Thomas Thorpe

221

D Wong on 3rd April 2017

Old Bailey: THOMAS THORP, Theft > burglary, 20th February 1811. Punishment: Death THOMAS THORP was indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of our Lord the King, about the hour of one on the night of the 13th of February, and stealing therein, 2766 halfpence, the property of Thomas Green. THOMAS GREEN I am the tenant of the Canteen, in Portsmouth Street Barracks, I live there with my family, it is in the parish of St Mary-le-bone. On the night of the 13th of February, about a quarter before 12 o'clock at night, I went to bed, I was the last person up, the house was fast as usual, the doors and windows, I fastened them myself. About half past three o'clock in the morning, I was alarmed by the corporal and serjeant on guard I got up, there is a guard at the Canteen to protect my property. When I looked out of the window, they told me to come down. When I came down, they asked me if I had lost any thing out of my bar, I told them I could not tell, if they would lend me a light, I would examine it. I examined my bar, I found the bar-door open, it is a half hatch door, I had bolted it inside, I found it unbolted and left open. In one of the drawers that we always put copper in, I found five pound fifteen shillings had been taken away out of six pound fifteen shillings. We found ten shillings in the drawer, five shillings on the dresser, and five shillings on the floor, all the halfpence I had tied up in five shillings in paper the evening before. The serjeant of the guards told me, that he had got two pounds fifteen shillings, and the prisoner was in the custody of the corporal and the serjeant in the guardroom. This is a shortened version: Thomas Thorp was in the first regiment of guards, and was doing guard duty at the time of the crime. GEORGE DONALDSON. I am a constable of St. Martins, I took the prisoner into custody, going down Oxford Road, I asked him how he came to do it, he said he was unsettled in his mind, there was some difference between him and his wife, he did not know how he came to do it, he then asked me if it would hang him, I told him I could not say at that time whether it would or would not. The prisoner said nothing in his defence, called three witnesses who gave him a good character. GUILTY DEATH, aged 24. The prisoner was recommended to his Majesty's mercy by the jury, on account of the service he had done abroad for his king and country. Thomas Thorpe was held on the 'Retribution' before being transferred to the Guildford on 14/8/1811. Colonial Secretary Papers: THORPE, Thomas. Per "Guildford", 1812 1813 Sep 9: Commutation warrant (Reel 6070; 4/7020 p.23) 1813 Sep 16: On list of prisoners to be sent to Newcastle per "Estramina" (Reel 6003; 4/3492 p.267) 1823 Sep 25: On list of convicts removed from Newcastle to Port Macquarie per "Elizabeth Henrietta" (Reel 6019; 4/3864 pp.428-9)