Ann Taylor

135

C H on 17th February 2024

Old Bailey Online ANN TAYLOR. Theft; theft from a specified place. 11th June 1829. Text type Trial account Defendants ANN TAYLOR Offences Theft > Theft from place Session Date 11th June 1829 Reference Number t18290611-47 Verdicts Guilty > Theft under 40s Punishments Transportation 1046. ANN TAYLOR was indicted for stealing, on the 2d of June , 7 spoons, value 20s.; 1 thimble, value 6d.; 1 shawl, value 1s.; 5 gowns, value 5s.; 2 petticoats, value 2s.; 3 pairs of stockings, value 3s.; 1 night-gown, value 6d.; 1 shift, value 6d.; 4 sovereigns, and 1 guinea, the property of William Johnson , in the dwelling-house of Elizabeth Yarrow . ELIZABETH YARROW . I am a widow, and live in Grosvenor-street, in the parish of Marylebone , and keep the house. The prisoner lodged with me for thirteen months - she and her husband occupied the first floor back room; Johnson and her husband have lodged three years with me, in the room opposite the prisoner's - I live in the front parlour. On the night of the 2d of June, at ten minutes after eight o'clock, in consequence of information, I went to the top of Foley-street, and overlook the prisoner with a large bundle; I told her I suspected it was some of my property - she said it was not; I demanded to see what it was - she said she had not stolen it; I looked at it, and said it was Johnson's - she said Mrs. Johnson had left it in her room for security; I took her back, took the bundle from her, and left her in the house while I went to look for Mrs. Johnson - when I returned she had got over the wall into a neighbour's premises; I had locked the bundle in my own room - I found her in the next house; the watchman took her there at nine o'clock - when I took the bundle from her she gave me the key of her room, and told me I had no further demand on her. MARIA WILLIS . I am the wife of James Willis , who is a green-grocer - the prisoner has dealt with us. Last Tuesday week I saw her after seven o'clock in the evening, at the corner of Norfolk-street - I was on the opposite side of the way; she called me, and said she was going to buy a pair of shoes - she bought a second-hand pair, and then asked me to mind her child and bundle for five minutes, while she went to Windmill-street; I kept the child and bundle upwards of two hours - it was a large bundle; she did not come to me, and I went to her lodging and left the child - I kept the bundle; I afterwards gave it to Yarrow's daughter. EDITH JOHNSON . I am the wife of William Johnson , and live with Mrs. Yarrow in the first floor front room. The prisoner's room joins mine, and there is a middle door, which was fastened up - on the 2d of June, about half-past six o'clock I went out, leaving nobody in my room; I locked it, and took the key in my pocket - I returned soon after nine, and found the things in the room very much disturbed; the drawers were open - I had made the children's bed on a deal box, some chairs, and the ironing-board; that was removed and the chest opened; the bed clothes were taken off - I missed out of a till in the deal box four sovereigns, ten old silver coins, a half-crown, and a 6d. in a tin box, and in another one a guinea, and about 5s. 6d. in silver: the till could be opened easily - there was no lock to it; I cannot say whether the chest was locked, or not - there were five gowns, about five yards of new cloth, two new petticoats, which I had to make for a lady, a night-gown, a shift, two pairs of stockings, and seven silver tea-spoons, marked A.L. and E.L.; I had seen the money the day before, and some of the gowns that day, but I had not been to the deal chest - the clothes together were worth under 1l.; I saw my property afterwards in the possession of Yarrow's daughter - it was brought back to the house; Eliza Yarrow brought me one bundle, and while I was examining it she brought another up stairs; I went down and saw Willis, as having brought it - I cannot say whether she gave it to Yarrow, or not; the bundles contained the clothes I have mentioned - the second bundle had the spoons in it; I had used some of them in the morning - ten pieces of old coin, one sovereign, and the lid of the box were found on her at the watch-house; the old coins are half-crowns, a shilling of George the Second, a crooked sixpence, and a French coin - I have seen them all again; a silver thimble was found on her. THOMAS MARMAN . I am a watchman. I was calling nine o'clock, and the landlord called me in; I at last found the prisoner in the next house - I took her to the watch-house, searched her, and found a sovereign, ten pieces of old coin, a silver thimble, two keys, the lid of a small tin box, and a pair of scissors; she said if I would let her go she would give me 2s. 6d. - she gave me the things from her pocket herself.(Property produced and sworn to.) DANIEL DUTCH . The property was given into my charge at the office - where it came from I do not know. The prisoner put in a written defence, stating she had put the property into a bundle with some things of her own by mistake. GUILTY (of stealing to the value of 30s. only.) Aged 30. Transported for Seven Years . Before Mr. Justice Littledale.

38

Patricia Welsh on 14th January 2013

Folio 24: J Taylor, aged 3 ½, infant, taken ill at Woolwich; sick or hurt, diarrhoea; date put on the list unknown, date of discharged unknown.