Ellen Morgan

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 8th October 2025

Status; Married - 2 children. Husband; john an Umbrella maker, London 1841 - Free Certificate. No; 859

343

Maureen Withey on 27th April 2021

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 27 April 2021), October 1834, trial of ELLEN MORGAN (t18341016-176). ELLEN MORGAN, Theft > simple larceny, 16th October 1834. 1653. ELLEN MORGAN was indicted for stealing, on the 10th of October , 1 half-crown and 8 shillings; the monies of Catherine Padley Mather ; and 1 handkerchief, value 2s.; and 1 pair of stockings, value 1s.; the goods of Thomas Mather . CATHERINE PADLEY MATHER . I am the daughter of Thomas Mather - he is a hosier , and lives in High-street, Shadwell - on the 10th of October the prisoner came in, and asked if we had any broken glass to sell - I said no - she then asked if I would have my fortune told - I said no - she then said, "My charge is a shilling a piece; but I will tell two fortunes for a shilling" - I said I would not have it done, but she began to tell me over the counter; I found she would not leave; and for fear of my father coming into the shop, I told her to go into the kitchen, and I followed her - she then asked me for the largest piece of silver I had, which was half-a-crown, and I was to cross my hand three times with it - she took the half-crown, and said she was to put it on the planet - she then asked me for three more of the largest pieces of silver I had - they were shillings - she told me to cross my hand three times with them, and she took them - they were to go to the planet - she was to return them to me in the evening - she came back in half an hour, and asked for a pair of stockings, a silk handkerchief, and a shirt, and she would not leave without them - she said she must wait, and I gave them to her, she had had 5s. 6d. of my money - I was to have them back at night - our servant saw her the next day, and she demanded 8s. from her - she said she would not leave without it - she would wait, if it were for a month, till she had got all she wanted - I let her have them - she came again on the Sunday, and said she wanted 10s. to make up the planet - she then wanted 4s. more - she said she wanted them to make up the planet - I was afterwards standing at my sister's door, in Ratcliff-highway - the prisoner passed - she beckoned me to come out, and she then wanted 10s. to make up the planet - she said she must have so much silver, and she must make the silver into gold, to make it all meet - she came again on the Monday evening, and had 3s. more of me. Q. Why did you part with the money from time to time? A. She terrified me so much, and talked of telling my father what I had done previously. Q. Then you parted with it without exercising your own free will? A. Yes. I am not twenty-one years of age - my father had given me the money to use, but they were his stockings and other things - she told me she could tell my fortune - she said she told by planets - she said she had been over to Mr. Scholey's niece, and got a sovereign of her, and a gold chain - I shall be twenty years old in March - my father is not here. Q. When she obtained these things, did she, in each instance, represent that they should be returned? A. Yes; and I believed she would return them - she told me they would all fall into holes if she kept them - I did not mean to part with my property, but to have them returned - the first time was on the 10th of October - she then had a shirt, a handkerchief, and a pair of stockings of my father's - she said she must have them, but did not say what she meant to do with them - she engaged, in each instance, to return the things - I only gave them her to use. Prisoner. Q. Did not you ask me whether I could tell your fortune, and say you would give me a shilling to tell yours and the servant's? A. No, I did not - I did not say I should like to have my fortune told, as I was deeply in love with a young man. Prisoner. She said she would give me any thing if I would tell her the young man that she was to be married to- I said I could get a person to tell, and she gave me 5s 6d. to go to the person - the person sent me back, and I asked her for either a piece of gold, or 5s., and she told me the hours at which she wished me to come. Witness. She kept teasing me to let her tell me, and I told her to go away - shesaid she wanted the money to set the planet, and said she would wait and see my mother or father, and have the money. COURT. Q. Did you in each instance part with the money and the articles, not intending her to keep them, but to return them? A. Yes: I never meant that she should keep them - she said they would fall into holes if she did. ANN LOW. I am servant to Mr. Mather. I recollect the prisoner coming into the kitchen, but she would not let me stop - she said she could not speak before me - she afterwards stopped me in the street several times - she said she wanted a shirt, stockings, and handkerchief, and a piece of gold; and she wanted something that Miss Mather wore - she wanted the money for the planet - she applied again on the Saturday, and Miss Mather sent her out 8s. - she was to return every one of these things when she had them, but she did not. Prisoner. Q. Did not you tell me I could see you any time, and you did not care about Miss Mather's fortune being told, so long as I told you yours, as you were eight years in love with one young man? Witness. No, nothing of the kind - I knew my fortune - go along with you. MERCY BEADNELL . I live with my uncle, who is a pastrycook in High-street, Shadwell. The prisoner came in and asked if I had any broken glass or china to mend - I said, "No" - she then said would I have my fortune told - I said, "No." Prisoner's Defence (written)."On Friday, the 10th of October, I went out to look for work, having a small family, my husband being out of employ; and being very much in distress, and meeting with my prosecutrix, we entered into conversation, when she told me she was deeply in love with a young man, and said she would give me what money I should want, or any things else I should want, if I could tell her fortune - I told her "No," but I could tell her of a woman that could tell her true, when she said she would give me what money I should want to give the woman, she gave me a shilling and 9s. for the woman, whom I went to find, and gave her the money; when she sent me back to the prosecutrix, saying, she must have a piece of gold before she could tell her any thing; when the prosecutrix gave me 5s., one shirt, 1 pair of stockings, and silk handkerchief, which I took to the woman; the woman telling me she should return them to the prosecutrix as well as the money she received from me; the prosecutrix's servant being present all this time, and gave me money as well as her mistress - I had been two or three times since the Friday, and received money from them both, which I gave to the woman, not thinking of any wrong, and being in distress - when I could not see her herself, she sent the money by her servant. I do declare on oath that I never put her in fear, nor held out any threat to her whatever, the servant telling me what hour I could see her, between one and two; if not then, at a quarter past eight o'clock at night on Monday; being sent again by the woman when I saw the servant, after going twice, when she gave me 10s. more for the woman, being with me at the time - on our way home we met the mistress at the shop door - she came after me, and said, "Have you seen our servant?" - I said, "Yes, and have received 10s." when two persons coming up to speak to my prosecutrix, the woman calling me on one side, telling me to ask for 10s. more - when she said she could not get it without taking it out of her sister's till - I told her not to do that - she said if I would promise her it should be the last money; I was to come on Tuesday, between three and four o'clock, and she would give me the money; and if I could cause her sweetheart to be with her that night, I was to keep all I had got. I was completely drawn into it by the woman, not thinking of any harm to myself and family; and greatly do I now repent having any hand in it." JOHN BARTON . (Police-constable K 40). I took the prisoner into custody on the Tuesday morning - I found twenty-nine duplicates on her. GUILTY . Aged 19. - Transported for Seven Years .