Thomas Ransom

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 7th November 2024

1813 - "Scarborough", 1790; former Master Carpenter, Norfolk Island 1823 - On list of persons owing quit rents in Van Diemen's Land; for land in the District of Green Ponds

342

Maureen Withey on 9th May 2020

Thomas Ransom was tried at the Old Bailey with his wife Elizabeth, who was found Not Guilty. -------------------------------------------------- Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 09 May 2020), October 1786, trial of WILLIAM SHERBERD LUCY SHERBERD THOMAS RANSOM ELIZABETH RANSOM (t17861025-21). WILLIAM SHERBERD, LUCY SHERBERD, THOMAS RANSOM, ELIZABETH RANSOM, Theft > burglary, 25th October 1786. 781. WILLIAM SHERBERD , LUCY SHERBERD , THOMAS RANSOM , and ELIZABETH RANSOM were indicted for burglariously and feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling house of Thomas Kidd , about the hour of twelve in the night, on the 5th day of June , and burglariously stealing therein, a feather-bed, value 20 s. two bolsters, value 6 s. two pillows, value 2 s. three pair of sheets, value 21 s. two blankets, value 2 s. a rug, value 3 s. a counterpane, value 12 s. thirty linen clouts, value 3 s. two linen petticoats, value 2 s. one marseilles petticoat, value 5 s. one silk gown, value 20 s. three cotton gowns, value 36 s. two bed gowns, value 2 s. a four aprons, value 4 s. two shifts, value 4 s. two pair of stuff slippers, value 2 s. a pair of leather shoes, value 3 s. a pair of silver shoe buckles, value 6 s. three pair of cotton stockings, value 3 s. two pair of worsted stockings, value 4 s. two pair of silk and worsted ditto, value 4 s. seven linen shirts, value 7 s. a pair of nankeen breeches, value 2 s. a looking glass, value 16 s. a pair of fustian breeches, value 2 s. a silk waistcoat, value 2 s. a cloth coat, value 10 s. two handkerchiefs, value 2 s. fourteen pounds weight of soap, value 5 s. two napkins, value 2 s. a table cloth, value 1 s. two felt hats, value 12 s. and a leather pocket book, value 1 s. his property, in the said dwelling house . A second count, For breaking the said house, on the said 5th of June, about ten in the forenoon, no person being therein, and stealing the goods before mentioned. (The witnesses examined apart.) MARY KIDD sworn. I am wife of Thomas Kidd ; I live at No. 82, Brook-street, Ratcliff ; I left my house on the 4th of June, on Sunday night, about seven o'clock; I left nobody in it; I secured the doors and windows, and every place myself; I went on board ship with my husband; I returned on Tuesday following; the outside door was fast, and I could not get the key in; I lifted up the latch, and found the door was on the latch; there was a half hatch on the door; I bolted it when I went out on the inside, about half way on the hatch; the bolt was bursted off and lay on the middle of the floor; there was no other fastening to the hatch; the first thing I missed was a looking glass; I found my house had been rifled of a great many things; all the chairs were placed round the fire place, and the kettle on the fire; there was the appearance of people having been there; I do not know any thing against the prisoners; I once saw the prisoner Sherberd calling a coach to carry some prisoners to gaol. Mr. Peat, Prisoner's Counsel. Had any person a key to the house besides yourself? - No. HANNAH WELCH sworn. Mr. and Mrs. Kidd were on shore on Sunday afternoon, about seven o'clock in the evening; they went on board again; I live in Glasshouse-fields, I do not live in this house; on Tuesday morning she came on shore for some clean things, and she came to our house, and said her house was broke open, and I went home with her directly, and the first thing we saw was a tinder box on the dresser, and the candle almost burnt out, and round the fire place all the chairs were set; we turned round and missed the looking glass; as we were going up stairs she picked up a handkerchief and petticoat; I went up into the room, and there were two drawers laying, and one of them the bottom was knocked out; and we turned round and the bed and bed clothes were gone; the house was rifled; on the Saturday afternoon afterwards we went to Bow fair, me and Mr. Kidd, and Mrs. Kidd, and there we saw the prisoner Mrs. Sherberd with a gown and petticoat on, which Mrs. Kidd claimed; we went round the fair; we did not speak to her; the next day Mrs. Kidd and me went to place called Spice island, and there we found one of her husband's shirts, all tore up in a tub of water, and part of an apron; that was at Mr. Ransom's house; and the next morning they were brought before the Justice; I saw a few keys in Mr. Fletcher's hands; I know nothing about them. Were these keys tried? - No. Mr. Peatt. Did Mrs. Kidd go near to Mrs. Sherberd? - No, Sir; we were at some distance from her. Court. How near? - We were not very close. Was you within one, two, or ten yards? - Oh, yes, we passed close to them, and looked at them a good bit. THOMAS