Edward Nelson

342

Maureen Withey on 12th February 2021

This is the first trial of Edward Nelson. Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 12 February 2021), December 1802, trial of EDWARD NELSON (t18021201-75). EDWARD NELSON, Violent Theft > highway robbery, 1st December 1802. 76. EDWARD NELSON , was indicted for making an assault in the king's highway, upon Robert Bartlett, on the 27th of November, putting him in fear and taking from his person a steel watch chain, value 1s. and three metal seals, value 3s. the property of the said Robert. ROBERT BARTLETT sworn. - I keep the Gloucester Arms Public-house, in Rochester-row, Tothill-fields : On the 27th of November last, two men were to run upon a common, facing my house; I went out to see them, and while the men were running I found somebody at my fob pocket; I caught the prisoner fast by the wrist which had hold of the chain; he did not cease pulling the chain, till it broke from the watch, it went with a jerk. Q. Did you do all you could to keep his hand fast? - A. Yes, I did; I still held him fast by the hand, and collared him with my other hand; then another man came to his assistance to rescue him from me. Q. Do you know that other man? - A. No, I do not; the other man laid hold of me and tried to pull me from him; I threw the prisoner on the ground, and kept fast hold of him; they shoved me down, and while I was down I received a violent blow on my cheek, which is swelled now; there were then two more besides the prisoner; I was afraid they would use me worse, and I let the prisoner loose. Q.What time of day was this? - A.Between two and three o'clock in the afternoon. Q.There were a great number of persons about? - A. There were only the prisoner and those two men near me, they went away together among the crowd, my month was full of blood, and Mr. Williams came up to me, I pointed out the prisoner to him, and told him he had robbed me; the prisoner had not then gone more than three or four yards; then some more people came up who said they would assist me in taking him; I went up to the crowd to see if I could see him, but I had lost fight of him; Mr. Williams then saw several people at one hundred yards distance, or it might be two hundred, and said there he is going off the common now; Mr. Williams and I and two or three more went after him, and when he saw us coming after him, he began to run. Q. How near were you when he began to run? - A. One hundred yards or better, we followed after him. Q. Did those who were with him run too?-A.Some of them did, and one endeavoured to stop Mr. Williams, and said let him go, let him go; we passed them and pursued the prisoner, who was then running alone. I lost fight of him, and did not know which way he was gone, Mr. Williams and another were before me when I had lost fight of him; I went home, and having been home about half an hour, a person came from Queen-square to let me know the prisoner was taken; I went to Queen-square, and there I saw the prisoner, he was examined before the Justice; he had been searched but nothing found upon him. Prisoner. Q. Were there not hundred people round you when you lost your watch chain? - A. No, not very near me, there was nobody within five or six yards. Prisoner. Q. Did not I stand directly before you? - A. No, he stood close to my right side. FRANCIS WILLIAMS sworn. On the 27th of November last, between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, I saw a scuffle between the prosecutor and the prisoner. I know his person perfectly well. Q.Had you known him before? - A. Not before that day. I went up to Mr. Bartlett and asked him what was the matter, his mouth was bleeding at the time the prisoner got out of Mr. Bartlett's hands, and rushed into the crowd of people. I then looked round, and saw a corporal of the guards; I said, corporal, call up your men, here are pickpockets here; upon that I saw the prisoner and four or five more, going off from the mob on the other side of us, making the best of their way off. I said to Bartlett there he goes, he was then a hundred yards, or perhaps a hundred and fifty yards, from the prisoner; the prisoner seeing me observe him, immediately began to run and left the other behind him; French and I immediately went off in pursuit of him; we ran after him and cried stop thief; several of those who were in company with him, ran with us and said no! no! let him go; till at last we ran too fast for them, and got into Horseferry-road, the prisoner was a good distance a-head of us; we halloaed out stop thief, the prisoner halloaed out no! no! it is for a bastard child, let me go. I was then got foremost, and several people who had got hold of him let him go. I still continued in pursuit till I got down to Abingdon-street; and just in turning a corner to get out of the way he turned into a public-house; I ran into the house, and French went down the stable-yard; I found him in the parlour; I was in the house in less than half a minute after him; I laid hold of him, and continued my hold, till I sent to Queen-square for Mr. Blys he came and took him into custody, and then we sent for Mr. Bartlett. Prisoner. Q. Was I not upon the green twenty minutes after the prosecutor lost his watch-chain? - A. No, I don't think it was more than five or six minutes. - FRENCH sworn. - I joined in pursuit of the prisoner with Mr. Williams; I lost fight of him at the corner of Milbank-street, I did not see him go into the public-house, I ran down the stable yard, while Mr. Williams went into the house; I afterwards went into the house and found the prisoner and Mr. William in the parlour; he was searched, but nothing found upon him. JAMES BLY sworn. - I apprehended the prisoner; and he was committed; I know nothing more of it. Prisoner's defence. I went to see this race, there was a great multitude of people; I was standing before the prosecutor, there were a great number of people round him, and a man in a blue coat snatched the watch chain from him and ran away; he charged me with it, I told him I had not got it, and he let me go; I was walking about there for twenty minutes, and then some people said they were coming to duck me, and I said, rather than be ducked, I would run away, and I did run away; I was in the public-house where I was taken twenty minutes before they came in. GUILTY , Death, aged 19. First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron Graham. -------------------------------------------------- HO-9-8-2 page 1/51. Hulk Records Received eighty from Newgate, 12 May 1803. Edw. Nelson. Age 19, C.R. tried Middlesex, 1 Dec 1802. Life. Escaped (Date not clear- possibly 12 Oct? )1803. ----------------------------------------------------- Edward Nelson, recognized as a person who had returned from transportation before the expiration of his time, was brought up for re examination; when his conviction was proved by a certificate of Mr. Kirby. The prisoner said he had made his escape about two years ago, from the hulks, by swimming a mile and a half, with his irons on, to shore at Portsmouth from which place he walked, by night, to London, to his father's house, where with the aid of two knives he extricated himself from his irons, and threw them into the Serpentine River. He afterwards entered himself a sailor on board a man of war, and was in the fleet under Sir Robert Calder, at the time it engaged the combined squadrons of France and Spain. He was committed for trial. - Belfast Newsletter 22 November 1805.

