Thomas Samuel White

135

C H on 15th February 2024

Old Bailey Online THOMAS SAMUEL WHITE. SAMUEL SOLOMAN. Theft; theft from a specified place, Theft; receiving. 5th April 1827. Text type Trial account Defendants THOMAS SAMUEL WHITE, SAMUEL SOLOMAN Offences Theft > Theft from place, Theft > Receiving Session Date 5th April 1827 Reference Number t18270405-71 Verdicts Guilty > With recommendation, Guilty Punishments Death, Transportation Before Lord Chief Justice Abbott. 824. THOMAS SAMUEL WHITE was indicted for stealing on the 31st of January , at St. James, Westminster, 7 silver candlesticks, value 40l., the goods of the Earl of Aberdeen , Lord Auckland , William Robert Hamilton , Esq., the Marquis of Lansdowne , Edward Booth Wilbraham , Esq. , and Edward Marjoribanks , in their dwelling-house . 2d COUNT, charging SAMUEL SOLOMAN with feloniously receiving, on the same day, at the same parish, the said goods, he knowing them to have been stolen, against the statute , &c. 3d COUNT, charging the prisoner White as in the first count, only stating the goods to belong to the Marquis of Lansdowne and others, in their dwelling-house. 4th COUNT, charging Soloman with receiving. 5th COUNT, charging as the third count, only stating them to be the goods of Charles Beloe , in the dwelling-house of the said Marquis of Lansdowne and others. 6th COUNT, charging Soloman with receiving. 7th COUNT, the same as the fifth, only stating them to be the goods of Edward Hurren , in the dwelling-house of the said Marquis of Lansdowne and others. 8th COUNT, charging Soloman with receiving. MESSRS. ALLEY and CLARKSON conducted the prosecution. CHARLES BELOE, ESQ. I am secretary to the Travellers' Club , which is held at No. 49, Pall-mall, in the parish of St. James - the Marquis of Lansdowne is one of the trustees of the club; there are five trustees, beside the treasurer, who is one; they are invested by the club in trust of their property. COURT. Q. How do you know they are trustees? A. They are appointed at a general meeting of the club - in the first instance by vote; the Marquis attends the club as a member; the trustees are all members. I have the minute of the transaction - it is in my own hand-writing(reads). "At a general meeting, held May 13, 1822, Resolved, That all the monies, china, plate, and other effects belonging to the club, as well as the house, business, and premises, and the lease thereof, are abeolutely vested in the trustees, in trust for the club, and are to be assigned and disposed of from time to time, in such manner as the Committee shall direct. - Resolved, That the following noblemen and gentlemen be nominated as the trustees of the Club; the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Auckland, William Hamilton, Esq., the Marquis of Lansdowne, Edward Marjoribanks, Esq., and Edward Booth Wilbraham, Esq." PHILIP CHASTENEY . I am waiter to the club. On the night of the 31st of January I placed three pairs of candlesticks in the cupboard of the outer pantry, which is inside the house - they were silver candlesticks; there were two or three pairs there at the time, but I did not count them; I went to bed about half-past five o'clock in the morning. I took some other candlesticks down at that time, and placed them on the dresser in the outer pantry, without putting them into the cupboard; those which I brought down first I placed in the cupboard - they were all silver. I turned the key of the cupboard, and left it in the door; I did not lock the pantry door - I then went to bed. RICHARD WILLIAMS . I am now servant to a gentleman. On the 31st of January I was under butler at the Travellers' Club - a little after seven o'clock on that morning I cleaned the plate, and put it away in the pantry where I slept; it was between six and seven when I first got up to clean it - I put it by in the pantry - I cannot be certain as to the time - I cleaned seven candlesticks, but they were not lost - nothing that I cleaned was lost - I missed seven candlesticks at eight o'clock on the morning of the 31st. - I searched for them in the pantry, and in the front pantry cupboard, which we call the outer pantry - I had not been to that cupboard before eight o'clock. JOHN CROKER . I am fifteen years old on the 1st of May - I live in Church-street, Bethnal-green, but have now come from the House of Correction - I have a brother named William - I do not know where he is now - I was taken into custody about eleven weeks ago - one day, nearly a fortnight before I was apprehended, I went out with my brother William and the prisoner White, about half-past five o'clock in the morning - White does not live with me - he and my brother William are sweeps - I had never been a sweep myself until this morning - White came to my brother's house about half-past five, I, my brother William and him, went out - White gave me a chimney-sweeper's cloth, with a brush and scraper, to carry, and some black soot was slapped over my face by White, who said that in getting up the chimney my face would be quite black - we went by the Queen's house which is being built up in the Park - there is a scaffold round it, and through a place where there is all arch-ways which brought us round into a square - White rang a bell - a gentleman came out and asked who was there, and White said the sweeps - we did not get in at that house - we then went up a street and towards the backway of a house; the watchman said, they did not let them in that way - we went round a court where there was archways and came round to the front of the house - White rang the bell and called out sweep; a gentleman came and opened the door, and