George White

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C H on 8th March 2024

Old Bailey Online GEORGE WHITE. WILLIAM BROOKS. Theft; theft from a specified place. 10th May 1815 Text type Trial account Defendants GEORGE WHITE, WILLIAM BROOKS Offences Theft > Theft from place Session Date 10th May 1815 Reference Number t18150510-41 Verdicts Guilty, Guilty Punishments Transportation 631. GEORGE WHITE and WILLIAM BROOKS were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 8th of April , a copper, value 10 s. the goods of Stephen Sandham , affixed to a certain building of his . JOHN BILLING . On Friday morning, the 8th of April, about ten minutes past five, I saw the prisoners; I keep a coffee shop by the City-road turnpike-gate, I was there about my business; I had information that such persons were coming, with such things on their heads; White had two coppers on his head, and Brooks had one copper, full of wet linen; I saw them coming, they passed me. I followed them five hundred or six hundred yards, as far as Wilson-street, Moorfields, and with the assistance of Joseph Cook , I seized them, and asked them where they were going to; White said, he was going home to his master's. I detained them, and took them back to the watchhouse, to the constable of the night, and gave him charge of them. JOSEPH COOK . As I was coming out of my own door, in Baldwin's-place, at five o'clock in the morning, I met the two prisoners together, they came up to my door; the prisoner, White, asked me, what was o'clock; they had nothing with them as I perceived; I told them they may know what was o'clock, for the clocks were striking five at the time; they walked off, down the road, towards the City-road. I was just coming out to go to Spitalfields market; I followed them down, with my knot and basket on my head. About half way down the road, they made a stop, and seemed to be in deep conversation together; I past them; I conceived all was not right; about twenty yards after I passed them, I stopped; I saw the prisoner, Brooks go over a pailing, and go into the fields adjoining the road, and hand over three coppers, and then returned; White was outside, receiving them of Brooks; the prisoner, White, took two big coppers, put one over the other, and put them on his head; Brooks took the small one with wet linen, on his head. I then slackened my pace, to let them pass me again, with the coppers; when I came to the turnpike, I communicated my thoughts, that all was not right; I communicated them to Billing, at the turnpike-gate; they passed us. We followed them; we afterwards stopped them as Billing has described; I spoke to the prisoner, White, I asked him where he was going with these things; he said, they belonged to his master. I said, you must go along with me, your master must come forward; I do not think you have came by them honestly. When we took White, he took this chissel (produces it,) out of his pocket, and threw it over a carpenter's wall. After we took the coppers off his head, we took the prisoners to the watchhouse; they were delivered to the constable. Mr. Sandham lives in Craven-street, City-road, the back part of the house comes into the the field that Brooks went over, and handed the coppers to White; it was all done in the course of five minutes; the coppers were close to the pales. Q. What parish is Sandham's house in - A. In Shoreditch. SARAH SANDHAM . Q. My husband's name is Stephen Sandham ; I live at No. 31, Craven-street, in the parish of St. Leonard Shoreditch . Q. Had you a copper - A. Yes, in the washhouse, that adjoins the back part of the house. On Friday, the 7th of April, I used that copper to boil the clothes; the linen and the copper both belonged to me. I saw the copper safe on the 7th of April, it was affixed in the washhouse, in brick work; I saw it about ten o'clock in the evening. On Saturday morning, about six o'clock, my husband went into the washhouse, and missed the copper. About two hours after that, Mr. Baker came. I saw my copper afterwards at Worship-street, I knew it to be mine, by two small holes in the side of it; these holes had been there some time; the washhouse window was broken into, and the copper taken out of the brick work. - BAKER. I am a constable. This copper and the prisoners were delivered into my custody at the watchhouse; I received them from Billing and Cook. The copper that Mrs. Sandham claimed, was one of the coppers brought into the watchhouse with the prisoners. I fitted that copper to Mrs. Sandham's washhouse; Sandham's house, the back of it adjoins the fields, a little way out of the road; it is in the parish of Shoreditch. White's Defence. On Friday evening, I was at Westminster, I stopped there all night; I got up early the next morning, coming along the road, I met Brooks, soon after which, I asked that gentleman what it was o'clock; he said, five; going along a little further, we saw something in a field; the prisoner, Brooks, got over to see what it was; he saw there these coppers; Brooks asked me what was best to be done with them; I said, take them to the public-house, and in the morning, we may enquire who they belong to. Brooks's Defence. I was along with White; I saw the coppers lying on a dust hill; we agreed to take them to the first public-house, and in the morning enquire for the owners of them. - SMART. On this Saturday morning, I expected White to come as usual to work; he did not; he is a journeyman baker. The prisoner White called two witnesses, who gave him a good character. WHITE, GUILTY , aged 19. BROOKS, GUILTY , aged 19. Transported for Seven Years