Mary Shearman

54

Phil Hands on 6th August 2017

Mary was tried at the Old Bailey twice on the same day for different offences on the first occasion she was charged along with Sarah Fussell for the theft of 16 yards of cloth, Sarah was convicted and sentenced to death, this was later commuted to transportationn for 7 years, Mary was found not guilty, but later the same day, she was charged and found guilty of the theft of 3 spoons, for this she was sentenced to transportation for 7 years. Left England some time in June 1811. Ship:- the 'Friends' sailed with 100 female convicts on board, there were no reported deaths during the voyage, (Sarah Fussell was also on board this vessel). Arrived on 10th October 1811. 1st Old Bailey Trial Transcription. Reference Number: t18101031-68 840. SARAH FUSSELL and MARY SHEARMAN was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 18th of September , sixteen yards of woolen cloth, value 16 l. the property of Thomas Bowerbank , and Thomas Monkhouse , in their dwelling house . THOMAS BOWERBANK . I am a Blackwell-hall manufacturer , Thomas Monkhouse is my partner, my dwelling house is No. 50, Lothbury . I reside in the house; when Mr. Monkhouse was in town he resided in the house, at this time he is in America; we keep a warehouse; Mary Shearman, the married woman, was my house-maid . I had a good character with her. Q. Did you miss any cloths at any time - A. I did not. We have many hundred pieces of the same description, we could not miss it. WILLIAM STANTOM . I am an officer. On Tuesday morning I received an information I went to Mrs. Matthews, Wine-office-court, Fleet-street, I found the piece of woollen cloth in the parlour, it is about sixteen yards. The prisoner Fussell lived there as a servant; I pulled the paper off the cloth; Fussell was called up to me; I asked her how she came by this cloth; she said she was sitting at her mistress's gate, on the Sunday night, and two men brought it for her to take care of it, they would call again for it; I told her if she took in such an article of two men, she must know something what they were; she said she did not. I went down in the kitchen and searched it, and between the ticking of the bed and the sacking of the bedstead I found this bunch of keys, she told me she found these keys in the court. I told her it was of no use telling me that she did not know these two men, she must go along with me to the Compter; after waiting a little while I told her if she would tell me who the men were I would not lock her up before she went before the Lord Mayor, and if the two men did leave it, it would discharge her. I waited near half an hour, and at last she said, my sister gave it me. I did not ask her any more questions; I took her to the public-house in the Poultry Compter, I did not lock her up, I left her in the parlour while I went to her sister at Mr. Bowerbank's, at the back of the Bank. Q. You found Shearman at Mr. Bowerbank's - A. Yes. Q. Did you know from Fussell that she meaned Shearman when she talked of her sister - A. Yes I went into Mr. Bowerbank's accompting-house, I took these keys with me, and enquired after the servant; nothing transpired with these keys; Fussell said afterwards her sister gave her these keys, because Mr. Bowerbank's housekeeper was a suspicious woman. I went up stairs, Shearman was called to me, I told her I found the cloth at her sisters, she denied any knowledge of the cloth. JAMES GRIFFITHS . I am in the accompting-house of Mr. Bowerbank. On Sunday evening, the 6th of September, I came in and found Sarah Fussell in the kitchen, Mary Shearman and her went down stairs, and in about a quarter of an hour Mary Shearman came up. Q. Is your kitchen up one pair of stairs - A. Yes. Q. Did you know them to be sisters - A. Yes. Q. Where was this cloth deposited on the Sunday - A. Close to the door of the warehouse, that warehouse was locked up, there was no cloth outside of the warehouse to my knowledge. Q. Did you see these keys that Stanton produced - A. Yes. Stanton. I applied them with Mr. Bowerbank, there were none of them fitted. Q. You said the cloth was in some paper - A. Yes. Q. to Griffiths. Did you know the cloth by the paper - A. Yes, These numbers agree with our books, we missed that number. Q. Did you miss that number before Stanton gave you that information - A. No. When Stanton gave the information we looked for No. 2, and missed it. Q. to Mr. Bowerbank. Is that such cloth that you had in your possession - A. This is the cloth that we had in our warehouse from the package, and the manner of making up; there are two letters, G and H, that the manufacturer put on the cloth, and the mark of the package, No. 9630 wove into the cloth, and likewise upon the paper outside, that we may easily refer to it. Q. Can you say with certainty that you had not sold that cloth - A. Certainly not, and the property in that warehouse was the property of myself and partner. Q. I need hardly ask you whether you sold any to either of them women - A. No. Q. What it the worth of that cloth - A. About sixteen or eighteen pound. COURT. Did you look to your stock to see if any such piece was deficient - A. Immediately, and found it deficient. Fussell left her defence to her counsel. Sherman was not put on her defence. Q. to Mr. Bowerbank. Can you say at what time it was taken - A. No, I cannot say. Q. Do you know how long you had this piece of cloth - A. Three or four months I dare say. Q. Do you know that Fussell visited your house to see her sister - A. No; I might have seen her, I should not know her if I saw her. Q. to Griffiths. Can you say when this piece was lost - A. No. Q. to Mr. Bowerbank. Is your house in the parish of St. Margaret's, Lothbury - A. It is. REBECCA MATTHEWS . Sarah Fussell was a servant of mine: I had her sister to be a servant with me before, they both conducted themselves as honest persons. Q. Did you know that the piece of cloth was in your house - A. Yes; I called the young woman to give me information how it came there. I sent for Stanton. FUSSELL, GUILTY - DEATH , aged 19. SHEARMAN, NOT GUILTY . London jury, before Mr. Common Serjeant 2nd Old Bailey Trial Transcription. Reference Number: t18101031-88 860. MARY SHEARMAN was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 18th of September , three spoons, value 20 s. the property of Thomas Bowerbank . THOMAS STANTON . I am one of the city constables. On the 25th of September I went to Mr. Bowerbank's, No. 50, Lothbury . Mary Shearman was called up to me respecting another business. I asked her if she had got any pockets on, she said, no; I then said, I must feel and see; I found she had one pocket, in that pocket was a pocket book, and in the pocket book I found some duplicates, and among them, two relating to these spoons, one ticket two table-spoons, and the other a tea-spoon. I went to the pawnbroker's, he refused shewing them; I told them I was an officer, the woman was in confinement. It caused me to get an order before the Lord Mayor the next day, I went to Mr. Guest's, No. 63, Fleet Market, they were produced at last. THOMAS BOWERBANK . I live at No. 50, Lothbury. The prisoner lived with me as a domestic servant between three and four months. When the spoons were produced by the pawnbroker before the Lord Mayor, I knew them to be mine, they are silver. JOHN FLOWER . I am an apprentice to Mr. Guest, pawnbroker, Fleet Market. On the 21st of August I took in two table-spoons of the prisoner, I advanced half a guinea on them; the tea-spoon was taken in by a young man in the shop, he is not here. GUILTY . Transported for Seven Years . London jury, before Mr. Common Serjeant.