we all three went into the house - White first, my brother next, and I last - we all went straight down the stairs into a room where there is all tin things - White and my brother took up some cinders and put them into the sack - my brother said to a person who wore a white smock-frock, "Will you give us some beer?" some was given us; we all drank; the person in the frock then said, "Are you done?" my brother said, "No, not yet"- we all went up stairs into a room where there is a tin by the side of the fire - I put my cloth, brush, and scraper down; my brother hung the cloth before the chimney: I went up the chimney about a yard, and then said, "Bill, if you don't fetch me down, I shall tumble down" (my brother had told me to go up the chimney); he said, "Stop a bit;" he afterwards put up his hand, and I came down - when I got down White and my brother were there - White lifted the sack on my brother's shoulder, and told me to go on - my brother William remained with White; I went on till I came to the door - they followed me, my brother tried the door - we could not open the door to get out - he told White to fetch the gentleman to open it - the gentleman came, and said, "Shall I open both doors?" they said, "No, one would do" - my brother had the sack on his shoulder at that time - White had nothing - we all went out together, and I think we turned to the right - we then went up two or three streets which brought us to a square, they went right across the square, up a street where there is a little hill, and that brought us into a road; my brother then said to me, "Jack, do you know your way home?" I said, No; he said, "I will show you the way, go straight on down this road, that will bring you to Charing-cross, and then you will know your way" - White was present all this time, there were houses on one side this road, the other is a dead wall; I followed the direction my brother gave me, and got to Charing-cross - I then knew my way home - when my brother asked if I knew my way home, he meant to his own house - he lives in Pye-street, Westminster - I slept at his house that night, but I did not live there - I went to his house. Prisoner WHITE. Q. Did you not meet a boy named Hope as you went home? A. When I got home to my brother's, I went out for a light, and met a man named Jem Hope, he asked what made my face so black - I laughed at him and went on. Q. How came you at your brother's over-night? A. I had no work to do, and had not seen him for some time, he often told me, if I came down there, he would get me some work. JAMES STEEL . On the 31st of January I was porter to the Travellers' Club; there were three sweeps there that morning - I let them out - while they were there one of them asked for some table-beer, which I gave them - the prisoner White was one of them, I am quite sure - I swear to him. Prisoner WHITE. Q. Why not swear to me at the office; you saw me at the Green Man public-house, and did not know me? A. I pointed him out to one of the officers in Clerkenwell prison - I did not see him in a public-house to my knowledge. THOMAS CLEMENTS . I am an officer of Marlborough-street. On the 28th of March, I, in company with Goddard and Avis, apprehended the prisoner White in Greek-street, Spitalfields - he made a resistance; we at length secured him - on the 30th of March, when he was locked up at the office, he called to me, and asked if he could see his old woman; I said, I would see what I could do; but I had seen her, and his mother too; I did not either threaten or promise him any thing; he then said, "I have seen the Magistrate again;" I said, "Have you?" he said, "He did not seem to want to hear me" - he then commenced by telling me, that, on the night before the robbery, Bill Croker told him, that he knew of a job where they could earn 15s. or 16s. in the morning; that he, and Bill Croker, and Bill's brother, Jack, went to a house in Berkeley-square next morning, and rang the bell to do their job, but they would not let them in; that they came away, and in coming down St. James's-street, Bill Croker said to him, "A friend of mine told me, that at the house where we got the candlesticks, there were some small or little fine clocks on all the chimney-pieces, and I am bush'd (meaning without money), and I want money, and we will go, if you like;" that he consented, and they all three went to the back-door of the club-house, and could not get in; the watchman came, and told them they must go round to the front, that they went round to the front, and were all three let in, without being asked a question; they went into the kitchen and took up some cinders and ashes from under the grate, and put them into the sack, that they saw a number of spoons and sugar-tongs lying on the table or dresser, that Bill Croker gathered them together but left them, they did not take them away, they came out of that room, and saw the porter - Bill Croker asked for some beer, and they had some; that Bill said, there was another chimney to do, and they went up to another room, where a good many candlesticks laid on the dresser - that Bill took up some of them, examined them and put them down again - I should have said, that he stated when they went into this room they put the boy up the chimney, and put the cloth in front; he said, they saw the door of a closet in this room standing open, and some candlesticks in it, that Bill Croker took out one or two of them, and said, "These will do;" he put them back again, took the boy from the chimney and put him outside the door, and told him to look after the waiter, and then he (White) held the sack open while Bill Croker put in