John Matthews

341

Maureen Withey on 12th November 2019

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY. Union-hall.—Yesterday a lad, about 14 years of age, named John Matthews, was brought before B. Allen, Esq. charged with having robbed his uncle, Mr. Matthews, a respectable boot and shoemaker in Blackfriars-road, to considerable amount; and the following persons, Frederick Stannard, Charles Rogers, Henry Eagleton, Charles Jones, Charles Tatnell, and Elizabeth Stannard, the mother of one of the prisoners, were charged on suspicion of feloniously receiving part of the property, knowing knowing it to have been stolen. The prisoners are all respectable-looking young men, and one of them (Jones) is a performer at one of the minor theatres. Mr. Harmlr, with three other Solicitors, attended for the prisoners. From the evidence of Mr. Matthews, it appeared that the lad Matthews, and brother of his, were apprenticed to him. For some length of time, he had observed great decrease in his stock of boots and shoes, but never for moment conceived that his own nephew was concerned in robbing him, until within these few days that the following discovery was made. Mr. Matthews being asked whether he had ascertained' the quantity of boots and shoes stolen from him, replied, that he calculated there were least 5,000 pairs missing from his stock, which had no doubt were stolen. A few days since, Birch, the beadle of Christchurch, being the look-out after the thieves who had broken open the shop of Mr. Carter, in Blackfriars-road, met the prisoner Rogers in the road, and observing him offer pair of shoes to a person for less than half their value, instantly questioned him upon the subject, when, after considerable hesitation, lie said that he had got he said that he had got the shoes from Mr. Matthews’s nephew, who directed him dispose of them for what could. Birch took him Mr. Matthews’s shop, to whom mentioned what had occurred; and upon confronting Rogers and the nephew, the latter declared to his uncle that a boy named Henly was the person who filched away several pairs of boots and shoes. In consequence of this intimation, the boy Henly was was sought after and he gave such an account of the affair that led the apprehension of the prisoners. The boy Henly was examined. He stated that he is an errand- boy to a Mr Silk. A short time before Christmas, the prisoner Stannard came to his master’s shop, and asked him (witness) if he would take note to Mr. Matthews’s shop. He consented and he was desired not to give the note into the hands of any person except Mr. Matthews’s nephew John. Witness did take the letter and after John Matthews read it, he tied up three four pair shoes in cloth, and gave them witness, who returned with them to Stannard. Stannard, he added, subsequently sent him with the shoes to a pawnbroker’s to pledge. In reply to a question one of the solicitors, witness said that his master had no knowledge of where the shoes came from, or that they were pawned. George Rudolph, a pawnbroker, produced 11 or 12 pairs of shoes and one pair of boots, which he stated were pledged in his shop by the boy Henly. Mr. Matthews identified the shoes as his property. Other facts were stated, implicating the prisoner. Rice, the officer, said, that if the prisoners were remanded, further evidence would be brought forward which would expose the whole of the depredations committed upon the property of Mr. Matthews. Mr. Allen remanded the prisoners until morrow (this day) at one o’clock. London Courier, 6 Jan 1825 SURREY SESSIONS.-Saturdav. , John Matthews, Henry Egglinton, William Jones, and Frederick Stannard, were indicted—the two former for stealing, and the two latter for receiving, two pairs of boots, value 1/. 10s. the property J. Matthews, in November … The Chairman sentenced Henry Eggleton to seven years’ transportation; and Matthews, Jones, and Stannard, to 14 years’ transportation. Morning Advertiser, 7 Mar 1825 William Jones and Frederick Stannard were transported to NSW on the Minstrel 1825. Euryalus hulk record. HO-9-2-4 page 1 Fourteen from the Justicia Hulk, 9 May 1825 John Matthews, No 250, age 14, Crime, stlg boots and shoes from uncles shop, Newington, 3 Mar 1825, sentence - 14 years, How disposed of - NSW Albion, 10 Sept 1826. The prison hulk, the Euryalus, an ex-frigate of the Trafalgar fleet, was moored at Chatham. Over the twenty years that this hulk serviced juveniles, about 2,500 boys of fourteen and under passed through. There were also considerable numbers of older boys both in the juvenile hulk and distributed among the other hulks. From the Euryalus, boys were transported both to New South Wales and to Van Diemen’s Land.