Frances Wilson

Level 135

C H on 10th March 2024

Old Bailey Online FRANCES WILSON. ELIZABETH THOMPSON. Theft; pocketpicking. 12th January 1814 Text type Trial account Defendants FRANCES WILSON, ELIZABETH THOMPSON Offences Theft > Pocketpicking Session Date 12th January 1814 Reference Number t18140112-57 Verdicts Guilty, Not guilty Punishments Transportation 128. FRANCES WILSON and ELIZABETH THOMPSON were indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 29th of December , from the person of John Rampling , three three-shilling bank tokens, one eighteen-penny bank token, one shilling, and one 1 l. bank note , his property. JOHN RAMPLING . On the 29th of December, about eleven o'clock in the evening, I was in Newgate-street, my brother dropped his stick; the two prisoners came up, and asked him what he was looking for; my brother said, his stick. Thompson picked up his stick, and Wilson took hold of me; she wanted me to go with her. Q. Did you go with her - A. No, only in the street in my way home. The other was with my brother, he gave her two-pence after she picked the stick up; she kept hold of his arm. She wanted me to give her something to get her a glass of gin. I felt Wilson's hand in my breeches pocket after my brother's stick was picked up. Q. Was it in your pocket in which your notes were - A. Yes. Q. How many notes had you in it - A. A single one-pound note in my purse, three three-shilling bank tokens, one eighteen-penny token, and one shilling. Q. Were you sober at this time - A. Yes, quite sober. Q. How long was it before you perceived her hand in your pocket had you perceived your note safe in your pocket - A. Not two minutes: I kept my hand to it; I had suspicion what she was after; I could feel the paper in my pocket. I called to my brother after I found my pocket had been picked. I laid hold of Wilson; Thompson had come back to me, and left my brother. I told Wilson that she had picked my pocket; she said she had not, and directly I called my brother, Thompson walked a little way from me. Q. Now, at the time you perceived Wilson's hand coming out of your pocket was Thompson with your brother - A. No, Thompson had left my brother, and was close by me. When Wilson was picking my pocket she was saying something to me, I do not know what; she was on the other side of me to what Wilson was. Q. Did you ever find your note again - A. Yes; my brother came, and stopped Thompson; we took them both to the watchhouse. The patrol said he thought it was the best to go back and look, he said possibly they might have dropped it; I went to the spot where she drawed her hand out of my pocket. I found the purse in the kennel, with the note and silver in it; that was close to the spot where I first missed it. RICHARD RAMPLING. I was going home with my brother. In Newgate-street I dropped my stick; the girls came up; they asked me what I was looking for; I told them I had dropped my stick. Elizabeth Thompson directly stooped and picked up my stick; I gave her two-pence for picking it up; she was not content with two-pence, she said that would not get her and her sister a glass of gin; I gave her three halfpence more. Wilson was pulling my brother along the street, asking him to go with her. As soon as I gave Thompson the three halfpence I endeavoured to get rid of her; I went to my brother, Elizabeth Thompson said let the countryman alone, and shoved me away. I asked my brother if he had given her anything; he said, no. I told him to give her two-pence and let her go about her business. I had not walked but a few yards before my brother called out that she had picked his pocket; I instantly went to my brother, and Thompson was walking away; I thought she had the property as she was walking away. Q. You never saw Thompson in possession of the purse, did you - A. No. I took them both to the watchhouse, and the purse was afterwards found in the kennel, near the spot where my brother was. DAVID TOWERS . I am a patrol of Farringdon Ward. I was coming from the watchhouse as the charge was going in; the prosecutor said he had lost his purse; I told him it was likely they had dropped it, I took the lanthorn, and found the purse a quarter of a yard off the pavement. The money was in the purse that the prosecutor described he had lost. I produce the purse. Prosecutor. This is the purse that I lost. Wilson's Defence. As I was walking down Newgate-street one of the young men catched hold of me; he wished to behave in an indelicate manner indeed; I refused. What money he had in his possession I know not. He might have dropped the purse. Thompson's Defence. Wilson never saw me before that night. I picked up the young man's stick; he said he would give me sixpence; he gave me twopence; I walked away. Thompson called one witness, who gave her a good character. WILSON, GUILTY , aged 32. Transported for Life . THOMPSON, NOT GUILTY .