John Wilson

Level 135

C H on 8th March 2024

Old Bailey Online JOHN WILSON. MARTHA SHEPHERD. Theft; grand larceny (to 1827), Theft; receiving. 15th September 1790. Text type Trial account Defendants JOHN WILSON, MARTHA SHEPHERD Offences Theft > Grand larceny, Theft > Receiving Session Date 15th September 1790 Reference Number t17900915-102 Verdicts Guilty > Theft under 40s, Not guilty Punishments Transportation 689. JOHN WILSON was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 4th of September , one wicker basket, value 2 s. the goods of William Fulford , three check aprons, value 2 s. nine caps, value 1 s. two muslin caps, value 2 s. four muslin caps, value 5 s. two muslin aprons, value 42 s. and various other articles , the goods of Charlotte Wheeler . And MARTHA SHEPHERD was indicted for receiving the said goods, knowing them to be stolen . (The case was opened by Mr. Garrow.) ALEXANDER MACKINTOSH sworn. I am the under butler to Mrs. Wheeler, in Upper Brook-street : I was at home on the 4th of September, about ten o'clock in the evening: the laundress had brought home some linen; my fellow servant took it in; at which time the prisoner at the bar, Wilson, came with these shoes, and told me they were for Mrs. Wheeler's ladies maid; I took the shoes of him, and I went, supposing the ladies maid to be up stairs, and rang a bell; but not finding her there, I went down stairs, and shewed her the shoes, and I found they did not belong to her, nor any in the house: I left the man at the door: I went directly up stairs again, and my fellow servant, Robert Cooke , came down stairs, and found the door open; he asked me what was the reason of the door being open that time of night? I told him, I had been absent about three minutes; and the baskets of linen were in the hall; how many I cannot positively tell: when I came back again the prisoner was gone. Now look at the prisoner Wilson; did you know him before? - I never saw him before that night. How long did you see him at that time? - Not above half a minute. How soon did you see him again? - That day week; I saw him again at the justice's, in Poland-street, at Mr. Read's office. Did you then know the man? - Yes, directly. Are you sure that that is the man that came with the shoes? - Yes; I am very sure that is the man. Did you observe his dress at all? - No; it was his face I observed; I had but a little time to observe that. Now speak cautiously, and tell us again, whether you are positive that that is the man? - Yes, I am positive. Prisoner. Did not you say at Mr. Read's office, that if I was the person I had not the same clothes on, and that you could not swear positively to me? - I did not say so; but when I saw him at Mr. Read's office I swore positively to him. And likewise I told you, that if I was the man I never changed my clothes, and even by my tongue you could not be deceived; but they would not let me speak? Court. You have heard what the prisoner said to you; did you know his voice again? - No, Sir; I did not take any notice of his voice; but I said, I could swear to him. Court. Did you say that in his presence? - No; it was other people that told me of the man when he was taken, before I saw him at Justice Read's office; because then I was not certain whether I should know him or not; but I never said so after I had seen him at the office. Was he in those clothes when you saw him at Justice Read's? - Yes; he was. Is Mrs. Wheeler here? - No. ROBERT COOKE sworn. I am one of the servants of Mrs. Wheeler. I took in the linen, and left three baskets in the hall, and went up stairs: Mrs. Wheeler asked me what that bell rang for that time of night; I went down stairs to see the reason; on my coming down stairs I found the street door open, and no one there; I staid a second or two at the door, turned about again, and saw no one there, and met my fellow servant coming up stairs; and he told me that some one had been there. Did you examine how many baskets were gone? - I told my fellow servant there was one gone. How long had you been up stairs? - About three minutes; not more: when I went up stairs there were three in the hall; four were delivered in the house; when I came down three minutes after there were but two left: I gave information at the office the next day, and saw the prisoner the very next day. RICHARD LOVELL sworn. I am one of the officers of Poland-street. On this day week I had an information of this robbery; by the description of the person given me I went to the lodging of Wilson; and the woman prisoner was at home; Wilson's lodgings are at No. 2, Broad-street, Grosvenor-square. Court. How did you know that that was the lodgings of Wilson? - I had been there before on some business: I took the woman prisoner into custody, whom I found there; I took her into Brooks-court, where I had been informed she had sold a basket to one Edwards, I told her of it before; but she said, she knew nothing of it; the basket was found before there: as soon as I came to Edwards with the woman he knew her, and said, in her presence, that is the woman who sold me the basket; she then said, that another woman had given her the basket; I went back immediately with her to her lodgings, and brought the woman whom she said gave her the basket, which was Jane Giles ; I took Mrs. Giles up to Edwards, and I then found out where was an apron, sold in the same court. I went back to the lodgings of Wilson, and searched the box, and found three odd stockings. Who