Mary Wood

116

Tony Beale on 27th January 2021

Old Bailey Online 1761. MARY WOOD was indicted for that she, on the 16th of August, at St. Paul, Shadwell, upon Timothy Donovan, unlawfully, maliciously, and feloniously did make an assault, and unlawfully, maliciously, and feloniously did stab and wound him in and upon his left hand, with intent in so doing, feloniously, wilfully, and of her malice aforethought, to kill and murder him—2nd COUNT, stating her intent to be in maim and disable him.—3rd COUNT, stating her intent to be do him some grievous bodily harm. TIMOTHY DONOVAN . I live in Elbow-lane, Shadwell. I have known the prisoner eight or nine years—she attends the markets—she is single—she sells fish and fruit, and all things that are in season, and that is my employment also—last Tuesday I employed a porter to carry some oysters for me to the Duke of York public-house, Ratcliffe-highway—I went to the place where I had appointed to meet him—he had come with the oysters, and had them on the pitching block—it was between five and six o'clock in the evening—I had seen the prisoner about nine or ten o'clock that morning, by the Duke of York door, at the same place—I had not seen her between that time and five or six o'clock—I had no difference or words with her at all between nine and ten o'clock—in the evening, as I was coming out of the Duke of York, I saw the prisoner sitting down by the side of the door—she got up off the seat—before she got up, she said, "You have most likely taken part with your mother"—(my mother was not there then—I had not seen my mother since the morning)—I said to the prisoner, "You had better leave my mother alone"—I was walking away from her, and she followed me with an oyster knife—she was not selling oysters then—she was sitting there with red herrings, but she had the oyster knife in her hand as she sat there—she said she would stab the one eye out my head—I did not say any thing—my face was to her then—I put up my hand to save my eye, and I received the wound from the knife in the thick part of my hand—she had followed me about two yards, and got me close up against the pump, with the knife in her hand—my back was to the pump—she was quite close to me when I received the cut in my hand—she had followed me up as close as she could, and I went up against the pump, as she jobbed the knife into me—she was not half a yard from me. Q. Could you tell by her motion to what part of you the knife was coming? A. It was coming to my eye—when she had done it, she went and sat down on the same seat she got up from, and said nothing—I did not say any thing—I went to the station-house and complained, and the See originalClick to see original prisoner was taken—Mr. Croucher, a surgeon in Ratcliffe-highway, near where it happened, saw me—he is not here. Prisoner. He was with his mother in the morning, drinking at the Duke of York, about one o'clock. Witness. I was not, nor between nine and ten o'clock in the morning—I was not out of bed then—I was ill. Prisoner. He will deny it—this is a spite they have owed me about five years—I have been totally ruined by them—my things broken and smashed in the street by him and his sister. Witness. Her things were not smashed, she had them all packed up—they were not out of sale at all—I have not smashed any of her things, nor did my mother, in my presence. Prisoner. He is sure to deny it, and is capable of swearing to it—his oath is not to be taken, he would swear any thing it is well known—he lives in so many places, where he lives to-day he will not live to-morrow—a young woman was tried last night, in the New Court, through his sister—they make a practice of bringing people here. Witness. I have lived in Elbow-lane six months with my sister—she was a witness here yesterday, in the New Court, I believe, about a robbery of blankets and sheets. CAROLINE MURPHY . I am a widow, and live at No. 36, Angel-gardens. Last Tuesday the prosecutor was taken very ill, and asked me to follow the porter home with the oysters, and I followed the porter to the Duke of York, with the oysters—I was there when Donovan came there—the prisoner was sitting down by the Duke of York, alongside some redherrings—I do not know whether they were hers—they were for sale—Donovan went into the Duke of York to get change for 6d., to pay the porter—I saw him come out to pay the porter—I heard the prisoner say "I suppose you mean to take up your mother's cause?"—she was sitting down—he said, "You had better leave my mother alone"—she instantly got up, and followed him with the knife in her hand—she said she would job the other eye out of his head—he put up his hand to save his eye—he was drawing himself back—his face was towards the prisoner—he went back a very little distance—he was close against the pump, and the prisoner followed with the knife—he put up his hand to save his eyes, and received the blow in his hand—I saw the blow made—it seemed to be aimed at his eye—I could see that—she was very close against him—I was so frightened I could not stop to see any more—she sat herself down again after striking the blow—his hand was bleeding terribly after she made the blow. Prisoner. She was not there at the time at all—she is evidence against me because he could not get any body else—she