George Prince

341

Maureen Withey on 24th February 2022

George Prince was tried with John Bond, ( transported on the same ship). There is a Criminal petion held at the National Archives on behalf of John Bond: National Archives. Criminal Petitions. HO 17/35/30 Prisoner name: John Bond. Prisoner occupation: Stationer and bookseller, formerly a private in the 4th Regiment of Foot. Court and date of trial: Old Bailey 10 April 1827. Crime: Receiving stolen goods, namely a quantity of books and paper from William Lawrence in January 1827, and later found to be stolen from William Cole (publisher) of Newgate Street [London] by George Prince (Cole's servant). Initial sentence: 14 years transportation. Annotated: 'Refused'. Petitioner(s): John Bond (the convict) undersigned as to character by John Perkins (late master) among 39 inhabitants of the City of London. 15 inhabitants of Castle Baynard [City of London] known to the convict. Two petitions from William Cole (prosecutor). Grounds for clemency: His counsel grossly neglected his case in court; he was totally ignorant of the theft; he bought the items in the normal course of business at their true value; his previous good character; his late master would re-employ him if liberated; his pregnant wife and three children rely on him for support and are in deep distress; he is disabled from his war wounds. Other papers: Letter from William Cole transmitting his own petition. Letter from Francis Hill transmitting a petition. Additional Information: Served 10 years in the army [details given] and was wounded seven times. He was tried with George Prince (warehouseman to the prosecutor) who was charged with the theft and also sentenced to 14 years transportation. Lawrence turned King's Evidence against them both and was not charged. Date: 1827 Apr 16 - 1827 Jun 13. -------------------------------------------------- Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 24 February 2022), April 1827, trial of GEORGE PRINCE WILLIAM LAWRENCE JOHN BOND (t18270405-245). GEORGE PRINCE, WILLIAM LAWRENCE, JOHN BOND, Theft > stealing from master, Theft > receiving, 5th April 1827. 997. GEORGE PRINCE was indicted for stealing, on the 1st of March , 100 printed bound books, value 15l. , the goods of William Cole , his master; and WILLIAM LAWRENCE and JOHN BOND were indicted for feloniously receiving the same, knowing them to have been stolen . MR. ADOLPHUS (on behalf of the prosecution) declined offering any evidence against Lawrence, and a verdict of Not Guilty was here taken as to him. WILLIAM COLE. I am a bookseller and publisher , and live in Newgate-street. I was not brought up to the business, but have been in it about three years - Prince was my warehouseman all that time, and by his conduct gained my decided confidence - I trusted him accordingly. I am publisher of the "Little Lexicon, or Multum in Parvo;" it is 32mos - the price to the public, in good binding, is from 7s. 6d. to 8s. 6d., those of a middling binding are 6s. 6d. - it was published the middle or end of 1825 - I am the sole publisher - the sale was very extensive - Mr. Maunder manages the sale to the trade. GEORGE ROWLEY . In February last I was at Mr. Mason's shop, in Tottenham-court-road, and saw some Little Lexicons there, with silver locks and tucks, I had bound some for Cole, and knew my workmanship; I asked the price - he said he could sell them at 4s. or 5s. each, according to the binding - I bought none - I called two or three times, and made a communication to Maunder - I charged Cole 3s. a volume for binding such as I saw there. JOSEPH MARTIN . I am a bookbinder; some of the Lexicons produced were bound by me for Mr. Cole - he paid me from 2s. to 5s. each for them - here a few common prayer books, the common ones I had 6ld. each for binding. Cross-examined by MR. ANDREWS. Q. Shew me one of the best bound Lexicons? A. Here are some with silver locks and tucks, which cost 4s. or 5s. - I have had a thousand Lexicons at a time to bind, and five hundred prayer-books: I then did them for less - the folding and sewing of the Lexicons cost 6d. each - here is a common one which cost 3s. binding. THOMAS MASON . I am a bookseller, and live in High Holborn. Rowley came to me, and saw some Lexicons on my counter - I bought them of a person who Bond said was his brother; he is now outside the Court. I bought one book of Bond; I bought two Lexicons at 3s. 6d., and four at 3s.; that was all I had; they were bound with silver locks. I sold four at 5s., or 5s. 6d. each. Cross-examined by MR. ANDREWS. Q. I suppose they sell at various prices in the trade? A. Yes. WILLIAM LAWRENCE . I am a broker and appraiser. I have known Prince some years - he was in the employ of Mr. Cole; I have dealt with him for books, and sold books for him for the last eighteen months, Lexicons of this description and Bibles; I used to sell them to the prisoner Bond, but to nobody else. I have sold him books to the amount of 150l. at several different times, sometimes it was very trivial - Prince gave me the price I was to sell them at - I did not always get the price he fixed; I