Elizabeth Steel

342

Maureen Withey on 4th December 2019

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 04 December 2019), October 1787, trial of ELIZABETH STEEL (t17871024-15). ELIZABETH STEEL, Theft > grand larceny, 24th October 1787. 826. ELIZABETH STEEL was indicted for stealing, on the 22d day of January last, one watch inside and outside case, made of silver, value 30 s. the property of George Childs . Owen to prisoner. Are you guilty, or not Guilty. Prisoner. You know I cannot hear. Court to prisoner. Your case has been considered by all the Judges, and they are of opinion that even if you cannot hear, you ought to be tried; therefore it is my duty to tell you (on a supposition that you can hear) that it will be in vain for you to pretend to be deaf, because you will only lose the opportunity of asking proper questions, but it will not prevent your trial coming on, for I shall certainly try you, whether you can hear or no. (The Jury sworn.) "You shall well and truly try, whether " Elizabeth Steel the prisoner, stands "mute through wilfulness and obstinacy, "or by the visitation of God, and a true "verdict give according to the best of "your understanding, so help you God." JOHN MILLS sworn on the voire dire. I am a shoemaker, I have known the prisoner by sight, three or four years, to the best of my knowledge; I cannot tell in what particular way of life she has been; I have seen her about Chick-lane and at that part of the town, I never had any particular conversation with her. Do you know whether she is deaf or no? I really cannot tell; I have talked to her, but I know one time of day she could hear as well as another person, she has answered me half a year ago, I do not remember the month, it was when she was at large. Was it in the course of this year? - I cannot bring it to memory; I have been with her in goal; she asked me questions, and I answered her, but I do not recollect she gave me answers to what I told her; she said she was very glad I was not at the Old Bailey, when she was arraigned at the bar; I told her I had no business there, whether she heard me or no, I cannot say; she asked me who the woman belonged to that attended the Old Bailey every sessions, and I told her it was my brother's wife; I was once in the chapel in Newgate, two or three months ago, and she saw me there, and called me, and asked me to come down to speak to her at the gate, and I came, and she told me she was done for seven years, but she thought she shouldnever go abroad; so I gave her a penny, and came away. Court to Prisoner. Now woman, you have heard what this man has said; the consequence of it will be, if you persist in standing mute, you will be convicted? - (Noreply.) JOHN PRICE sworn. I have known the prisoner seven years. Has she been deaf during that time? - I cannot tell, for all the time of last June, I had a conversation with her; I recollect she asked me particularly how an acquaintance of my mine did, and I told her he was was very well; I made her understand me by speaking to her pretty loud, louder than usual. Was she any way deaf before she was committed? - Never that I know of. Court to Owen. Speak very loud to her, and ask her if she can hear you speak? - She says she cannot hear a word that I say. JOHN PORTER sworn. I never saw the prisoner but once; I went with Mr. Mills to see her in Newgate once; she was called down, and when she came down, Mr. Mills asked her how she did; she shook her head; then he said, I was here last sessions, Betty; there was no more said for a good while; I stood in the street, on the right hand, she did not see me; when he spoke, she bowed, but she never spoke; she gave a sign that she understood him; I heard her say to Mills, she was very glad that he was not at the Old Bailey when she was arraigned; she never answered him. Mr. Akarman. I have heard her speak, but I never could make it out that she heard. Jury. We do no doubt her speaking, we doubt her hearing. The Jury gave their verdict, mute by the visitation of God. The prisoner was then charged on her trial. The Jury sworn in chief in this tried CEORGE CHILDS sworn. (He is very deaf.) Court. What have you to charge the prisoner with? - The prisoner took and pulled my watch out of my pocket. Where were you going? - It was in a house leading into Black boy-alley; she took me to one house, then to another, up one pair of stairs there, she pulled my watch out of my pocket. What are you by trade? - A boot-closer . What o'clock was it? - Between nine and ten in the evening; I pulled out my watch, she said, d - n my eyes, I will have it; I went along with that man there. (N. B. Mills, who gave evidence about her deafness.) Did any conversation pass between you and the prisoner? - I did not want this woman, it was the other woman I wanted; there was another woman and Mills. In what manner was it taken? - She thrust her hand into my breeches pocket, where I had a shilling and two sixpences, I endeavoured to prevent her; then she snatched my watch out, and ran out of the room and ran off; she went out of another door, I went after her with that man, and asked him where she was gone; I saw her about an hour after, about eleven in Catharine-wheel alley. Are you sure she is the woman? - Yes. Did you find your watch? - I never saw the watch since; it was a silver watch, No. III. Did you charge her with taking your watch? - Yes. What did she say? - Nothing at all. Had you any conversation with her in the room? - No. JOHN MILLS sworn. This man and I went into a public house, and there were two women; we all went together to this room; as soon as we came there, George Childs pulled out sixpence;I came down stairs, and left them in the room; I gave the woman a shilling to fetch some gin; as soon as I gave her the shilling she went; I heard a terrible uproar, and Childs ran down with his mouth all over blood; says I, what is the matter? says he, b - st me, she has my watch; I went to the door to secure the watch, to take care of her; and with that, you see, he ran down, and said she was gone, and at the foot of the passage we saw another way out; we went after her, and saw nothing of her; he went to search for her; I waited at a public-house for his return, and fell asleep, and somebody waked me, and I came home. GUILTY Transported for seven years . Tried by the second Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice HEATH.

