Richard Williams

343

Maureen Withey on 7th April 2021

National Archives. Criminal Petitions. HO 17/72/8 Description: Prisoner name: Richard Williams. Prisoner age: 21. Court and date of trial: Old Bailey, 7 April 1813. Crime: Stealing pieces of woollen cloth from warehouse in Basinghall Street, together with John Holmes, on 13 March 1813. Initial sentence: Death, commuted to transportation [for life]. Annotated (Outcome): Nil. Petitioner(s): The prisoner. Samuel Hitchcock of Westminster Road, coach maker, the prisoner's relative. John Frost of 30 Howland Street, Fitzroy Square. Grounds for clemency (Petition Details): First offence; would be re-employed if pardoned. Other papers: Covering letter for first petition from John Frost. Memorandum stating that the prisoner in custody before and he and his companion are notorious characters. Additional Information: George Hand convicted at same trial for receiving stolen goods and sentenced to 14 years transportation. John Holmes sentenced to death. Prisoner held on board Retribution hulk, Woolwich, then transported to New South Wales on ship Surrey, arriving in June or July 1814. Left New South Wales in December 1814 for France. Date: 1821 Dec - 1822 Jan --------------------------------------------------- Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 07 April 2021), April 1813, trial of RICHARD WILLIAMS JOHN HOLMES GEORGE HAND (t18130407-24). RICHARD WILLIAMS, JOHN HOLMES, GEORGE HAND, Theft > theft from a specified place, Theft > receiving, 7th April 1813. 368. RICHARD WILLIAMS and JOHN HOLMES were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 15th of March , three hundred and twenty yards yards of woollen cloth, value 140 l. the property of Samuel Sutcliff , in the dwelling-house of Michael Guest . And GEORGE HAND , for feloniously receiving the same goods, on the same day, he knowing them to be stolen . AARON BROOKES . I am a porter to Mr. Sutcliff; he keeps a woollen warehouse , 49, Basinghall-street . Mr. Guest keeps the house. The warehouse is the ground floor of that house. On Saturday the 13th of March, I locked up the warehouse about half past six in the evening, and then left it. I returned to the warehouse on Monday morning the 15th of March. I found the door on a jar, which I had left safe on the Saturday night, and a considerable quantity of woollen cloth was gone; about ten pieces. Q. How soon after you made this discovery, did Harrison, the officer, come to you - A. In about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. I went with him to Grub-street, to a baker's shop. I went up one pair of stairs in that house. Harrison and me went into the room. I saw about five or six persons in that room. I saw Williams and Hand, and three or four more. When Harrison and I entered the door I saw the property. I saw Williams and another jump out of the window. The officer stopped Hand. The rest got by me and got down stairs. Q. How was Hand dressed - A. He was dressed in a coat; his knees unbuttoned, his stockings were down and he had a night-cap on. He appeared like a man lately arisen from bed. He said, he did not know anything about it; he was obliged to get up in his shirt and to let them in. Q. Did you find in the room any pieces of cloth that you had lost - A. I found nine pieces out of the ten I had lost. Q. What is the value of the ten pieces - A. About one hundred and fifty pounds. Q. In what state did you find these nine pieces - A. They were not in the same state as in our warehouse. They were unfolded, and pieces cut off; about four yards and a half in length. The marks were taken off, and hid between the bed and the mattress, in the same room. Q. At the time they had been in your warehouse had the pieces of cloth any paper about them - A. Yes. I found them upon Hand, the tailor's shop-board. Hand being a tailor. The officer took care of Hand while I ran after Williams. I catched Williams. He ran down Grub-street, up a court, and tumbled, and I catched him. The others escaped from me. Q. I do not know whether you know the person of any other besides Williams and Hand, that were there - A. No, sir. Q. Did you ever know Williams before. A No long Q. Williams jumped out of the window; how long was he in the room before he jumped out - A. Not many minutes. I am sure it was Williams. JAMES BARDOLPH. I am a porter. Q. On Monday the 13th of March were you in Basinghall-street - A. Yes. Q. While you were there did you observe any person standing in the street - A. I observed Williams standing against the warehouse that I live in, oppositeof the warehouse that was robbed. He was in company with three others that I saw. Q. Look at the bar, and see whether you saw him in company with any person there - A. I saw Holmes, Williams and others. I had suspicion of Williams. I saw Holmes with a great coat, which I have seen since. He went opposite to