have frequently spoken to Prince about how he got them; he said they were stock that had been reserved at the time of the dissolution of partnership between Mr. Hodson and Mr. Cole - I understood him to mean that he had reserved them for himself - I always paid the money to Prince; he said nothing about any danger in it, that I recollect. I have not seen him and Bond together above twice, once at my house at Walworth, and once we met Prince and went into a public-house in St. Paul's-church-yard - I do not recollect any particular conversation between them; the Lexicons were such as are produced. I never sold any to any one else - Bond never asked me any question before he bought them; the first I sold he gave me 2s. for; the second, 1s. 9d.; and after that, 1s. 6d. - they were bound in the same state as those produced - I sold these prayer books at 1s. 3d. each. I sold several large octavo B bles at 9s. or 10s. each, bound as those produced; Bond keeps a little stationer's shop on Peter's-hill, Doctors' Commons; I think his name is over the door, and the words, "Dealer in marine-stores." I saw some books on his premises, which seemed as if they had been bought for sale; it is a shop, but has a private window - some books were in the window. Cross-examined by Mr. ANDREWS. Q. You are a broker, where is your shop? A. I keep no shop; I lived in Walworth-villa for fourteen months before I was taken, and had my name over my door there. Q. When this charge was first made, was not Bond a witness against you? A. He brought the officers to my house; there was a contention who should be the witness. I heard him say something to the Magistrate about the price while I was at the bar; I was before Sir Peter Laurie; Bond was in custody, though he was examined; I carried the books in my hand - I might go about a hundred times; I had 25 per cent. for it. I did not have half, on my oath - his brother-in-law has seen me sell him books - he generally paid me at a public-house, at the Blue Last. Peter's-hill, and another house in Thames-street; he often got change there; the best price he ever gave was 2s., andthe lowest 1s. 6d. I knew Prince was only Cole's servant - I understood by the word "reserve," that he had stolen them. I did not tell Bond they were stolen, but he must know it by the marks on the papers. I cannot point out which books I sold him - I frequently did not see them till Bond opened the paper parcels - he opened the papers and destroyed them - I never inquired what they sold for. MR. ADOLPHUS. Q. Did you know any thing about the books but what Prince told you? A. No; I took them in the booksellers' papers, which were taken off and destroyed - they were in parcels marked, and the marks taken off. Cross-examined by MR. BARRY. Q. Are you married? A. Yes, and have a family; I was not in an extensive business, but was not particularly pressed for money. I had not left my family; I do not live with my wife now, nor have I for some years. Mr. Cole does not publish any other Lexicons - I never threatened Prince at all in order to get more books. SAMUEL MAUNDER . I am managing clerk to Mr. Cole; these Lexicons are his publication; the worst bound ones are sold at 4s. 10d. to the trade, the others are all higher according to the binding; they were not published when Messrs. Hodson and Cole separated. In consequence of information I went with an officer to Bond's house, and found fifty-four Lexicons, three Common Prayer books, and about twelve Ambulators; Bond was not present till just as we were coming out; four or five of the books were exhibited for sale - the others were locked in a writing-desk; the officers asked Bond how he came by them - he said he bought them of Lawrence, a broker, whom he had known, and dealt with, for two years, and gave 2s. 9d. each for them; he was asked if he had sold any to Mr. Mason, and denied it, but named Ratcliffe, a bookseller, who he believed lived in the Borough; he professed himself unable to say to whom else they had been sold, but at last called "Jem," (who was James Bartlett): the officer asked him to whom he had sold them - and Tottenham-court-road being mentioned, he named Tyler, or Taylor, as a person to whom some had been sold; I believe Jem said so; I think Bond said he had sold Ratcliffe half a dozen; I believe the name of Clark. of Paternoster-row, was mentioned as having had some; Boud denied all that we said; I asked him what kind of broker Lawrence was; he said he was a man who did business as he did, by carrying round paper and other goods to customers, of whom he was one; he said he had spent about 50l. with him in the course of two years; the officer asked him if he had not told Mason that he got these books in payment for paper, which the publishers could not always pay for in money; he said he had not said so; Bond was taken into custody; we went over to Walworth to find Lawrence, whose residence he said he could not exactly describe; I staid in a coach, and the officer brought Lawrence out - he was told to say nothing to hurt himself; he named Prince as the person he had the books from, and after