Robert Norton

341

Maureen Withey on 11th February 2026

Colonial Secretary Index. NORTON, Robert. Per "Admiral Gambier", 1811 1817 Dec 1 Servant of Messrs Ward, Conroy and Guise. Petition for mitigation of sentence (Fiche 3180; 4/1852 p.260)

341

Maureen Withey on 11th February 2026

Tried at the Old Bailey, 10 Jan 1810. 88. ROBERT NORTON was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 13th of November , a gelding, value 10 l. the property of Joshua Vevers . JOSHUA VEVERS . Q. Did you lose a horse any time in November last. - A. I was not at home, my ostler lent the horse; I know nothing but the horse being my own. JOHN MALING . Q. You are ostler to Mr. Vevers. - A. Yes, he lives at the Swan and Hoop, Moorgate . The prisoner came to me, and hired the horse on Monday, the 13th of November last, about nine o'clock in the morning. He did not return again that day; I never saw him, until I apprehended him myself on the other side of Blackfriars-bridge, on the Thursday following. Q. What space of time was the horse hired for. - A. For a few hours; to go to Hampstead, he said. I believe he was going to see his brother-in-law, and he wanted the horse for a ride. Q. You say you apprehended him. - A. I and another man, a hackney coachman. When I apprehended him, he said, how do you do, I am glad to see you; I said, how do you do, walk over the bridge and we will have something to drink; he said, I would as soon drink with you as any man. We walked over the bridge, I had hold of one arm, and the hackney coachman the other, and when we got over the bridge, he refused going any further; he said, what business had we to lead him that way. The coachman said, I am an officer, I will take you for horse stealing; I said, do not make words here; the prisoner said, show your authority. He could not show any authority; a mob gathered round, I had hold of him; I said, it is of no use your refusing going with me, for go you shall; I insist upon knowing where my horse is. Charles Humphries was coming past, and by some means came up at the same time; he tapped me on the shoulder; I said, is that you Humphries, have you any authority about you that you can shew; he shewed his authority, he went very quietly then; I gave him in charge of the officer. When we came to a public-house, we went in and had something to drink; we came out and called the coach, and he was taken to Bow-street that evening; and then the prisoner told me to whom he had sold the horse. He said, he sold the horse to Robert Boradil , he lived near Hyde Park corner. I went there, and had an order from Robert Boradil , to fetch the horse from Mr. Westall's livery stables, Black Horse yard, Curtain-road. I fetched him home on the 17th of November; I delivered the order to Mr. Westall, and he delivered the horse to me. Q. What was to be the hire of it for the day - A. I never told him, nor he did not ask the question. Q. Had you ever seen him before - A. It might be a week. He came into the yard, and put his horse up to bait; he paid for the corn, and asked me to direct him to Mr. Mitchell, a linen-draper, in Leadenhall-street; he said his brother-in-law lived there. Q. What became of the horse after you had brought him back - A. I sent him off a journey about three or four hours afterwards. Q. Did you bring him home to your master's stables - A. I brought him home to my master's stables. Q. Have you any doubt that he is the same horse - A. I am sure he is the same horse; he was a chesnut gelding, with a bald face and four white legs; we had him about four or five months. Mr. Arabin. Did your master permit you to let the horse out to hire - A. Yes. Q. I take it to be your business, when this man hired the horse, for you to enquire how long he wanted it - A. Yes. Q. I do not know whether you recollect of his saying, if he liked the horse he should keep it longer - A. No. Q. It does sometimes happen - A. It never happened with me. Q. When you took hold of him, he went very quietly with you till you pinched his arm holding him fast, then he wanted to see your authority - A. No man behaved more like a gentleman than he did: he is a gentleman all over him. ROBERT BORADIL. I live at a livery-stable, Grosvenor-place, near Hyde-park-corner. The prisoner came to me on the 13th of November, about twelve o'clock; he asked me to take care of his horse; he brought him to bait at our stables; he went out of the yard, and returned in five minutes, and said, he wished the horse to be cleaned, as he had got two or three gentlemen coming from Tattersall's to look at the horse; he wished me to make haste. I asked him, if he was going to sell the horse? he said, he was. I asked him, where he brought the horse from? he said, Bourn, in Lincolnshire. He said, he rode him all the way up from Bourn, in Lincolnshire; he had no further use for the horse, and he wished to sell him. I asked him, what the horse was used to do, whether it would draw; he said, it had been generally used in the country to carry double. I asked him, if he warranted the horse sound? he said, no, he did not; he did not want to have further trouble with him. I had the horse turned up and down the yard, to see if he was sound. I bought the horse for fourteen guineas. I asked him for his address; he gave me his address, George Thompson , Greyhound, Smithfield. Q. Have you got the receipt there - A. Yes; here is the receipt, and that is the address he gave me after I bought the horse. Q. The receipt is subscribed, George Thompson , Bourn, in Lincolnshire. What became of the horse afterward - A. He was owned afterwards by Mr. Vevers's ostler. He enquired if I had not bought the horse; I told him I had bought a horse exactly the same that he described the marks: it was a chesnut horse, a white face, and four white legs. I sent the horse to Mr. Westall's stables, in the Curtain-road, to be sent down in the country. I delivered the horse up as soon as they claimed the horse. I gave an order to get him from there. Mr. Arabin. You had never seen the prisoner before that morning - A. No. Court. Look at him, and see if you are certain that is the man - A. That is the man. CHARLES HUMPHRIES . Q. We understand this man was giving into your charge - A. Yes, for horse stealing. I took charge of him. Q. What passed going along - A. Nothing particular. I took him to Bow-street, from there I went to the man that bought the horse. Q.(to Mr. Vevers.) Have you seen this horse since he was brought home - A. Yes; it is the same horse that I had in the stable before he was let to the prisoner. I have had him six or seven months. Prisoner's Defence. I have nothing to say. I leave myself to the mercy of the Court. GUILTY - DEATH , aged 26. Second Middlesex jury, before the Lord Chief Baron.