Mary Ann Sheen

135

C H on 15th February 2024

Old Bailey Online MARY ANN SHEEN. ELIZABETH WYATT. WILLIAM WYATT. Theft; pocketpicking, Theft; receiving. 8th July 1830. Text type Trial account Defendants MARY ANN SHEEN, ELIZABETH WYATT, WILLIAM WYATT Offences Theft > Pocketpicking, Theft > Receiving Session Date 8th July 1830 Reference Number t18300708-76 Verdicts Guilty, Guilty, Not guilty Punishments Transportation, Transportation 1335. MARY ANN SHEEN was indicted for stealing, on the 17th of June , 1 purse, value 1s.; 5 sovereigns, and four 10l. Bank notes, the property of John Easterby , from his person ; and WILLIAM WYATT and ELIZABETH (HIS WIFE ) were indicted for feloniously receiving the same, well knowing them to be stolen; against the Statute , &c. JOHN EASTERBY . I am a merchant . On Thursday, the 17th of June, I was returning from dining with a friend over the water, and came over Blackfriars-bridge to go to Brunswick-square - I was accosted by several persons of the same stamp, and among others by the prisoner Sheen, in Fleet-street; she asked me for money, and finding I would give her none, she asked me to go with her - we turned up Bell-yard; she said, "Here is a public-house, do give me something," and I very imprudently did go into the Haunch of Venison, and gave her a glass of spirits - I do not think I drank any myself; I came out to quit her, but she still followed me, and on arriving at Apollo-court , she said she wished particularly to speak with me, and hustled me up in a corner of the court for one moment - I felt something fumbling about my person and missed my purse; I said, "You have robbed me" - I had seen the purse when I took it out to pay for the spirits; it contained four 10l. notes and five soverigns; I am positive I put it back safe into my right hand small-clothes pocket - I charged her with the robbery; she made no reply but attempted to get away; I seized her person, and got hold of something which I took to be the purse, but it was this pocket handkerchief - I said, "This is not the purse;" I then saw her thrusting something into her bosom - I took that, thinking that was my purse, but it was this pair of gloves; as soon as I got them, I liberated her and she ran off, which I was surprised at, but upon getting into the light I discovered my mistake - I went to the watch-house, gave information, and went with one of the officers to the public-house to see if any of the persons there could recognize the prisoner, but they could not; I staid there till two or three o'clock, endeavouring to find the person, but I could not - I gave notice the next morning at Bow-street; it was between eleven and twelve o'clock when I saw her -I gave notice at the Bank of the numbers of the notes, which I had taken from a solicitor, a friend of mine, and his writing is upon them all, I believe; I know the numbers and dates - I had bills placarded about them; the Bank gave me notice of No. 3004, on the 22nd of June, and she was taken on the 23rd; I traced that note to a person living in Silver-street - I swear Sheen is the woman, and her subsequent conduct would prove it; I afterwards received notice of No. 3001 having come in -I think that was on the 25th of June; the third note has not been traced. Cross-examined by MR. LEE. Q. I take it for granted you are not a married man? A. I am, and have a family I do not usually go into public-houses to treat women; it was to get rid of her that I did so - I was perfectly sober, so as to know every thing that was passing; I was stimulated, but not tipsy; I did take the gloves, thinking them to be my purse - it was up in a dark corner; she hustled me up in that corner under a pretence of having something to say to me; I had five sovereigns in my purse, and I believe there was some silver - I certainly have not said in another place that I thought I dropped my purse; the question was never put to me: I did not count the notes when I went into the public-house - I am certain I had them; I had not paid any of them away: I had had them two or three days in my purse - I never thought of such a thing as having dropped it; I do not know whether I drank any thing in the public-house, from indifference to what passed - I believe I and my friend had drank a bottle that day. THOMAS LAW . I am a shoemaker, and live at No. 5, Silver-street, Loman's-pond, Borough. Sheen is the daughter of the other two prisoners, I believe; they all live together in St. Andrew-street, Seven-dials - they owed me 2s. 6d., and Sheen called to pay me 1s. 6d. out of it on Friday morning, the 18th of June; she asked me to have something to drink - I said No, it was too early; she showed me a 10l. note, which she had in her hand, and a sovereign in it - I took the note out of her hand, and said,"Where did you get so much money as this?" I think there was no writing on the note - I looked at the back of it, and did not see any endorsement on it; she said her mother had had 40l. sent her up out of the country, which was back rent of an estate that lawyer James, of Truro, had been redeeming for them; I gave her the note back, and she went away - I did not see her again till she was apprehended; I had no more conversation with her; but Elizabeth Wyatt came to my room about nine o'clock the same morning, and asked if I had seen her daughter Mary Ann - I said Yes, I had; she asked if she had paid me the half-crown - I said No, she had paid 1s. 6d. of it: she asked if I would have any thing to drink - I said I did not care, and she gave my wife sixpence to go and get a quartern of rum, which came to 5d.; she gave her the