Mary Winspear

135

C H on 21st February 2024

Old Bailey Online MARY WINSFIELD. MARY FLANNAGAN. Theft; housebreaking. 2nd April 1788. Text type Trial account Defendants MARY WINSFIELD, MARY FLANNAGAN Offences Theft > Housebreaking Session Date 2nd April 1788 Reference Number t17880402-41 Verdicts Guilty > Theft under 5s Punishments Transportation 293. MARY WINSFIELD and MARY FLANNAGAN were indicted for feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Saul Lyons , about the hour of five in the afternoon, on the 31st of March , no person being therein, and stealing three mens hats, value 9 s. his property . SAUL LYONS sworn. I live in Whitechapel, in Three Crown-alley ; last Monday, in the afternoon, I went out about four, nobody was in the house; it has only one door; I fastened that and the windows; when I came back at five o'clock, I found the window open, and a pane of glass out; I missed nothing but three hats, which were laying on the window-bench; in the middle of Rosemary-lane, I found Joseph Levi , with the hats, and stopped him, about six in the evening, I went with him to the house where the good women were, and then to the Rosemary-branch, where we found the prisoners; we laid hold of them directly, but they were all against us, one was rescued. MOSES BENJAMIN sworn. I apprehended the prisoners when they came out of Rosemary-lane; one of them I knew; says she, Mr. Benjamin, I will go with nobody but you, you are always a friend to me; she said, at first, she knew nothing about it, that was Mary Flannagan ; I knew her a child, the other ran away; the next day the other girl was taken by Mr. Whiteway, then they confessed when they were at the Justice's. Did the Justice tell them it would be better for them to tell the whole truth? - Yes. You heard the Justice tell them so? - Yes. Then you must not tell us what they said. JACOB LEVY sworn. I am a dealer in the fair; the prisoner, Mary Flannagan , sold me two hats for 6 s. 6 d. about six in the afternoon; about ten minutes after, I heard a noise, and saw Lyons; I told him I had bought them; we searched for them, and found the two prisoners, the other prisoner was with Flannagan when she sold the hats; the other woman asked me to buy them. You are sure of that? - Yes; Flannagan had the hats, and I gave the money to Flannagan. Was any body by when you bought them? - No, Sir, it was an open fair. PRISONER WINSFIELD's DEFENCE. I deal in Rosemary-lane; last Friday, I met a man with a blue jacket and a pair of of trowsers; he shewed me these hats; I bought them of him for 5 s. 6 d. and I met Levi, and asked him, if he would buy them; I asked him half a guinea, he offered me 6 s. this woman said to me, take it; no says I, I cannot take it; he offered me 6 s. 6 d. and I let him have them; there was a man coming along that deals in Rosemary-lane, and saw me buy them, as well as Fitzgerald. THOMAS FITZGERALD sworn. I am a taylor, and live in Rosemary-lane; I do not know the prisoners; I come here to prove that I was selling in Rosemary-lane. When was it? - I cannot say to the day, I believe it was Wednesday, about five in the afternoon; there was a man in a blue jacket, and a dirty pair of trowsers; he asked me to buy three hats; he asked me 8 s. I would have no dealings with him; these two women were standing by me, they spoke to him; they offered him 5 s. one of them offered him 5 s. 6 d. I saw the money paid down; the women took the hats and went off; and afterwards, I do not know what became of them; I had a bundle of clothes across my arm at the time. Are you sure what day it was this week? - I cannot rightly say. What day is this? - Friday. Was it yesterday? - No. Was it the day before that? - No, Sir, I believe not. How many days ago was it? - Two or three to the best of my knowledge; it was on Wednesday or Thursday. Did you know these women before? - No, Sir, they are strangers to me; I have seen them in the fair several times dealing. Did you know their names? - No; I did not. Should you now know their names? - No, Sir, I cannot say I do. What brought you here? - They wrote to me; I have no acquaintance with them, nor they with me. Did they know your name? - I cannot say they did. How did they send to you? - They heard me speak of it, and I received a letter from one of the women, they seeing me along-side. How did the women know who you were? - They knew me dealing in the lane; I cannot say how they could send to me; they sent down to the public-house as nigh as I can guess, where I use; the people of the house know my name; they sent a bit of a note. Have you that bit of a note? - No, Sir; I read it and threw it away. Levi. This very man rescued the prisoner away; he lives with one of them? - No; I do not. Constable. I am a housekeeper in that parish twenty years, and I know this man lived with Mrs. Flannagan every day, and he rescued her, and he had a scratch in his face. Witness. I declare to God! - I live with the woman! - I can stand to my character that I do not live with her! Court to Lyons. Did you find how any body got into this house? - No; I found the window open. How could the people get into the house? - It was done through the window; the pane of glass was just broke to open the latch within-side. You are sure that window was shut when you went out? - I am quite positive of that, and the hats were on the window-seat. MARY WINSFIELD , MARY FLANNAGAN , GUILTY, Of stealing to the value of 4 s. Transported for seven years . Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. RECORDER.

135

C H on 21st February 2024

The surname changed somewhere between the trial and transporting from Winsfield to Winspear.