Thomas Wilson

135

C H on 26th March 2024

Old Bailey Online THOMAS WILSON. THOMAS RUSSELL. JOHN COOK. Theft; theft from a specified place. 11th May 1835. Text type Trial account Defendants THOMAS WILSON, THOMAS RUSSELL, JOHN COOK Offences Theft > Theft from place Session Date 11th May 1835 Reference Number t18350511-1136 Verdicts Guilty, Guilty, Guilty Punishments Transportation 1136. THOMAS WILSON, THOMAS RUSSELL and JOHN COOK were indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the warehouse of David Bradley, on the 11th of April, at St. Olave, Hart-street, and stealing therein 1 coat, value 1s., the goods of John Dore; 121bs. weight of tobacco, value 2l.; 2lbs. weight of cigars, value 2l. 5s.; 46 pence; and 120 halfpence; the goods and monies of David Bradley. HENRY FLOWERDAY . I am a watchman of St. Olave, Aldgate Ward. On the 11th of April I was by Mr. Bradley's warehouse, up a gateway—I observed a water-trunk disturbed—I looked up and saw the window open, in the warehouse—I looked through the key-hole of the warehouse-door, and saw a light—I called out to know if that was Mr. Bradley—no answer; was made, nut the light was put out—the patrole came up in a few minutes—I told him of it, and he alarmed Mr. Bradley—I remained by the warehouse-door. JOHN THOMAS . I am a watchman. I was on duty In Jewry-street on the morning of the 12th of April, about half-past three o'clock—the patrole came to me—I went with him to Mr. Bradley's warehouse—Flowerday was at the door, and said he could bear somebody in the warehouse—I went round to Mr. Bradley's front door, and he let me into the dwelling-house—the first door we came to, led into the tea-warehouse, which was forced open, that was a door of the dwelling-house—we went to the warehouse-door and found it broken, the lock was completely broken off—we found the prisoners, and M'Carthy, who got away, down in the back cellar or vault all huddled together—the cellar is underneath the warehouse—you get to it by a door from the warehouse—they must be inside the warehouse to get to the cellar—there is no other way to get in—this was about half-past three o'clock, before day-break. WILLIAM HENRY ABBOTT . I am an officer of Lambeth-street. I know the warehouse in question—it is in the parish of St. Olave, Hart-street—I was doing duty as patrol—when I came to Flowerday, about a quarter-past three o'clock, he gave me information respecting Bradley's warehouse—I went to the warehouse door, shook it, and hallooed out, "Who is here"—I heard a great scrambling in the warehouse—I went round to the private door, and Mr. Bradley answered me—I called a watchman down to my assistance—we went through the dwelling-house—I found the other warehouse door broken open across the yard—I found the lock broken off the back warehouse door, and tobacco thrown about in all directions, and cigars; one of them had been lighted—another door was broken open—two lucks were forced—Mr. Bradley said there was a cellar in front; and in an archway there, I saw the three prisoners and another man altogether there—they must have gone through the warehouse to that cellar—there was a great quantity of tobacco thrown about, and about 10 or 12lbs. wrapped up in an old coat by the cask. PETER MUNT . I am a Ward officer. The prisoners were taken to the watchhouse—I searched Wilson, and found on him this box filled full of tobacco, and this parcel of tobacco stuffed inside his trowsers, between his skin and trowsers, a broken stick of sealing wax, two pick-lock keys, 1s. 5 3/4 d. in copper money; and 3s. 6d. I found in the lock-up place afterwards, which he said belonged to him—here is the lock of the warehouse, and the box staple which was forced off, and these two chisels and lucifer-box were found on the premises—I found a skeleton-key on Cook. JOHN DORE . I am warehouseman to Mr. David Bradley. The warehouse in question is in his occupation, and joins the dwelling-house—there is an internal communication—on the night of the 11th of April, I was alarmed—the warehouse window was three or four inches up—it is sixteen feet from the ground—they might have got in by getting up the water-spout, which had been moved out of its place, and partly pulled down—the door leading from the dwelling-bouse to the warehouse, was broken open—the lock was nearly wrenched off—the counting-house desks were both broken open, and 7s. or 8s. in copper missing, and 7s. in silver, about 2lbs. of cigars removed from a box in the counting-house, and put on the counter in the warehouse—I saw a match-box there—the prisoners were found in the cellar, which they must have gone through the warehouse to get to—the tobacco was wrapped up in a coat of mine, and had been moved from its proper place, and is the prosecutor's property—we found seven locks broken altogether—one in the dwelling-house—that was the warehouse door leading to the dwelling-house—I saw the chisels found—there was several hundred weight of tobacco on the premises manufactured, and a great deal of leaf tobacco. Wilston's Defence. We are charged with stealing 12lbs. of tobacco, a coat, and two hundred cigars-it cannot be proved they were found on us—we saw the man, who has escaped, there as we went by, and he called us in. (John Herring, carpenter, Baker's-row, Whitechapel, and Elizabeth Brown, dress-maker, Walbrook-street, Cannon-street-road, gave Cook a good character.) WILSON— GUILTY . Aged 19. RUSSELL— GUILTY .* Aged 20. Transported for Fourteen Years COOK— GUILTY . Aged 22.

108

Nell Murphy on 28th January 2018

Thomas WILSON was convicted at the CCC, London on 11 May 1835 for breaking into a warehouse and stealing. Gaol Report: Had been imprisoned 3 times before" - note -Thomas denied this, stated he had once for leaving his Master. Hulk Report: "good". 14 yr transportation sentence. Sent to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) per the ship 'Bardaster' arriving 13 Jan 1836. Ship surgeon's report: "good". Colony of VDL: Assigned to work services. 1839: at Green Ponds. March 1845: Conditional Pardon approved.