342

Maureen Withey on 4th December 2019

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 04 December 2019), May 1787 (o17870523-1). Old Bailey Proceedings supplementary material, ELIZABETH STEEL, Theft > other, 23rd May 1787. 504. ELIZABETH STEEL was indicted for stealing a silver watch ; but she appearing to be deaf, the Jury were sworn to enquire whether she stood mute wilfully and of malice, or by the visitation of God. - ONLY sworn. I am a surgeon; the session before last, when she was brought here, I understood she was deaf; I was informed by herself that she had a fever in Clerkenwell Bridewell, in consequence of that this deafness ensued; I have since seen her at different times; and sometimes she would not hear, or could not hear; she was in the middle ward; I suspected the persons instigated her to continue in the deafness, by saying, she would be starved up stairs; and one of the questions I put to her was, how she came to be there; she said, she was only just come down and would return immediately. Court. She knew she was ordered to remain above? - Yes. Then do not you conceive that as soon as you come in, she might without hearing any question you asked her, justify herself for being there? - She certainly might; there was a conversation passed when I examined her upon her deafness how it originated; she seemed to understand my question then. Have you examined her ears at all? - Yes, and given her something to drop in; and she had something in her ears; there is no particular appearance; I have been told by the people that there is sometimes a hemorrhage at the ears, as well as at the nose; the prisoner said it was owing to what somebody gave her; the ear is intricate, but as far as the eye will reach, there is no appearance to account for the disease, and sometimes she appeared to understand my questions. JOHN OWEN sworn. I have tried several times whether this woman is deaf or no; I have talked to her, but I never could have an answer from her; she generally looked rather stupid when she saw me speaking; I never had any reason to believe she heard me; she has been in confinement ever since February; I have been there when she did not see me, and I never heard her answer the other prisoners. Who supplies this woman with her victuals? - When the bread is delivered out, the wardswoman delivers it to every prisoner; when there is any meat and bread given, she gives it them; that woman is a convict. RICHARD COXFORD sworn. I have frequently spoke to this woman but never received any answer; I do not think she understood me. Mr. Under Sheriff Allen and Mr. Akerman, both said it was the general opinion she was deaf. The Jury gave their verdict. Mute by the visitation of God . Ordered to remain till next session.

2

Lynne Graham on 4th December 2019

Transported to Norfolk Island. First DEAF person in the colonies.

60

Eric Harry Daly on 22nd December 2012

ELIZABETH STEEL, AUSTRALIA'S FIRST RECORDED DEAF CONVICT Elizabeth Steele, 1st appearance court. Reference Number: o17870523-1 http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?path=sessionsPapers/17870523.xml Elizabeth Steele 2nd appearance court. Reference Number: t17871024-15 http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?path=sessionsPapers/17871024.xml Her headstone was discovered in 1991 during excavation in Sydney NSW http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history/foundations/zoom/lg_headstone2.html More references: The story of Betty Steel : deaf convict and pioneer / Jan Branson and Don Millerby Branson, Jan Petersham, N.S.W. : Deafness Resources Australia, 1995 Elizabeth Steel arrived in Sydney Cove as a convict on board the Lady Juliana on 3 June 1790, as part of the Second Fleet, aged 23 or 24. At the time of her sentencing authorities described her as being ‘mute by visitation of God’, which is the earliest record of a deaf Australian, but there is no historical evidence yet that she used a sign language. Her charge at the Old Bailey was for stealing a silver watch from George Childs, who was a customer at the public house she worked at as a prostitute. After two months in Sydney, Elizabeth Steel was transferred to Norfolk Island. In November 1791, Steel married a fellow convict, Irish born James Mackey. Together they successfully farmed a 10-acre leasehold until the expiry of their sentences. Elizabeth returned to Sydney in 1794, but died the following year aged 29. Her burial at the Old Sydney Burial Ground was recorded on 8 June 1795.