William Smith

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 1st June 2025

1852 - Departures. William Smith Rank: Steerage. Status: Free by servitude Departure date: 19 Apr 1852 Departure port: Launceston. Ship: Gem Ship to colony: George III Bound to: Melbourne ** Unable to determine which William Smith

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 31st May 2025

Libraries Tasmania's Online collection CON14-2-4 Image 68 TRIAL; 15 May 1834. Offence; Stealing a watch No; 2011. Alias Cha. Damus Smih ?? Height; 5 ft 6 inches, aged 22 years old. Married - 1 child Trade; Silver Smith & Brass Smith

135

C H on 1st March 2024

Old Bailey Online WILLIAM SMITH. Theft; pocketpicking. 15th May 1834 Text type Trial account Defendants WILLIAM SMITH Offences Theft > Pocketpicking Session Date 15th May 1834 Reference Number t18340515-71 Verdicts Guilty > With recommendation Punishments Transportation 809. WILLIAM SMITH was indicted for stealing, on the 1st of May , 1 watch, value 20l. the goods of John Sleator , from his person . JOHN SLEATOR . I reside in the Strand. On the 1st of May I was in the area of the pit at Covent-garden Theatre , waiting for the door to be opened - I was pressed upon very much, but I had no suspicions at the time - on a sudden a man passed under my left arm, and raised it up, and another man raised my right arm - I then retired from the crowd, and missed my watch and purse - this is my watch - the purse I have not seen - I cannot say whether the prisoner was there or not. Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS. Q. There was a considerable crowd? A. Yes. It was the night on which their Majesties were at the theatre. THOMAS TOOL . I am a shoemaker, and live at 140, Old-street. On the 1st of May I was waiting at the door of the pit - I saw the prisoner, and five or six more with him - they spoke to each other, and I watched them - I saw the prisoner and his companions hustle Mr. Sleator - they lifted up his arms with their elbows, and rubbed him down - they tried his pockets; and at last the prisoner took the watch from him, and put it into his own coat pocket, behind - the prisoner then walked out, and his companions made way for him to pass - I followed him, and saw Wilson stand by the door - I said, "Stop that man, he has robbed a gentleman of his watch" - the prisoner then turned, and was going up the stairs of the two-shilling gallery - he saw me, and ran up till the people stopped him - I came up to him and seized him - he put his hand behind him; took the watch out of his pocket, and tried to put it down under the people - I saw that, and seized his hands - he struggled, and threw me down before the serjeant's face, and shoved the watch on the landing place - my hat came off, and the prisoner ran off towards Covent-garden - a piece of his coat was torn off in the policeman's hand - I took him under the horses' heads. Cross-examined. Q. How often have you seen my Lord in this Court? A. I do not know - I have been in the Court once or twice before, and was always well praised by his lordship - the prisoner's friends came to me yesterday, and offered me any money to go to Gravesend. Q. Do you mean to stick to that, that you have just volunteered on your oath, that you have been here once or twice, and been always well praised by his lordship? A. Yes, Sir, it is true certainly - I do not know how often I have been here as a witness - I will swear I have not been here twenty times - the last time I was here is a year and a half ago - I was never turned out for prevarication - I know the Lord Chief Justice Denman - he never desired me not to show my face again in this Court. Q. Do you remember being a witness here in the case of David Barber ? Q. No, Sir, not as I know of; I will say I am sure not - I never heard the name of David Barber - I was never here except as a witness - I never was in prison on a charge of stealing a handkerchief - I never went by the name of John Tool - I lived in Hatfield-street about two years ago - I remember the case of Henry Johnson and Joseph Wells - I gave evidence against them - I swore to seeing them commit the robbery - I do not know what verdict the jury gave. Q. Upon your solemn oath, did not they acquit the prisoner? A. I do not know - they might have been acquitted- I suppose you bullied me out of it - they might have been discharged - they were discharged. Q. Did not you tell me you did not know whether they were discharged? A. I shall not answer you any more. Q. Did not you swear to me, you did not know whether they were acquitted or discharged? A. I told you I did not know - I then said I did know - it is true that I did know. Q. Upon your solemn oath, did not you know, though you said I bullied you out of it, that Mr. Lee was counsel? A. He is one of your party - that was in February, 1832 - I do not know when I had been here before that - I did not swear to Mr. Lee on that occasion, that I had two cases here the session but one before that - I will swear I did not. Q. Now, I will put the question again out of pity to you. Did you not swear to Mr. Lee, that the session but one before that you had two cases in which you were a witness? A. No, Sir, I did not - I do not recollect when that was - it might be in February, 1832 - I had only that one case in that session. Q. Did you never swear this on that trial, "I had two cases the session before last, and I have two more this session?" A. No; I did not - I did not swear I had two that session - I never said I did not think I had had twenty cases here in the last twelve months - I never said, "I have been the means of bringing a great many persons to justice" - I have not been fifteen times as a witness here - I do not know how many cases I have been here in - I will not answer any more. Q. Were you ever here as a witness when the Court refused you your expenses? A. No, Sir, never - I never was here when the Court ordered I should not have my expenses - I never applied for them, it is not the expenses I look at - I cannot tell any one case in which I did not apply for my expenses - how can I recollect years ago? Q. Upon your oath, did not you take this watch yourself? A. No; the policeman knows better than that- I called the policeman - I saw the prisoner take the watch from the prosecutor's pocket, and his companions made way for him to get out - that was all I saw them do- I did not say I saw them rub him down. JOHN WILSON (police-serjeant F 10). I was under the avenue of Covent-garden - Tool came running to me, and said there was a man had stolen a watch from a gentleman- Tool then went up stairs, and seized the prisoner - they both fell down - there was a watch in the prisoner's hand - I cannot say whether it was this or not - I then seized the prisoner by his coat - he got up and ran off, leaving this part of his coat in my hand. Cross-examined. Q. Where did you see this watch? A. When Tool and the prisoner came down, this watch was on the ground, and Tool picked it up. Prisoner's Defence. I am a jeweller, and lived in three places for 16 years. I always maintained a good character for honesty and sobriety - you have heard the evidence of Tool, and by his works you may know him - I went to the theatre, and was making my way to the two-shilling gallery, when I was stopped by Tool, who accused me of robbing a gentleman - I, of course, treated him with indignation, and pushed him down - he called for the police; but the policeman did not come till we were on the ground- I, not wishing to get into trouble, made my way out - I heard of no watch - I had 3s. 6d. on me. (William Valentine, a watch-maker, of Goswell-street; - Burton, jeweller, of Walworth; and Michael Carter , a builder, of Surrey-street, Blackfriars, gave the prisoner a good character.) GUILTY. Aged 34. - Recommended to mercy by the Jury . Transported for Fourteen Years .