William Nelson

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 14th April 2020

Name: William Nelson Arrival year: 1791 Arrival State: New South Wales Trial Place: Old Bailey Middlesex Ship: Albermarle ------------------------------------------------------ New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 Name: William Nelson Date of conviction: 12 Jan 1791 Place of Conviction: Middlesex Vessel: Albermarle Port of Arrival: New South Wales Date of Arrival: Sep 1791 ------------------------------------------------------- The Proceedings of the Old Bailey WILLIAM NELSON. Violent Theft: highway robbery. 12th January 1791 Reference Number t17910112-22 Verdict Guilty > lesser offence Sentence Transportation Related Material Associated Records Digital Panopticon William Nelson 4 records 76. WILLIAM NELSON was indicted for feloniously assaulting Elizabeth Harrison , jun. on the 3d of January , in the King's highway, and putting her in fear, and taking two muslin gowns, value 20 s. and divers other things , the property of Elizabeth Harrison , widow . (The witnesses examined separate.) ELIZ. HARRISON, jun. sworn. I am daughter to the prosecutrix; she is a widow, and lives in Boar's-head-passage, Smithfield; she takes in washing ; I was going with a bundle of dirty linen, on the 3d of January, along Weymouth-street, Marybone, about half past five in the evening, my mother with me; there were two muslin gowns, a callico gown, a child's frock, two table-cloths, a napkin, a pair of pillow-cases, and six towels; I brought the bundle from Beaumont-street, No. 3, to wash; I was coming home; just by Portland-place , two men seized the bundle from under my arm, and tore my apron off with it, which was partly under the bundle, to rest it; they just snatched it, and run away; they both had hold of it; I just saw the glimpse of their hands; one of my apron-strings was broke away, and I lost my apron too; they said nothing to me; I ran after them immediately; my mother had a great load on her head; she stopped; I had the man in sight all the time who had the bundle; he run to Weymouth-mews, and I met two men, and told them; they ran after him, and took him into a publick-house in the mews; I saw him directly; it was the prisoner; I cannot say by his face, but he had a light coat on; the prisoner asked me if he was the person that took the bundle; I told him I could not tell, I was sure, for I never minded his face: the bundle was given to the constable. ELIZABETH HARRISON sworn. I am mother of the last witness; I was coming home from Beaumont-street with a great load of linen on my head, to wash; my daughter had a bundle under her arm, and hold of her apron; her hand was on her apron: about Portland-place, I heard her cry out, Oh Lord! I am robbed; I perceived two men's hands on the bundle, and I saw it snatched away; they both ran away; one struck across the way, that was him which had the bundle; my daughter ran after him; I stood crying, and two men came up to me; I told them what had happened, and they ran after him and took him; their names are Raper and Booth; I got across the way, and the child came to me with the bundle again; in about a quarter of an hour, I was going home, and the men came after me, and said I should take him up, and they brought me back again; then I saw the prisoner in custody of the two men; the two men seized the bundle together; I observed the glimpse of the colour of his coat when he took the bundle, but he was as quick as lightning; it was a lightish colour; I did not see his face; I had not time to observe only to the prisoner's coat. SAMUEL BOOTH sworn. I live at No. 14, Barlow-street, Marybone: on Monday the 3d of January, coming along Portland-place with a friend, Mr. Raper, the corner of Weymouth-street, I heard the cry of stop thief! upon which I saw two men running; they both run across Weymouth-street into Weymouth-mews; one of them had a white bundle; we run up to the top of the mews, and there is no thoroughfare; and a man with a blue coat or jacket run past us, coming back again, and I stopped the prisoner and took a bundle out of his hand; he was returning also; I gave the bundle to the See originalClick to see original young woman, who ran up after us; I collared the prisoner with Raper, and we took him to the Dover-castle, in Weymouth-mews, and sent for a constable, and took him to Justice Reid's; he said nothing at the publick-house about the bundle; I could not see the men properly, but the bundle; I never lost sight of the bundle. LEONARD RAPER sworn. Deposed to the same effect, and that the prisoner came by, and said, the thieves are run the other way, but I have got the bundle; I said, it is very well, the poor girl will get her bundle again: Mr. Booth came up to me, and we collared him, and took the bundle; we took him into the publick-house, and sent for a constable; and he was committed; I never lost sight of the person who had the bundle; I never saw the bundle put down; I saw only two persons in the mews; one that came by me, and the other that came with the bundle, which is the prisoner. Booth. We were not twenty yards distance; I am very sure I saw the bundle all the time. CHARLES BAKER sworn. (Produced the things.) Mr. Booth gave me the bundle at the magistrate's; it has been in my possession ever since. Booth. I delivered it to the girl at first, and when I went into the publick-house I took it again, and carried it to the justice's, and gave it to the constable; it was opened there, and I marked every article by desire of the justice (deposed to by Mrs. Harrison): the string of the apron was torn off, and it was torn in the middle of the binding; I picked it up on the pavement, a yard from the place where he seized the bundle. PRISONER's DEFENCE. I was coming at the end of Portland-place; I heard the cry of stop thief! I perceived two men, one in blue and the other in a light drabbish coat; and I heard two women cry stop thief! and immediately the man in blue passed me; I followed him, and he turned down the stable-yard in Weymouth-street, on the right-hand; I followed him, within ten yards of him; I saw him heave something from him white; I crossed over to stop him; he knocked me down; then I picked up the bundle to give it to the person it belonged to, which I did, and gave it to the gentleman. GUILTY of stealing, but not violently . Transported for seven years . Tried by the second Middlesex Jury before Mr. Baron THOMPSON . © 2003-2018 Old Bailey Proceedings Online --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985 Name: William Nelson Death Date: 1792 Death Place: New South Wales Registration Year: 1792 Registration Place: Parramatta, New South Wales Volume Number: V1792452 2A