where I live, and spoke to two others. He returned back. I looked after him. I saw him on the opposite side of Mr. Sutcliff's. He took the great coat off his back, and another man put it on in the street, land the man that put it on was the first man that entered the house. Q. You saw the man that put on the coat enter whose house - A. Enter Mr. Sutcliff's warehouse. He entered the house and brought out cloth on his shoulder, with paper wrapped on it. A second and third went in. They each brought out cloth. I saw Williams go in, but come out without any. I saw him in company with those that did bring out. Q. After they had brought out the cloth which way did they go - A. They went down Basinghall-street, crossed Fore-street towards Grub-street. Q. How near the lower end of Basinghall-street is the warehouse - A. It is the last house but one or two to London Wall, and from thence to Grub-street is a very few yards. I saw Harrison, the officer, and told him what I had seen. Q. Did you the next day see either of the men that you saw do this transaction - A. I saw Holmes the next day near Smithfield, by Snow-hill. I saw Holmes with another man; they crossed over together, as though they were going towards Smithfield. I made all the haste I could to find Harrison. Q. Now, when you saw Holmes the next day, were you positive that he was one of the men that was engaged in this transaction - A. I was very positive. Q. How soon afterwards were you called upon to see him in custody - A. I cannot exactly say, a week or more; and when I saw him again I perfectly knew him. I am quite sure Williams and him were two of the party. THOMAS ELKIN . I am a painter. I work with Mr. Alders, in Grub-street. On Monday morning, the 15th of March, I was going to my employ. I went through the courts in Grub-street, into Moor-lane, and then I crossed to Basighall-street. I observed a man of the name of Gill, and Williams, as I was crossing in Basinghall-street. I saw Gill in company with Williams and two others, crossing from the bottom of Basinghall-street. They had two rolls of cloth wrapped up in brown paper. Williams had one load and Gill another. They went through Honeysuckle-court, into Grub-street. I know nothing of this Gill. I followed Williams and the others, and saw them go into a baker's shop in Grub-street. That is the baker's shop that I afterwards went to with Harrison. After I saw them, I went and informed Harrison, and then I went with Harrison to the baker's in Grub-street. I saw Williams jump out of the window. He caught hold of the lamp iron. Harrison called, stop thief. I ran directly the young man came down stairs, and caught Williams. He was brought back. ANTHONY HARRISON . I am a constable. From information, I went to Grub-street. Upon my entering the room, I found the prisoner Williams and two others, and as soon as I entered the room Williams pushed up the window and jumped out. I searched, and I found nine rolls of cloth in the room. Williams was brought back in two or three minutes. I found the marks cut off the rolls of cloth; and in searching the room I found it between the bed and the mattrass. Hand was in the room; he is a tailor. He said he did not know any thing about it; he was called out of bed to let some things be brought in there. I found two great coats in the room, a green and a blue one. Bardolph. The blue great coat is like the great coat I saw on Holmes's back when he pulled it off, and another man put it on. The great coat was as like this as can be, with a cape. Q. to Harrison. Did you find any paper with marks also - A. Yes. I found them under the shop-board. JOHN SMITH . I keep the White Hart in Fetter-lane. The prisoner Holmes had lodged with me. Q. Had he a blue coat - A. He had a blue coat. Q. Upon your oath, had not Holmes such a coat as that - A. Yes; he had a blue coat similar to that. SAMUEL SUTCLIFF . Q. Do you keep this warehouse for the sale of clothes - A. Yes, for Edward Alsling , John Sutcliff , and William Alsling . I am their agent, and dispose of their property in town. Q. Whose dwelling-house is this of which your warehouse is a ground floor - A. Mr. Guest's. These clothes that are produced are all the property of me and my employers. They are of the value of one hundred and forty pounds. MICHAEL GUEST . I reside in this house of which this warehouse forms a part. I sleep there. Mr. Sutcliff pays me for the warehouse. He is my tenant. Williams left his defence to his counsel. Holmes's Defence. The officer took my money from me; I wish to have it. Hand's Defence. I am as innocent as a child unborn with respect to knowing the goods being stolen. I leave the rest to my counsel. WILLIAMS, GUILTY - DEATH , aged 22. HOLMES, GUILTY - DEATH , aged 37. HAND, GUILTY , aged 54. Transported for Fourteen Years . London jury, before Mr. Recorder. -----------------------------------------------------