House this morning - Admonished 1830 - 30 Nov. Assigned; Rowlands. Drunkenness' and absent with out leave - C Class. House of Correction 1831 - Absenting herself from her service the whole night without leave and remained absent until apprehended at the Albion Public House by Constables Pouthney & Smith. Cell. On bread & water, 6 days & returned to her service 1832 - 1 May. Returning to her service in a state of Intoxication. 1832 - Marriage Permissions. Esther Matthews. Ship; Harmony. John Norris. Ship; Royal George. Date; 30 June 1832 1832 - Marriage. John Norris by Banns. . Date. 17 Sept 1832. John's brother, James Norris was witness 1834 - 5 April. Ux Norris. Out after hours 1834 - 14 Aug. Ux Norris. Drunk 1836 - 16 Sept. DIED; Memo. P Sup't. 8 Nov 1836.

110

Ron Garbutt on 20th March 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 20 March 2020), July 1828, trial of REBECCA JOHNSON, alias BARRETT ESTHER MATTHEWS (t18280703-207). REBECCA JOHNSON, ESTHER MATTHEWS, Theft > pocketpicking, 3rd July 1828. 1555. REBECCA JOHNSON, alias BARRETT , and ESTHER MATTHEWS were indicted for stealing, on the 4th of June , 1 cap, value 6s., and 1 shawl, value 14s., the goods of Elizabeth Grainger , from her person . ELIZABETH GRAINGER. I am single , and lived with Mr. Gibson, of 'Change-alley, but am now out of place. On the morning of the 4th of June, between five and six o'clock, I was coming down Holborn, and between Brook-street and Gray's Inn-lane , I saw the two prisoners in company. at the corner of a court - I do not know the name of the court; I asked them the way to the Strand - they directed me to go across the road; Johnson said it was going to rain, and I had better pull off my shawl and put on another; I took off a red shawl, and put on another, from a bundle which I had; Johnson then took my red shawl and my lace cap, and they both ran off together: I followed them to some street in Cow-cross, begging them to give them back to me; they went into a house, and ran into a one pair of stairs room - I just got up to the door - they pushed me out, and shut the door too; they came out again, and ran down stairs; I got over the balustrade, or they would have pushed me down; I followed them into Cow-cross again, and into a gin-shop; one of them threw a glass of gin into my eyes, which nearly blinded me; they came out again - I still kept up to them, asking them for my shawl and cap; I got the street-keeper, who directed me to an officer - they were taken in about an hour and a half; I have not got my things back; I am certain they are the girls. Cross-examined by MR. CHURCHILL. Q. How long have you been out of place? A. Two months; I had been living with my friends, and had come from Uxbridge that morning; I lived eight months with Mr. Gibson - I do not know how I came to ask them the way to the Strand; I was quite sober - I had taken nothing to drink; I did not tell them anything about a waggoner; they ran through some streets - I kept calling after them, "Give me my shawl and cap;" I did not observe any persons about - I asked a watchman if he would take them, and he said No, but did not say why. I then followed them to the gin-shop; I showed Handley the room I had seen them go into. THOMAS HANDLEY . I am constable of St. Sepulchre. On the 4th of June, at a quarter to eight o'clock in the morning, the prosecutrix came and told me she had been robbed in Holborn, and had followed the women to a house - I went with her to the house, and she showed me the room; I went in, and four women were there; she directly pointed to Matthews, and said, "That is one;" I took her - she afterwards pointed out Johnson, in another room, in bed with two others; I sent for Millen, who went up and took Johnson: the prosecutrix was perfectly sober, but had been crying. RICHARD MILLEN . I am a constable. Handley called me - I went with the prosecutrix into the room, and asked the girls where the other was - they said they did not know; I went up stairs to another room, and found Johnson in bed with two other girls; they all appeared to he asleep: the prosecutrix pointed her out - I told her to get up and dress; she was a long while, and did not dress; at last I found most of her clothes down in the room I at first went into. HENRY RANDOLPH . I keep a wine-vaults. The prisoners came into my house, and called for a quartern of gin; the prosecutrix followed them in, and kept asking for her shawl and cap; one of them threw the gin in her eyes. Cross-examined. Q. How came you not to interfere? A. I could not, as nobody else was there: the prosecutrix was prefectly sober, and so were they. JOHNSON's Defence. She came and asked us where she could get a lodging, and said a waggoner had taken her into a field, by force; she took her ring off, and gave it to me - I put it on my finger; she asked where she could get some gin; I said she had had enough - she was very much intoxicated; we went home - she sat down there for half an hour; I asked her for a pin - she opened her bundle for one, and said she had been robbed of her shawl and cap; she called the watchman - he said he would sooner take her to the watch-house than us. ELIZABETH GRAINGER . I did not open my bundle; I had no ring to give her; I had no conversation about what she mentions. THOMAS GODDARD . I am a watchman of Peter-street, Cow-cross, St. John-street, Clerkenwell; I have been so about two years. I was on duty. and the prosecutrix applied to me, saying she had been robbed, but I had seen her half an hour before, as I was calling five o'clock, coming down Peter-street, from Saffron-hill; I went to my beat, and shut up my box, and then she came and said she had been robbed of a cap and shawl by two girls who were in the passage; I went up, but could not find her things: she said she did not know whether they had taken the ring off her finger; she had one on, and tried to get it off, but could not without putting her teeth to it; she appeared to me to be tipsy: whether she had been crying or not I cannot tell. COURT. Q. Do you know the house the prisoners ran into? A. Yes; the door is open all night: they were both at the door: I had not seen them before: they were found in bed there after. ELIZABETH GRAINGER. I did not bite my finger to get off a ring; I do not wear one. JOHNSON - GUILTY . Aged 21. MATTHEWS - GUILTY . Aged 25. Transported for Life . https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/print.jsp?div=t18280703-207