some time admitted that he knew Prince was in Mr. Cole's employ, and named his residence; we then went to the counter - he was asked what Bond had paid for the Lexicons, he said 2s. 6d., and Bond said 2s. 9d. - Lawrence said nothing in answer; I asked Bond if he had had a considerable number, and believe I named five hundred - he said somewhere about sixty - Bond did not say a word to that - I believe all Bond said, was, that he only wished other people were as honest as himself - he said that to me in a low whisper; Prince's name was mentioned, and it was said, at one time, that Prince and Bond had met at Lawrence's house once, but he denied any intimacy: some of these books are very well bound; Prince could take books at any time, being the warehouseman, through whose hands all books passed, but nobody else could; when Prince was going to be examined, Mr. Cole and I went into the Justice-room, and I spoke to him before the Magistrate came; he said he was very guilty, he was ashamed to look Mr. Cole in the face. Cross-examined by Mr. BARRY. Q. No particular property had been mentioned to him? A. I had spoken of the Lexicons - nobody could take them without his knowledge. Cross-examined by Mr. PRENDERGAST. Q. This book appears on the title-page to be published by Mr. Cole? A. Yes - it was not printed when Mr. Hodson was in the business; the officer pressed Bond to go to find Lawrence; I saw Jem go to the counter - he came to the Justice-room next morning - Lawrence was then at the bar - I brought the books away - the Ambulators were afterwards brought there; Bond produced them before the Justice, himself, I believe; Lawrence first said he sold some for 2s. 6d., Bond said 2s. 9d.; these books have not been reduced in price - some works published since are reduced; Bond informed where to find Laurence - Prince was then very ill. Mr. ADOLPHUS. Q. If a partnership was dissolved, a proprietor would have a fresh title page? A. Yes - Bond was examined before Alderman Crowder, and afterwards before Sir Peter Laurie; Alderman Crowder sent him to obtain bail, but Sir Peter Laurie committed him for felony. COURT. Q. Did Bond himself give up the Ambulators? A. Yes - I had seen them at his premises, but left them, and could not swear to a book published by two people. JOSEPH MARTIN . I am an officer. I went with Foster to Bond's house, on Peter's-hill; I looked in at the window; and there saw five Lexicons, nine Ambulators, and three Prayer books; I went in, and asked the price of the Lexicons; they said 3s. 6d. - Bond was not there then; I asked for one better gilt; the person in the shop then opened a desk, which was full; while I was looking at them Mr. Maunder and Foster came in; I then went up-stairs, and staid about ten minutes; when I came down I found Bond had come in, and was talking to Foster; I heard him ask if he had not sold some of them to Mason, and told him he could sell them cheap, having taken them for paper; he said, "No, I never did;" he then said, Jem might have done it; Bartlett was then called, and said he had sold some to a person named Tyler; I asked Bond who he bought them of - he said of Lawrence, a broker - I asked what broker - he said, neither a furniture broker, nor a commission broker, but a general broker; I said it became him to say where he bought them, as they were stolen - he said he did not know where he lived, as he had only been there once; I took a coach, and went there; I sent Bond to the door, supposing he might get admission; he knocked at the door, and asked if Lawrence was at home; they said Yes - we went into the room, where three persons were, and he pointed out Lawrence; I said some Lexicons had been sold to Bond, and asked if he had sold them - he said he had, and there was one of them on the shelf - that he had them from a person named Prince, who he believed was a binder, who bought them in sheets, and bound them for sale - that he lived in Princes-street, Barbican, on the right-hand side of the way; we then came to town - I rode on the box, there not being room inside. Cross-examined by MR. PRENDERGAST. Q. Did Lawrence's account appear correct? A. Not quite; Prince was not a bookbinder. Jem said he had sold none to Mason, but to Tyler, and that a book, which he had in his hand, would shew what were sold. JAMES THOMAS RATCLIFFE . I am a stationer, and live at No. 75, Blackman-street, Borough. I bought seventy-one or seventy-two books of Bond, at different times - there were about twenty-eight of these little Lexicons - the others were Bibles and Prayer books; I paid 3s. 6d. for the Lexicons, 3s. 8d. and 3s. 9d. for the Prayers - some Bibles from 10s. to 12s. - he said he had them in the way of barter. and therefore could sell them cheap; he said he got all the books in the same way - that he was accustomed to sell paper at the west end of the town, and when they could not pay cash he took books in exchange - he said that in reference to these books, but only once. He stated that some bookbinders had got a quantity of the Lexicons in sheets, in consequence of Mr. Cole being unfortunate in trade, and would