seven of the candlesticks out of the cupboard; he put the sack on White's shoulder, who carried it to the door, the porter let them all three out, and then Bill Croker took the sack altogether, on his shoulder, and he (White) went in his company - he then told me the whole of what they had done with them, and how they had disposed of them - he said, they took them to Solomon's. Prisoner WHITE. Q. Did you not tell me it would go easier with me if I told you? A. No, nor any thing like it. THOMAS CHARLES SIRRELL . I am a refiner, and live at No. 54, Barbican. About nine o'clock in the morning of the 31st of January, the prisoner Solomons came to my house, I paid him 29l. 4s. 10d. for seven silver candlesticks - I do not know that he brought them. Cross-examined by MR. ADOLPHUS. Q. Had you any acquaintance with him before? A. He was at my house about two years ago - I am sure he is the man - I will swear to him - he was there at nine o'clock in the morning - he had dealt with my shopman - I was only there while I paid him - I gave him 4s. 10d. an ounce for the silver, which was a full and fair price. COURT. Q. Did you see the candlesticks yourself before you paid the money? A. I had a glance of them as I paid the money - they were in the scale at the time; I took one out to see for the hall mark - I saw there was a crest on it. MR. CLARKSON. Q. Did you afterwards sell them? A. I sold them to Foligno two hours after I bought them- I sold him the whole seven; he is a dealer in plate. COURT. Q. Why, you are a refiner; I thought you bought to melt? A. It is usual if we find any thing better, to sell it - I sold them at 5s. 4d. per ounce, and he had them away. LAURENCE CHILD . I am shopman to Sirrell. On the 31st of January, about nine o'clock in the morning, a person came to master's shop to sell seven candlesticks - I believe Solomon to be the man; he first inquired what we gave for sterling silver; I told him 4s. 10d. an ounce; he then produced them. I examined and weighed them - they weighed 121 ounces - I made a bill of them, and then called master down to pay for them, which he did - he paid the same person who brought them to me. I think I should know the candlesticks again. Cross-examined by MR. ADOLPHUS. Q. Did you deal for them in a very regular manner? A. Quite so. EDWARD FOLIGNO . I am a silver-smith, and live at No. 6, Nottingham-place, Commercial-road. I purchased seven candlesticks of Sirrell, on the 31st of January, at 5s. 4d. per oz. I sold one pair to Mr. Wm. Barrett, and kept the other five; I delivered them up to Sirrell after inquiry was made, and do not remember whether there was any marks on them. I delivered the pair to Mr. Barrett just as I received them. Cross-examined. Q. Did you buy them to sell again, or as old silver? A. To sell again - 4s. 10d. is a fair price for old silver; there was one pair, three alike, and two odd ones. I sold the pair to Mr. Barrett. COURT. Q. How came you to know that Sirrell had them to dispose of? A. I went in quite promiscuously - I had been there several times, and bought plate of him; he had some things in his window exposed for sale, which I had an idea of buying, and went in for that purpose; these candlesticks were not in the window - he asked if I would purchase some, and produced these. WILLIAM BARRETT . I am a silver-smith, and live at No. 18, Redcross-square. I bought two candlesticks of Foligno, on the 31st of January; they are not exactly a pair, but nearly so - I believe they had a mark on them; I gave 6s. 3d. an ounce for them - I returned them to Foligno when I found they were stolen. E. FOLIGNO re-examined. I at first returned but five to Sirrell, but afterwards received this pair, and returned them. BENJAMIN SCHOFIELD . I am an officer of Marlborough-street. I have seven silver candlesticks which I received from Sirrell, five at his house, and two more at the office afterwards; there is a crest on each of the five, but it has been taken off the two which are polished - I cannot say there has been a crest on them. T. C. SIRRELL. These are the same candlesticks - I am a silver refiner - I melt silver. COURT to FOLIGNO. Q. These are old-fashioned candlesticks? A. Yes, but they have been in demand for the last five or six years - every dealer in silver might not know that - new ones are now sometimes made to old-fashioned patterns: these are such as are now sought after. EDWARD HURREN . I am butler to the Travellers' Club- these seven candlesticks all belong to the club. I missed them on the 31st of January; five of them have the crest on them, which is Ulysses' head, and it was on the other two tall ones - I should think the seven are worth about 60l. WHITE's Defence. John Croker said at the office that we were half way down the yard, and the watchman called after us - neither of the men can swear that I was near the place, if it had not been for what I told the officer, who said it would go better with me if I told. Prisoner SOLOMON to L. CHILD. Q. At my first examination, did you swear positively to my being the man who brought the candlesticks. A. I told the Magistrate I believed he was the man. SOLOMON's Defence. I know nothing whatever of it. WHITE - GUILTY - DEATH . Aged 20. Recommended to mercy by the prosecutors, on account of the information he gave relative to the property . SOLOMON - GUILTY . Aged 21. Transported for Fourteen Years .

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C H on 15th February 2024

VDL Founders and Survivors Convicts 1802-1853, Convict Description Record ID fas_cod45232 Arrival year 1827 Gender m Height 5/5¼ Religion Protestant Hair red brown Marks Scar in upper lip