Mary Ann Selkirk

116

Tony Beale on 31st January 2021

Old Bailey online 481. MARY ANN SELKIRK was indicted for stealing, on the 7th of January,1835, 28 yards of ribbon, value 18s., the goods of Joseph Railton and another. HENRY ASBRIDGE . I am in the employ of Joseph Railton and another, of Regent-street. About five o'clock on the evening of the 7th of January, the prisoner came and asked to look at some sarsnet ribbon, at about eightpence a yard—I showed her some at eightpence halfpenny—she asked if I had any wider—I went to see, and on returning to the drawer, I missed one piece of ribbon—I looked at her, and saw it under her cloak—I rolled up the ribbon and put the drawer on one side—I called some young men, who came, and I took the ribbon from her—this is it—it is worth about 18s.—it has our shop mark on it—I had not shown her this, but it was in the drawer—I had shown her some beaver ribbon—the did not say any thing. Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS. Q. You saw it under her cloak? A. Yes, under her right arm—the cloak was a little open—she appeared sober—she had a hoarseness—I did not ask who she had been drinking with—I went for the officer—I do not remember that he asked her whether she had been drinking—I was confused at the moment—I have seen her before, and never discovered any loss by her. GEORGE AVIS . I am an officer of Marlborough-street. I was sent for, and took the prisoner—she said she knew nothing at all about it, and she never took it—she repeated that a great many times—I asked where she had been—she said with a friend in St. Martin's-lane, taking a glass of rum—I said I smelt she had been drinking—I should not think she was in such a state as to have made a blunder in taking any thing up—she had been drinking. Cross-examined. Q. You asked who she had been drinking with? A. Yes, I do not think the witness heard it—there were 2s. found on her. Prisoner. I went in and asked for a yard and a half of drab sarsnet ribbon—he asked me why a pink would not do—I saw a drab, and told him to serve me with that, but I still had the pink in my hand—the other shopman asked what I was going to do with that—I said, "Nothing"—he took it out of my hand, and said 1 was drunk—I did not know the officer was gone for, the shopman took the ribbon to the gas, looked at it, and then brought it back, and put it under my shawl. COURT to HENRY ASBRIDGE. Q. Was the ribbon given back to her? A. No, I went and took it from her—I marked it, and put it into my pocket. Prisoner. This witness was measuring a yard and a half of ribbon? Witness. No, I measured none—she asked for beaver ribbon, and I showed her one she did not like—I went to another part of the shop, and when I returned, I missed this one, which I saw she had. ----ATKINSON. I was in the shop, and was called by Asbridge, who said he missed a piece of ribbon, and this woman had it under her right arm—there was an opening in her cloak, and I saw it—Asbridge took it from under her arm. JURY to HENRY ASBRIDGE. Q. Did either of the shopmen put the ribbon under her arm? A. No; I took it from her, and it never was in any one's hands but mine, till the officer had it—it was under her right arm, and the cloak did not quite meet. Prisoner. This young man did not come from behind the counter at all—there was a tall young man took it from me, and looked at it at the gas-light, and then he came and put it under my arm. GUILTY . Aged 20.— Confined Six Months. 2043. MARY ANN SELKIRK was indicted for stealing, on the 24th of August 1836, 3 pairs of trowsers, value 3l. 10s.; 1 1/4 yard of woollen cloth value 26s.; and 3/4 yard of kerseymere, value 7s.; the goods of George James and another. GEORGE JAMES . I am a breeches-maker, in partnership with Richard James of Clifford-street, Bond-street. On the evening of the 24th of August I was in my shop, and heard a footstep, and saw the prisoner leaving the shop—I watched her, to see which way she went, but being alone, I returned, and called the servant maid to mind the shop; and on looking to my left, where the clothes generally hung on a brass-rail. I observed the rail was bare, and missed the articles stated in the indictment—I overtook the prisoner, and passed her—I observed what she had got under her arm—I stopped them—some people came round—one went for the policeman, and we gave her in charge—these are the goods which we missed, and which were found on the pavement. Cross-examined by MR. CLARKSON. Q. Are they in the same state? A. Yes—one pair of trowsers the Magistrate allowed me to send home to a gentleman—I was not five feet from the spot when I heard the footstep—I had no workmen in the shop—I have never said that some of my workmen were acquainted with her—she did not say a man and woman went on and dropped them—it was a woman's step I heard in the shop. GEORGE ALDRIDGE (police-constable C 67.) I came up—this property was on the ground—the prosecutor immediately claimed it, and did me pick it up—he charged her with having stolen it—she said nothing Cross-examined. Q. Did not she say that a man and woman dropped it? A. Not until she got to the station-house—there were several persons round. Guilty. (The indictment also charged that the prisoner had been before convicted of felony.) GEORGE AVIS . I produce a certificate of the prisoner's former conviction from Mr. Clark's office—the prisoner is the person. GUILTY . Aged 21.— Transported for Fourteen Years. New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 Annotated Printed Indentures 1837 From London England Single protestant could not read or write. occupation Dressmaker (indifferent)1 previous conviction of 6 months. 4' 8" sallow and freckled complexion brown hair and dark grey eyes. Frank Keys on right arm and sister Susan Johnston came out about 3 years ago. ToL noted 43/3036 and cert of freedom 52/24 Cert says wife of Richard Turner free by servitude per ship Hadlow (1) New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851 Granted 2/10/1845 Mary Ann Selkirk 29 ToL (14yrs) per ship Sarah and Elizabeth to marry Richard Turner 5- free by servitude (7yrs) per ship Hadlow (1) Rev H H Bobart Parramatta