be glad to sell them for the price of the binding, to get rid of them; he never stated to me that he gave a price, but said he took them in barter. I destroyed the marks on the Prayer books and Bbibles, thinking they were old shopkeeper's marks. Cross-examined by MR. PRENDERGAST. Q. Was this conversation more than once? A. I asked him several times were he got them; I always considered him to bear a good character; he deals extensively in paper. HUGH HUGHES . I am a bookseller, and live in St. Martin's-le-Grand. I bought some little Lexicons of Bartlett, Bond's brother-in-law - I gave 4s. for one, and 3s. 6d. for others. MR. COLE. I have never been obliged to leave my books in the bookbinders' hands, because I could not pay them. Rowley and Martin were employed to bind them. Cross-examined by MR. PRENDERGAST. Q. Was there not a great depression in the trade? A. Yes; I dare say many might be obliged to do so. There was a mark in Roman characters on the papers my books were in. GEO. ROWLEY . I never detained any of Mr. Cole's books. JOSEPH MARTIN . I never detained any books.(Property produced and sworn to.) BOND's Defence. Prince says Lawrence had half the money for what he had sold; I have got his bills, and he gave me a very good reference; he called on me on the 27th of November, 1825, and said, "You have seen me over the water;" I said Yes - he named one or two persons whom he had sold to; he called again in a few days, and I bought some of him, and have his bill; I bought of him from that time - he said he had a friend in the business, and sold the books for him; I bought forty, which he then had, and said, if they sold well I would take more - I did not know but they were his own. I have dealt with Mr. Alderman Key to a large amout, and with other stationers; I always gave a fair price. I know his prices were as high as other people's; his bills will show what I gave. JAMES BARTLETT . I am Bond's brother-in-law. I remember Lawrence coming to his house with books - I may have seen him a dozen times - Bond often refused to buy, because he could not sell them; the lowest price I ever knew him give was 2s. 9d. per book - I have bought books of him myself, but not Lexicons - I had known him two years - he represented himself as a broker - I heard him say he was in the habit of going to sales, and got them cheap, and by that means could sell them cheap - I have sold them - the first lot for 3s. 6d., and some at 3s. MR. ADOLPHUS. Q. Where these, which were brought away, bought of Lawrence? A. Yes: they have dealt for fifteen months - he has sold Bibles, Prayers, and ambulators - I asked no questions how he got them - I have not sold many in the shop - I sold six to Mr. Mason, in Tottenham-court-road, to the best of my recollection, at different times, at 3s. a book. I sold some books to Tyler, but not Lexicons - I have been at Mason's seven or eight times - he does not live at Tottenham-court-road, but in High-street, Bloomsbury - I do not recollect being asked if I sold him any - I sold some to Mr. Clark, in Paternuster-row, and to Ratcliffe. I do not recollect telling Mason why I sold them so cheap; I never told him Bond took them in exchange for paper. COURT. Q. Were you called down when Martin was there? A. Yes; they asked if I had sold any to Mason, of Tottenham-court-road - I did not know Mason, of Tottenham-court-road, and denied selling any to Mason, of Tottenham-court-road, not selling to Mason. MR. ADOLPHUS. Q. How far is Mason's from Tottenham-court-road? A. I suppose fifty yards - I thought they meant Mason's father, as I have seen him there. MR. PRENDERGAST. Q. Was any thing said about an account book? A. No; I do not keep any account. JOHN FOLLIT . I am Bond's brother-in-law, and live on St. Peter's-hill with him. I have seen Lawrence at his shop several times - he brought such books as there - I heard him say when he brought the best, the first lot, they were 2s. 9d. Bond told me to enter forty books at 2s. 9d., which I did - I have seen him bring in books at different times, he said, "The same as the last;" some were sold at 2s. 6d., being not bound so well - Lawrence said he was a broker, and bought things cheap at sales - I heard nothing about bookbinders. J. MASON. My house is two or three doors from Tottenham-court-road. Several respectable witnesses gave Bond a good character. PRINCE - GUILTY . Aged 37. BOND - GUILTY . Aged 45. Transported for Fourteen Years .

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 16th December 2021

1828 - New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents. Name; George Prince Age; 39 years. Widower - 2 children Native Place; Blandford, Dorset Trade or calling; Nursery-man & gardener Offence; Robbing Employer Trial; London - 8 April - 14 years Height; 5 ft. 4 1/4 in Remarks; DIED; in General Hospital, Sydney August 1838 1834 - Ticket of Leave. Date; 26 Jul 1834. 1835 - Feb. TOL suspended for 6 months by the Hyde Park Barrack Bench 23 Feb 1835. For Neglect of Duty 1838 - New South Wales, Australia, Convict Death Name: George Prince Age: 50 Date of Death: 5 Aug 1838 District: Sydney