Thomas Perry

218

Dianne Jones on 29th May 2021

1832, 6 February: Thomas Perry's death sentence was commuted to transportation for life (see https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/life?id=obpt18311201-10-defend182). --00-- 1832: On arrival in VDL, he said his proper name was Thomas Chambers, and he had a previous conviction for uttering base coin (12 months). He was 27 and single. 1841, 27 September: Thomas Perry received a Conditional Pardon. 1845, 26 August: He was "pardoned for any country except Europe" (see https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON31-1-35$init=CON31-1-35p106)

218

Dianne Jones on 29th May 2021

1831, 1 December: Thomas Perry/Williams, 25, was tried at the Old Bailey: "First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron Vaughan. #10. THOMAS PERRY, alias WILLIAMS, was indicted for that he, at the General Session of the Peace, holden for the County of Middlesex, on the 25th of May, in the eleventh year of the reign of George the Fourth, together with one Joseph Brown, by the names of Thomas Perry, of St. Pancras, and Joseph Brown, of the same parish, were tried and convicted as common utterers of false money, and were sentenced to be imprisoned in the House of Correction, at Clerkenwell, for one year, and to find sureties for their good behaviour for two years more; and that the said Thomas Perry, now called Thomas Williams, having been so convicted as a common utterer of false money, afterwards, on the 4th of November last, at St. James, Westminster, 1 piece of false and counterfeit money, made to the likeness of a good shilling, feloniously did utter to one John Bulpitt, he knowing it to be false and counterfeit; against the Statute, & c. MESSRS. SCARLET and ELLIS conducted the prosecution. CALEB EDWARD POWELL. I am assistant to the solicitor of the Mint. I produce a copy of the record of the conviction of Thomas Perry , at Clerkenwell Session, in May, 1830; I examined it with the original, at the office of the Clerk of the Peace - (read, see indictment.) JOHN SUMMERSELL. I am a turnkey of the House of Correction, Middlesex. In May, 1830, I had the prisoner in my custody there for twelve months, he was convicted on the indictment just read; I was present at his conviction. JOHN BULPITT. I am a shopman to Railton and Co., haberdashers, No. 242, Regent-street, St. James'-parish. The prisoner came into our shop on Friday evening, the 4th of November, about seven o'clock, and asked for sufficient shoe-ribbon for a pair of shoes; I cut him three-quarters of a yard, which came to 1 1/2d. - he gave me a good half-crown - I gave him 2s. 4 1/2d., which I got from Mr. Peascod, our cashier; I observed the shillings which I gave him - they were two good shillings, I am confident, and they were a different stamp to what he afterwards produced; he took the 2s. 4 1/2d. up, and turned from the counter with the change in his hand - his back was then towards me; he immediately turned again, threw a shilling on the counter, and said, "You have given me a bad shilling;" I observed that shilling, and it was bad - the two I had given him had the coat of arms on them, and the one he produced had the lion and crown, I am positive of that; I took the shilling which he threw down, and told him it was a bad one, and I did not believe I had given it to him, but I took it to Peascod, and got him to change it - he said nothing in the prisoner's hearing; I gave the prisoner another shilling - I said nothing to him; he then left the shop - I followed him immediately, by direction of Peascod, and overtook him six or eight doors from the shop, in company with another man - I was within two yards of him; I followed them fifty or a hundred yards - both went down Regent-street in company together; he had joined the other man as soon as I got out, near our door - he crossed over the road alone, leaving the other man on the opposite side; he went into Mr. Waugh's, a chemist and druggist- I do not know what became of the other man; I stepped up to Mr. Waugh's window, and saw him served with something - he threw a half-crown down on the counter, which the young man took, and gave him change; he took up the change, then turned from the counter, and immediately turned back again to the young man, and threw down a shilling; I stepped into the shop at that moment, and asked the young man, in his hearing, if that was a bad shilling he had returned him - he said it was; I said he had served me in the like manner a few minutes before - the prisoner said he had never seen me, nor been in our shop; I have not a doubt of his person - the young man detained him; I got a Policeman, who