DOBSON sworn. I am a pawnbroker, in Butcher Row, Whitechapel; on the 11th of June, one John Orange came to my house with Mary Kidd and her husband; I was not at home, and asked for several things, which I shall now produce. (Produced) I had two cotton gowns, a Marseilles petticoat, one man's coat, one dozen and a half of clouts, one pair of stockings; that is all. How came you by these things? - On the 6th of June, Elizabeth Ransom brought one cotton gown, which she pledged with me for two shillings and nine-pence; this is it; on the 8th of June, she brought the dozen and a half of clouts; on the 9th she brought one pair of stockings; on the 10th of June, she brought me the man's coat, the Marseilles petticoat, and on the same day, Elizabeth Sherberd 's sister brought me a gown, which when she used to use my shop, by sending of her parents, she always used my shop in the name of Bennett, but when she brought this gown, she asked me twelve shillings upon it; I said, I could not afford to lend no more than eight shillings; she returned in twenty minutes to take eight shillings, and desired a duplicate, in the name of Elizabeth Smith . (Deposed to by Mrs. Kidd.) Mrs. Kidd. The flounced coat belonging to one of the gowns was left; the gowns are both mine; the prisoner Sherberd had the cotton gown on a Bow fair; the coat is my husband's, the clouts are my own work, made out of old things; I can swear to the piece of canvas that they are pinned up in; I know nothing of the prisoner; the gown that I saw at Bow fair was flou..d down with a gore, and it has been altered;; at Spice island I enquired after them, and I found where they lived; I remember it was the prisoner I saw calling a coach; I went to search their house, at young Brocks's in Spice island; Mrs. Fletcher had the keys; they would not let me have them to try them; there I found some strips of shirts; young Brocks informed us where the prisoner Ransom lodged; Sherberd lodged in his house; in Brocks's house, I found this piece of my gown, which had been cut off; they were found in the lower fore room; this piece would match; here are one of the sleeves of a shirt which is stained by the sugars; here are two more sleeves, and the hind and fore part of a shirt, and the collar and waistbands tore away; they were admitted to bail before the Magistrate. Is not it a very common pattern? - Yes; I never saw the woman prisoner before, but walking up and down; I was positive to the women when I saw them. Do you know that piece of canvas from any thing but its general appearance? - No, but I am sure it is mine. Court. When you went out, where did you leave your tinder box? - On the middle of the dresser, the flint and steel were laying on the dresser and the matches on the ground, and the andle very near burnt out. Then there was the appearance of its being used in your absence? - Yes. JOHN ORANGE sworn. On Sunday the 11th of June, Mr. Kidd and Thomas Cole , John Fletcher and me in company together, went to the apartments of Sherberd, in Ratcliffe parish, at one Brocks's house; we knocked at the door, and finding nobody answer we broke it open; we found nobody there; in the afternoon Thomas Cole , I, and Brocks, went to Ransom's apartments, and found nobody at home; there we got into the back window; in searching his apartment, we found a chissel, a center-bit, and file in the back room; it is a little hut with two low rooms; we retired from there to a public house opposite, the Green Man; there I was informed where these things were in pawn, accordingly I went to Mr. Dobson's in Bakers-row, and he was out; I went again on the Monday morning with Mr. Kidd. WILLIAM SPRAGG sworn. I live at Ratcliffe cross: on the 6th of June, Mr. Sherberd brought me a pair of nankeen breeches to alter them, to take them in; he took them away from me altered; then the other man prisoner came in, and told me he had a job to do; he took a handkerchief and untied it, and produced this coat which is here; he said a woman had it to alter before; and I altered it, and on the 8th of June he fetched it away from me; I never saw the nankeen breeches before. Mrs. Kidd. Here is the half handkerchief which was taken off Mrs. Ransom's neck; I know this by the border. Do you know it only by the border? - No, but it is cut in half, and it was put round her neck, and never hemmed; as soon as I said this is my handkerchief, she gave it to me, and gave me a shove, and said take it, I had it with the rest of the things; then I looked at her, and she had one of my shifts on, and a pair of cotton stockings on; I said I ought to have them, and Mr. Fletcher made answer, would you strip her here; I knew the shift, it had a very little bosom, and when I lay in, I had it cut bigger, and afterwards I sewed it with coarse groat thread; I have the fellow to the stockings on at that time. But you know there are a thousand dozens made that are all fellows; was there any work upon them? - I did not examine them. THOMAS COLE sworn. The Sunday after