claimed the box? - Shepherd said, here is our box; I took her to the office in Poland-street, and there I found a cap on her head, claimed by Charlotte Butler , and I took likewise a pair of stockings from her legs. How soon after this was the man prisoner apprehended? - The next morning; one Brown apprehended him. Prisoner Shepherd. I would be glad to ask whether I said any thing about the box? - She said, you are welcome to look into the box: the box was open; she never objected nor endeavoured to hide any thing that coat was restored to Wilson. JAMES EDWARDS sworn. I am a broker. I live No. 6; Brooks-court. I know the prisoner and the other by sight: that woman, together with another woman, Giles, came either on the 6th or 7th, being Monday or Tuesday, of this month, to my house, and offered this basket to sell; I bought it for eighteen-pence, and then exposed it for sale immediately; the day following it was claimed by Spelman, the laundress's servant. Was the basket Spelman saw at your house the same you bought of the prisoner? - Certainly it was. Prisoner Shepherd. Did I offer the basket first to sell to you or no? - I cannot positively be so clear as to that; but I gave the prisoner the half crown piece to get change; she went over the way, and brought me a shilling back. JANE GILES sworn. I am a basket-maker's wife. I live in the same house, in the next room to both the prisoners; they live together as man and wife: I went with the woman to Edwards, on Tuesday, to sell the basket; she told me, she had it from a young woman, who wished her to sell it for her; she sold it, and took the money, and carried the basket to Edwards, and he gave her eighteen-pence for it. Did you see it in her room? - No; I did not know where it come from. Prisoner. I would wish to ask whether you did not offer the basket to sell first? - Yes, I believe I did ask the man if he would buy it; she asked me to say so. Whether I did not tell you it was a man I had the basket of? - No; she told me it was a young woman that brought it to her to sell; it was the first time of my going out after lying in; and I went into her room on the Tuesday morning; and she shewed me a white apron, a coloured apron, and a cap: the prisoner Wilson was not there at the time. Did you see him that day? - No, but I did see him the day before; she told me of the Tuesday, that she had two beautiful book-muslin aprons in pawn; and she told me that she had pawned them for half-a-guinea; and that she could sell the duplicate for three shillings; she said that they were very handsome, flounced, and drawn at the top; after that she said she had got the duplicates for six-pence apiece; and she said that she had two pair of white stockings, cotton, in pawn, and a cap, for two shillings. Had you seen the man there between the Saturday and Tuesday? - Yes, I had; and I never knew any otherwise, but they were man and wife. Prisoner Wilson. Did I shew you any duplicates? - No. WILLIAM BROWN sworn. I am an officer at Poland-street. On Saturday last I took the prisoner Wilson in Tottenham-court-road, on the Terrace; I dropped into the yard, and said, Wilson, I want you; he said to me; Brown, I find that my wife and child are in the watch-house; said he, do you know what is against me; I hear Lovett hath broke my box open, and taken my coat; is there any thing else against me that you know of? I told him, that as to the coat, I believed it was his own; but he desired me to think, and to tell him what was against him; I told him the cap on his wife's head, and the stockings on her legs, had been sworn to; that he must go along with me; he desired me to say that I had not seen him; I said it is of no use, for go with me you must; afterwards he said, if I must go with you, I must go with you; I brought him to the justice's: I have often seen him before. AMELIA FULLFORD sworn. I am a landress; I work for Mrs. Wheeler. On the 4th of September I sent home four baskets of linen to Mrs. Wheeler's, by my servant, Spelman. Have you had any opportunity of examining the contents of the basket that was missed? - Yes, all of them; the basket was mine; and I know what was missed; there was two very fine book-muslin aprons, flounced top and bottom, and drawn at top. (The value not insisted on by the counsel for the prosecution; but the basket was deposed to by a black mark on one of the bandles, burnt with a candle; she likewise deposed to the other things produced.) SARAH SPELMAN sworn. I am a servant to Mrs. Fullford: I carried four baskets of linen to Mrs. Wheeler's; three were left in the hall, and one was taken down stairs; and those in the hall were left in the same state as delivered to me. MARTHA GRANT sworn. I am a servant to Mrs. Wheeler, the kitchen maid there. I can swear to the blue flannel apron, and to the stockings, three odd ones; the mark is cut out; they were marked with a C. LUCY ROSS sworn. Here is a blue woollen apron found at your house, of whom did you buy it? - I bought it of the woman prisoner, and gave her a groat for it. Was that apron you bought of the prisoner, the same delivered to the witness? - Yes, it is. CHARLOTTE BURTON sworn. I am the house-maid to Mrs. Wheeler. I am sure the stockings taken off her legs at the office, are mine; I folded them myself, and sent them with the cap to Mrs. Fullford's, to wash. The prisoners called three witnesses to their character. JOHN WILSON , GUILTY, 39 s. Transported for seven years . MARTHA SHEPHERD , NOT GUILTY .