George Wallace

342

Maureen Withey on 9th May 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 09 May 2020), December 1786, trial of GEORGE WALLACE (t17861213-11). GEORGE WALLACE, Violent Theft > highway robbery, 13th December 1786. 12. GEORGE WALLACE was indicted for feloniously assaulting Joseph Slack , in a certain field and open place, near the king's highway, on the 20th of November last, and putting him in corporal fear and danger of his life, and feloniously taking from his person and against his will, one shalloon wrapper, value 2 s. one grey cloth coat, value 20 s. one pair of velveret breeches, value 30 s. one pair of silk breeches, value 30 s. the property of John Lill ; and seven copper halfpence, value 3 d. halfpenny, one farthing, one sixpence, and one small piece of silver foreign coin, value 1 d. the property of the said Joseph . JOSEPH SLACK sworn. How old are you? - Fifteen; my master lives at No. 9, Wood-street, Cheapside; I was robbed on the 20th of November; our foreman ordered me to brush some clothes, and take them home to Mr. Madox, at Mr. Durant's, at Rotherhithe; they were a great coat, and a pair of velveret breeches, and a pair of sattin breeches; I tied them up and set off from my master's house about ten in the forenoon; and the foreman gave me sixpence to cross the water from Limehouse-hole; after going through Stepney-fields, I overtook this man in Whitechapel, and I asked him two or three times to shew me the way to Stepney-fields, and then I asked him which was the way to Limehouse-hole to take a boat; and he took me through Stepney churchyard , and I knew I was right as far as there; then he took me out into the fields on the right hand; when he got me out into the fields, he took and pushed me down behind a hedge; he told me, if I made a noise, he would kill me; and he asked me if I had got a watch or money; I said no; then he rifled my pockets, and took sixpence and a little silver foreign piece, and threepence halfpenny, and a farthing, and he took the handkerchief with the things; then he turned round the hedge and ran across the fields; I immediately got up and ran round the hedge after him; I saw him run across the fields; and I saw a house on my left hand; I ran into the house and got two men to my assistance; and I shewed them the man running along the fields, with the clothes under his arm; we immediately pursued him and ran about half a mile; when he got almost to the top of one of the fields, there was a large bank, and he stopped there, and dropped the clothes, and when he dropped the clothes he walked about ten yards from them; then he stopped, and the two men immediately came up and took him, and brought him back with the clothes. Was that the same man that robbed you? - Yes. Are you sure of that? - Yes, they brought him back and gave me the clothes. Did you see him drop the clothes? - Yes, he was taken into custody. What did he say for himself? - He said he did it for want. JOHN RUTLEDGE sworn. I know no more than I was foreman to Mr. Lill; and I gave the boy charge of the clothes; they were a grey coat, a pair of velvet breeches, and a pair of sattin breeches. THOMAS WHITE sworn. I am the constable of the parish; about twelve o'clock the prisoner was given in charge by these two witnesses; I searched him, and found the money which I have in my pocket (produced) threepence halfpenny, and a little Spanish bit; I could not find the sixpence. (The piece of silver handed up to the Court.) Court. What sort of silver piece was it? - A small piece about the size of a twopenny piece, with a head on one side; I have had it two months; my cousin left it me when he went to sea; I do not know what is on the other side, nor the letters. Is that the piece? - Yes. Did you know what piece it was, or of what country? - No. You never heard while you had it? - No. OLIVER MANLY sworn. The boy came where I was at work, and cried, and said a man had robbed him of his bundle; he shewed him me; I pursued him; he was a field off; I came up to him; when I first saw him he was walking on gently, with a bundle under his arm; William Combes and the boy were with me; I overtook him, but before I came up to him, I saw him drop a bundle; I picked up the same bundle. Was he ever out of your sight after he dropped the bundle? - No. WILLIAM COMBES sworn. I was with the last witness when he followed this man; the prisoner was a field off; I pursued; I saw him with the bundle under his arm; he dropped it before he went ten yards; this is the man. (The clothes produced, and deposed to by Rutledge, who finished them.) PRISONER's DEFENCE. I left my boat at Limehouse-hole, on Sunday night; I was going to fetch her up; the boy asked me the way; I told him I would shew him; going through the fields, he asked me to hold the bundle for him, accordingly I did, and presently came up these two men, and said I had robbed him, and I threw down the bundle for fear of being ill used, and they took me before his Majesty; the boy said he was thirteen years old; and he said he did not know the consequence of an oath; and the officer and the two men that were with him persuaded him to take the oath for the sake of the forty pounds. GUILTY, Death . He was humbly recommended to mercy by the prosecutor's wife, the prosecutor being ill. Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. RECORDER. -------------------------------------------------- National Archives. HO 47/9/21 1789 July 21 Letter from James Adair enclosing a list of capital respites, in Newgate on 24 June, to whom no pardon has yet been granted, and on which his recommendations are noted against each name. Adair mentions that he is at a loss as to what to suggest for James Carse, convicted of murder, but periodically insane. List of capital convicts in Newgate, 24 June 1789. December Sessions, 1786 6. George Wallace, for robbery in a field and stealing goods, value £4:1:4, property of Joseph Slack. Recommendation: 7 years transportation.