apprehended him: the bad shilling which he returned to me I saw laid on one corner of the desk by Peascod - I left it there, and found it laying there when I came back; I had left Peascod there, and found him there when I returned - he marked the shilling in my presence, and I delivered it to the Policeman; I went with him to Waugh's - the prisoner was waiting there in the custody of another Policeman: the shilling the prisoner gave me was compared with the one he had passed at Waugh's, in the prisoner's presence. Prisoner. I never saw him till he was at Waugh's. Witness. I am quite positive of his person - he stood by the side of a gas-light; I have not a doubt of him - he went out, and I followed him; he was not out of my sight above a moment, while he turned the window at the corner- our shop stands rather back - it is opposite St. George's chapel. JOHN PEASCOD. I receive and change money at Messrs. Railton's. Bulpitt brought me half a crown about seven o'clock, and I gave him two shillings and 4 1/2d.; he brought me another shilling shortly after, which was a bad one - I said it was not one of those I gave him; I was satisfied of that at the time - I gave him another, and desired him to watch the prisoner; my desk is six or eight yards from where the prisoner stood - I saw him for a minute, but could not undertake to swear to him: Bulpitt returned to me in about tea minutes, with a Policeman - I had placed the shilling on the desk by itself when he gave it to me; it remained in my possession till it was delivered to the Policeman; I marked it before he had it, with an iron punch. JOHN PETER WILMOT. I am assistant to Mr. Waugh, a chemist, of Regent-street, about one hundred yards from Mr. Railton's, on the opposite side of the way. On the 4th of November, about seven o'clock, the prisoner came in, and asked for two cathartic pills, which cost 3d.; I served him - he gave me a good half-crown: I gave him two shillings and 3d. - he turned from the counter, then turned again, as I was shutting the drawer the pills were in, and said, "You have given me a bad shilling," throwing one on the counter - I said, "I don't think I gave you that shilling, but I will give you another," and did so - I put the shilling he threw down in the till; there was no other there - Bulpitt came in at the time I was giving him the good shilling, and asked if he had given me a bad shilling- I said, "I think it is;" I rang it, and put a little nitric acid on it, and it turned black - I was satisfied it was not silver; the prisoner said nothing; I detained him while the Policeman was sent for - I kept the shilling in my hand; Mr Waugh came in - I gave the shilling to Burgess, the Policeman. Prisoner. I returned him a shilling, but it was the one he gave me. CHRISTOPHER BURGESS. I was a Policeman. I was on duty, and Bulpitt desired me to go into Waugh's shop: I saw the prisoner there, searched him in the shop, and found two shillings and 3d. in his hand; Bailey, another Policeman, came in - I received a counterfeit shilling from Wilmot, and kept it for some time: I afterwards delivered the same to Mr. Field - I received another shilling from Bailey; I kept that also, and delivered them both to Mr. Field. on the 17th of November. THOMAS BAILEY. I am a Policeman. I was on duty. and went to Railton's shop; I received a bad shilling from Bulpitt; I saw it marked - I delivered the same to Burgess; I saw Peascod deliver it to Bulpitt, and saw him mark it. JOHN FIELD. I am inspector to the Mint. I produce two counterfeit shillings, which I received from Burgess at Marlborough-street, on the 17th of November; one of them appears as if acid had been applied to it - it has left a black mark; there appears to be an indenture on the other - they are both counterfeit, and both cast in the same mould; the reverse side is a crown surmounted by a lion - I produce them; they are both Britannia metal, and dated 1826. Prisoner's Defence. I was returning home on Friday evening. the 4th of November, and went into Mr. Waugh's shop for two antibilious pills; he gave me two shillings - I sounded them on the counter; one sounded lighter than the other; I said, "Is this a good one?" he said, "I don't know; "he took it, and gave me another - I was going out when Bulpitt came in. and said, "Stop;" I said, "What for?" he said, "Has not this man given you a bad shilling?" he said, "I will see:" he went to the till, and said "Yes, what did you return me this bad shilling for?" I said, "Because it was a bad one;" if I uttered the money to Bulpitt I must have had two good shillings and 4d. in my possession. (Dec.5.) GUILTY - DEATH. Aged 25." (see oldbaileyonline.org)