Andrew Roke

116

Tony Beale on 27th October 2020

Old Bailey Online 194. ANDREW ROKE and GEORGE THATCHER were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 29th of January , forty-eight yards of printed cotton, value 4 l. 16 s. the property of John Hughes , in his dwelling-house . JOHN EVANS . I am an assistant to John Hughes , linen-draper in Holborn . I live at 280, Tottenham-court-road, in the parish of St. George's in the Fields. On Saturday the 29th of January, about three in the afternoon, I perceived these two pieces of print taken down from where I put them in the morning. I perceived the two prisoners walking up and down before the house, and I saw these two pieces of print taken off the line where they were put in the morning by themselves. Q. Where was the linen - A. Inside of the shop. They were hanging up inside of the shop. I cannot say who took them down. When I perceived them taken down I went into one corner of the shop and watched, having suspicion. I watched the prisoners walking up and down at one corner of the shop; after the prints were taken down I watched there for a quarter of an hour, and when they had an opportunity the prisoner Roke came in and put one of them on the top of the other. Q. Roke entered the shop, did he - A. Yes, and put one of the prints on the other; he clapped his apron over them. Q. He had an apron on then - A. Yes, he was in the act of taking them away; somebody came past at the time. Q. Had he moved them from where they were - A. Yes; he had taken them down from where I put them. Somebody coming past at the time, Thatcher gave him a signal to be off. Thatcher was waiting outside at the door at the time; somebody came by; he gave him a signal to run off. I pursued him; both run off contrary ways. I pursued, and took the prisoner Roke; Christopher Truman took Thatcher. CHRISTOPHER TRUMAN . I was in the shop; as soon as I was disengaged the other witness came up, and told me that the prints were not in the same state as he put them in the morning; that he had seen the prisoners walk by the shop several times. I then went and watched as well as him. I observed the prisoners walk by the shop twice; the third time the prisoner Roke stepped into the shop; he took one piece of print up from a box; he put it on the other; he put his apron over it, and as he was going to take it away the other prisoner gave him a signal that somebody was coming. Q.What was the signal - A. He touched him, which I understood to be a signal; then he dropped the print out of his apron, and run away. One of the pieces of print cost Mr. Hughes two shillings and four pence a yard, and the other one shilling and ten pence. They are forty-eight yards; twenty-four yards each. That was the prime cost. Roke's Defence. I know nothing of the transaction. Thatcher's Defence. I was twenty yards off when one of these gentlemen took me. Roke called two witnesses, who gave him a good character. ROKE, GUILTY - DEATH , aged 19. THATCHER, GUILTY - DEATH , aged 19. [The prisoners were recommended to mercy by the jury, on account of their good character.] First Middlesex jury, before Mr. Justice Heath. Margaret Ellis in the New South Wales, Australia, Convict Applications for the Publication of Banns, 29/5/1829 Name: Margaret Ellis Servant of William Henderson of Brisbane Waters. Appears to be a quiet industrious young lady Gender: Female Birth Year: abt 1807 Age: 22 Arrival year: 1828 Arriving Vessel: Marquis of Wellington Spouse Name: Andrew Roke Overseer to William Bean. A very good character to his present and former master> Has been with his present master 4 1/2 years and held a ToL for 10 years. Honest and industrious and a catholic Spouse Gender: Male Spouse Birth Year: 1794 Spouse Age: 35 Spouse Arrival Year: 1815 Spouse Vessel: Competitor Marriage Year: Abt 1829 Application Date: 29 May 1829 Application Place:Brisbane Water, New South Wales, Australia