lives with him. Witness. I do not—I am sure of that—I never lived with him. Prisoner. She has lived with him for twelve months off and on, and it can be proved—all the neighbourhood know it. Witness. It is false—I never lived with him in my life—I was there at the time. Prisoner. Q. Were you there at the time he came out and struck me? Witness. A. I never saw a blow made—I was there at the time he came out. Q. Did he not strike me, and say, by the b----y H—y G—t, he would punch my face for me? A. I heard nothing of the kind—he said nothing at all but what I have mentioned, I am very sure—I did not see her opening oysters—I saw no oysters by her—nothing but herrings—she occasionally sells oysters—I did not see her opening any oysters—she said at the office that she had some oysters at the Duke of York, and I said I saw a woman of the name of Gilbert take them away from the pitching-block—the See originalClick to see original prisoner was sitting where the herrings were, about two yards from the oysters—I do not know whose oysters they were—I did not say before the Magistrate that they were her's—I said Gilbert had taken some away—I do not know whose they were—I did not see any one take the knife from her—she sat down with the knife in her hand. JOSEPH COCKINGS . I am a policeman. On Tuesday afternoon, between five and six o'clock, Donovan came to the station-house for me—it is three or four hundred yards from the Duke of York—he was bleeding very much at the left hand—it appeared to have had a severe stab in what I believe is called the ball of the thumb—in consequence of what he said I went to the Duke of York—the prisoner was sitting by the door—I told her I was come to take her into custody for stabbing Donovan—she said it was as much his fault as it was hers, and with that she said she stabbed him with the knife—she had no knife with her—I took her to the station-house—I then returned and found an oyster-knife lying in a basket on the top of some oysters in a tub on the pitching-block about two yards from where she was sitting—she was apparently perfectly sober—quite so. Prisoner Defence. Last Tuesday, at half-past twelve o'clock, I came from market with a peck of oysters and some herrings, and I sat at the corner of the Duke of York—this chap has got a wheelbarrow, and sits out in the street—his mother came up to me about half-past one o'clock in the day, and began to blackguard me—(I happened to be in a little trouble by the family about five months ago, and then she was constantly blaming me about my poor old soul of a mother who is dead)—I made her no answer, and put up with a great deal from her—her expressions were unbearable—the son came there at a little after one o'clock and the sister, and began to abuse me—I made them no answer, but moved my things from them for quietness—there were some stones in the way, and I was obliged to move back again, and I put the things on the pitch—he came there about four o'clock with the witness, with a peck of oysters, and he put them down on the pitch—there was no porter at all—I was sitting down mending my apron—his mother came and struck me across the face—I said nothing, but he got up and walked away, as I did not wish to be injured by him—I have been hurt by them for the last five years, and constantly abused—a woman came up and asked me to open pennyworth of oysters, which I did—my back was turned to him as he came out at the door of the Duke of York—it is not my knife which has been produced—he came out and made a blow across my face—I put my hand up with the knife in it to save my face, and whether the knife cut him or not I did not know at the time—it was not with the intention of cutting him on injuring him—it never entered my head—I should be very sorry to do it—the person standing by was a stranger, and I can not find her out, or she could prove it—I have no witness—nobody knows what has become of me—these people have such sly arts, they have let nobody know what has become of me. GUILTY— DEATH . Aged 47. Recommended to mercy, considering she was under great excitement. New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 Annotated Printed Indentures 1837. from London. Single Roman catholic who could not read or write.. was a hawker and laundress and convicted of a violent assault. 5' 1" ruddy freckled and pock pitted brown hair and chesnut eyes. New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851 Granted 17/8/1843 Mary Wood 54 Bond (life) per ship Sarah and Elizabeth to marry Robert Crawley 28 free (7yrs) per ship John(4) Rev John Morse Muswellbrook New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930 for Mary Woods Entrance Book Bathurst 2/9/1846. confined for 1 month or pay a fine for rioting (paid the fine) 29/10/1851 Convicted at Bathurst for being drunk, using obscene language and being absent from her district. Outcome: Transferred to Hyde park barracks then to the factory New South Wales, Australia, Tickets of Leave, 1810-1869 for Mary Wood dated 19/8/1856 no 46/1105. Received a CP but was cancelled on 19/11/1851 for being drunk and using obscene language and being absent from her district. New South Wales, Australia, Convict Registers of Conditional and Absolute Pardons, 1788-1870 for Mary Wood received on 1/3/1854 age 65