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 21st June 2020

Onboard Duke of Portland January 1807 arriving at New South Wales Born: 1769. imprisoned: 1805 Tried 4 December: 1805 OFFENCE; returning from transportation before the expiration of the term for which he was ordered to be transported . Sentence respited: Transported 1 February 1806 - 21 years to New South Wales -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name: Edward Nelson Conviction Place: Middlesex Gaol Delivery Departure Date: Jan 1807 Arrival Date: 27 Jul 1807 Arrival Place: New South Wales Arrival Ship: Duke of Portland Sentence: Life: 4 December 1805 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Old Bailey On line 47. EDWARD NELSON was indicted for returning from transportation before the expiration of the term for which he was ordered to be transported . RICHARD LIMBRICK sworn. Q. Look at the prisoner at the bar: do you know his person? A. I do: I produce a certificate of the indictment upon which he was convicted in this place. Q. From whom did you receive it? A. From Mr. Shelton: I saw him sign it. (The certificate read in court.) "Middlesex. These are to certify that at the general sessions of the peace and delivery of the king's gaol of Newgate, holden at Justice Hall in the Old Bailey, that on Wednesday the 1st of December, in the 43d year of his present majesty's reign, before his majesty's justices then present, Edward Nelson , labourer, was in due form of law tried and convicted for that he on the 22d of November aforesaid, with force and arms, in the king's highway, in and upon one Robert Bartlett , a subject of our lord the king, feloniously did make an assault, putting him in fear of his life; one steel watch-chain value one shilling, and three metal seals value one shilling, from the person and against the will of the said Robert Bartlett , in the king's highway aforesaid, then and there feloniously did steal and carry away, against the statute and against the king's peace. He, the said Edward Nelson , was thereupon ordered to be hanged by the neck till he was dead: but his majesty having been graciously pleased to extend his royal mercy to him, on condition that he should be transported to New South Wales for and during the term of his natural life; which being in due form of writing signified and signed by one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state, he the said Edward Nelson was ordered to be transported for and during the term of his natural life. 14th of November 1805. Signed Thomas Shelton . EDWARD KIRBY sworn. I was in court at the time the prisoner received sentence for this very offence. Q. For this highway robbery? A. Yes. Q. You had the charge to forward him to transportation? A. I delivered him on board the Portland Hulk at Langstone Harbour near Portsmouth. Q. Did you go with him all the way? A. Yes, with others, in May 1803. Q. You are perfectly sure of his person? A. Yes. Q. You delivered him there to those appointed by government to receive him? A. Yes. EDWARD CROCKER sworn. I belong to Bow Street Office. I apprehended the prisoner at the bar. I went to St. Giles's watchhouse on the morning of the 9th of November last: I saw the prisoner there: he was brought in there upon a charge of beating a woman the over night. I went and informed Mr. Bond of it (I knew the prisoner very well). Mr. Bond gave me a letter, and I went and brought him and the woman who was at the watchhouse down to Mr. Bond. Prisoner's Defence. I leave myself entirely to the mercy of the court. GUILTY , DEATH , aged 36. Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron Graham. NO FURTHER INFORMATION ON ANCESTRY