penny to get snuff with - she asked me if I would cash her a 10l. note; I said I was going to Mr. Philmore's, and I would ask him - she went with me; I asked Mr. Philmore's man, and he gave me nine sovereigns and two half-sovereigns - I believe that note is not here, it is missing; we then came out, and on going along, near Mr. Warmington's, she said, "I wish you would get me change for another;" I said, "If you are going to lay the money by, why not lay it by in notes as well as gold?" she said No, she liked gold - I went in there, and asked the boy where his master was; he said in the counting-house - he took in the 10l. note to him, and brought out eight sovereigns and four half-sovereigns: I did not look at that note - I only took it from her hand and gave it to the boy; I gave her the money, and she put it into a small tin box - I went to my room, and she went home; I asked how she came by the notes, and she said she had them in part of seventeen years' back rent. from her cousin, lawyer James - I do not know what the Wyatts are; the man is a stranger to me, but I am told he has been a sea-faring man - his wife has 25l. per annum, as a boatswain's window in the royal navy. Cross-examined. Q. The only note you speak to is the one passed to Warmington? A. Yes; Wyatt was in the street - she did not go into the shop: I did not look at that note - my name and address, and the number of my house are written on it by Mr. Warmington; I saw the male prisoner three times before the Magistrate, and about three times before - I know his wife very well, and have for thirteen or fourteen years; I have not quarrelled with her these seven years. Q. Now, have you not said you would be d-d if you would not serve her out the first opportunity, because she would not leave her husband to come to live with you? A. No, I never said such a thing - I never solicited her to leave her husband to live with me; nothing of the kind: I never quarrelled, and said I would serve her out, and never had the least idea of it - I have heard of a will which lawyer James has in hand now. Q. Upon your oath, have you not solicited them to forge a person's name to that will, or to put her name to any document? A. No; I never did any thing of the kind, that I swear - I mean distinctly to say I never solicited Wyatt to leave her husband and rob him of 10l.; I never solicited Sheen or Wyatt to make an affidavit to present to any Court, stating that her mother or father was dead; I never heard of any thing of the kind; I never heard such a charge - I never solicited either of them to make an affidavit that her brother had died at sea, to get his wages. GEORGE DYER. I am a clerk in the Bank. I produce three 10l. notes, No. 3004, paid in on the 19th of June, which is the one Mr. Warmington received; No. 3001 was paid in on the 24th of June, and No. 3002 on the 28th of June - they were all paid in by bankers; they are all dated the 10th of May, 1830. JOHN WARMINGTON. I live in Union-street, Borough, and am a cheesemonger. This 10l. note has my writing on it, "Law, June 18, 1830, No. 5, Silver-street;" I changed it about eleven o'clock that morning - I paid it the next morning to a sugar-baker in the Borough; he is in the country, and his clerk is busy - I changed no other note for Law. WILLIAM GREEN. William and Elizabeth Wyatt came into Mr. Ashman's shop, in Long-acre, on Friday morning, the 18th of June, and priced a ham which was marked 6 1/2d. per lb.; they asked if they took two hams whether I could not make some abatement - I said they might have them at 6d., and I sold them two. weighing 24lbs. at 6d.; they gave me a 10l. Bank note: I had not change, but I told them to wait half an hour, as Mr. Ashman was not come home from market; they said they would leave the note, and went away - when Mr. Ashman came in he looked at it; Elizabeth Wyatt came for the change - I stood by, and saw him give her ten sovereigns; the ham came to 12s. - he took one sovereign back, and gave her 8s.; my master wrote on it in my presence - I know my master's writing; this is it, " Elizabeth James :" that is the name she gave - it is No. 3001. Cross-examined. Q. Do you mean to say you heard the name of James given? A. Yes, and I wrote it in the day-book - I was close by my master's elbow when he wrote it; this is his writing - I did not know the number of the note: there is no date to it, but there was no other 10l. note came to the shop; I do not know who he paid it to - the man did not come for the change. COURT. Q. Did your master write on the same note the woman gave you? A. Yes. RICHARD GARDNER. I am an officer. I assisted in taking the prisoner, and found these two hams, which I brought away. WILLIAM GREEN. I sold hams of this description, but I cannot swear to these. MR. EASTERBY. These are three of the four notes which my purse contained; I traced No. 3001 to Mr. Ashman. SHEEN - GUILTY . Aged 27. Transported for Life . E. WYATT - GUILTY . Aged 51. Transported for Fourteen Years . W. WYATT - NOT GUILTY .

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 24th November 2020

New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842. Name; Mary Ann Sheen Ship; Earl of Liverpool. 1831 Indent No;146 - 31. 27 Age; 28 Est birth Year; 1803 Read & Write; Single; Religion; Protestant Native Place; Devon Calling; Needle woman Offence; Man Robbery Date of Trial: Middlesex 8th Jul 1830 Sentence; Life - previous convictions; None Height; 5 ft. 3 in Complexion; Pale and freckled Hair; Brown Eyes; Grey Noted against name; MOTHER; Elizabeth Wyatt, convicted and in Newgate -------------------------