Whitsunday, we had information to go into a house; and we went to the house of Sherberd, where we were told he lived, nobody was at home; we searched his apartments and found nothing; in the afternoon I heard where Ransom lived; me and Mr. Orange went there; we got in at the window, and looked over the house, and found a parcel of things laying about; I found some things in a washing-tub; I sent for the prosecutor and his wife, and they came; she looked out what she thought she knew; she said there were some things there she could swear to; she wrung them out of the dirty water, and took them; on the evening of the same day, we took Mrs. Ransom into custody, we brought her to the watch-house; Mrs. Kidd then came, and swore to those things that she took of the tub; a considerable time after we had information of the two men, we took them at Haggerston gardens, in Sherberd's house, as he said, little huts. JOHN FLETCHER sworn. I heard of this robbery, and at Bow-fair I saw Mrs. Kidd; she told me she had seen the people that had robbed her, with the clothes on their back; I believe they had got a hint, and was gone away; I found out on the Sunday morning where one of the parties lived; I knew him very well before; I broke open the door, and went in and searched the place, and found a piece of a gown, which Mrs. Kidd said was cut off her gown; it had been cut shorter; Mr. Brook the landlord told me Sherbred lodged there; in the evening I went to Spice Island, where I found Mrs. Ransom; two of our people had been there before me; on Saturday week receiving information where Ransom and Sherberd were, we went to a little house in Haggerston's gardens; there were Ransom and Sherberd together; Sherberd said it was his apartment; we searched it every where, and in the window I found this centre bit; they had been at breakfast; they were going to remove, they were packing up their things; I afterwards went to the apartment where Ransom said he lived, and I found nothing there; I verily and sincerely believe Sherberd lived at Brook's; Brooks came before the Magistrate, and said Sherberd lodged there, but Sherberd was not present; I found no keys particular; I saw two or three small keys, they were not picklock keys, and I left them behind; I found them at Sherberd's. They say they were a large bunch of keys? - No, they were not. Were not they before the Justice? - Never. Are you sure of that? - Positively, I should have apprehended they were very material, if I found any such thing in their apartment. JOHN TANN sworn. I apprehended the woman, as a woman of loose character. Did you know where Sherberd lodged? - Yes, in Whitechapel, at his father's house, a good while. Do you know Brook? - No, I never saw him before yesterday and to day. Mr. Peatt to Mrs. Kidd. You suppose most of the things that lay there to be your's, and your husband's? - Yes. You expect to have them home with you, do you not? - I should with it. You would be very loth to go home without them, would you not? - Yes. Court. Among the things that you lost, was there a pair of nankeen breeches? - Yes. Is your husband a larger sized, or a smaller sized man than Sherberd? - He is much about the same lustiness; but the breeches were a great deal too big for my husband. PRISONER SHERBERD'S DEFENCE. I know nothing of it. What is your way of life? - A shoemaker. PRISONER LUCY SHERBERD 'S DEFENCE. I leave it to my counsel. (The prisoner Lucy Sherberd called two witnesses, who gave her a good character.) PRISONER RANSOM'S DEFENCE. Since trade has been so dead, I have dealt in Rosemary-lane, in buying and selling old clothes; and I have sufficient witnesses that I do deal there. PRISONER ELIZABETH RANSOM 'S DEFENCE. I leave it to my counsel. Court to Ransom and Sherberd. How come you to leave your lodgings? - Because trade was so dead. (The prisoner Ransom and his wife called three witnesses, who gave them a good character.) Prisoner Ransom. Mr. Fletcher has seen my wife buying and selling clothes in the fair. Mr. Fletcher. I would rather not be called on for character; I cannot say I have, and if I was to be called on for character, I should say something that might not be proper. WILLIAM SHERBERD , GUILTY , Death . LUCY SHERBERD , NOT GUILTY . THOMAS RANSOM , GUILTY , Death . ELIZABETH RANSOM , NOT GUILTY . Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Baron EYRE . -------------------------------------------------- National Archives. HO 47/9/21 1789 July 21 Letter from James Adair enclosing a list of capital respites, in Newgate on 24 June, to whom no pardon has yet been granted, and on which his recommendations are noted against each name. Adair mentions that he is at a loss as to what to suggest for James Carse, convicted of murder, but periodically insane. List of capital convicts in Newgate, 24 June 1789. October Sessions, 1786 4. William Sturburd and Thomas Ransom, for burglary in the house of Thomas Kidd and stealing goods, value £10:19:0. Recommendation: transportation for life.