This is a continuation of an earlier post which tells the stories of family members who appeared at the Old Bailey.

The  stories summarise information from www.oldbaileyonline.org

The pictures in this post are the copyright of Diane Earl  who has made them available for educational use only at the Victorian Crime and Punishment Section of the National Education network website.

To read more about Victorian Crime and Punishment please follow this link:  http://vcp.e2bn.org/

 Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org) 20 February  1782     John Watts, Theft with violence, Highway Robbery  t17820220-26  

John  Watts was accused of an assault on John Fray on the Kings Highway and the theft of a silver watch and 4s 6d in money.

John  Fray stated that he was coachman to Mr Sylvester and two men had stopped him a few minutes before eight on Constitution Hill and asked for money, one of them putting a pistol to his head. He stated that he had later picked out John Watts from a group of men at the ‘Fox and Hounds’ . William Halliburton confirmed that John Fray had so identified the prisoner.

James Rossiter stated that he had seen the prisoner at the ‘Fox and Hounds’.

Elizabeth Watmore, keeper of the ‘Fox and Hounds’ stated that the prisoner had come to her house intoxicated  between three and four in the afternoon and she had advised him to go up to bed, which he did. He was locked in until nearly eleven o’clock then he came and sat with her in the parlour. This was confirmed by Ann Garnier, servant maid.

John Watts was acquitted.

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A night watchman

 Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)

10 December 1783           John Dufles, otherwise Defloe Theft: Simple Grand Larceny           t17831210-63 

John Dufles was accused of stealing on 26 November the following property of Thomas Watmore Esq:  a leather trunk value 5s, two cloth coats value £3, twenty- two shirts value £7, twenty-four pair of silk stockings value 40s, two silk waistcoats value 40s and three linen waistcoats  value 20s.

John Dufles was also accused of stealing clothing belonging to Michael Matthews.

The prisoner was acquitted.

 Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org) 7 December 1791 Robert Tiresman, William Izzy, Theft: Simple Grand Larceny 

Thomas Watmore : Theft  :  Receiving Stolen Goods                 T17911207-37 

Tireman and Izzy were accused of stealing a wooden cask value 5s and 36 gallons of yeast value 16s, on 2 November, the property of Felix Calvert and others. Thomas Watmore was accused of receiving the same knowing them to be stolen.

Richard Diggins, a Watchman in Aldgate ward, stated that he saw Tireman and Izzy pulling a sledge with no wheels and a barrel and a tub like a half barrel. These sounded as through they were full but when they returned later the barrel and tub sounded as though they were empty. He stated that he arrested the men and they went with him to the watch house where the barrel was found to contain yeast.

James Jameson, another watchman  stated that he saw the two men with a sledge going into Boar’s Head Court, Petticoat Lane . He said, ‘I did not like to go into the Court, it is a very bad place; Mr Watmore lives in the Court’. Jameson stated that the barrel sounded full when the prisoners entered the court, and empty when they returned.

William Box, a Constable, stated that he had gone to Flood’s house in Boar’s Head Yard  where he had seen Watmore and Flood putting a cask in the cellar.

James Read, store clerk to Messrs Calvert and Co. stated that he had also seen the cask in the cellar.

Robert Tiresman and William Izzy were found guilty and sentenced to  be transported for seven years.

Thomas Watmore was found not guilty.

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Cell at Huntingdon Goal

  Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)       19 February 1794 

James Shaw                Theft: Simple Grand Larceny              T17940219-36 

James Shaw was accused of stealing two pairs of leather shoes value 3s shillings and four pairs of cotton stockings value 5s, on 12 February, the property of Charles Watmore. 

Charles Watmore stated that he kept a clothes shop in Great Tothill Street and that he missed the shoes and stockings from the window of his shop on 12 February.

Mary Watmore, Charles’ wife, stated that James Shaw and another man had come into the shop. One man had offered to sell her a a pair of worsted stockings and whilst she had been examining them, James Shaw had moved towards the window. She had not seen  Shaw steal the shoes and stockings, but heard the shoes rattling in his pocket and took them from him. The men had then run off.

Mary stated that later on a young man came into the shop to whom she told the story. Soon afterwards the young man returned and said that he thought the thief was in the other clothes shop in the street. Both Charles and Mary had then visited the other shop and  Mary had identified the thief who was found to have a pair of the cotton stockings in his pocket.

James Shaw was found guilty and sentenced to be transported for seven years.

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)4 July 1798           William Ortmandeberg

Theft: Simple Grand Larceny               t17980704-33 

William Ortmandberg was accused of stealing on 30^th June, 64 pounds of veal value 30s, the property of Alexander Gordon.

Alexander Gordon stated that he had lost two quarters of veal from his shop in the market between seven and eight in the morning. Later, in consequence of information he received, his man found the veal in the prisoner’s shop at Westminster.

James Page, servant to Alexander Gordon stated that he had been told to search the prisoner’s cart and had found a side of veal inside. The prisoner had claimed that he had bought it and went back to the market where William Ortmandberg checked his accounts and confirmed that the veal had been purchased.  The venor was still suspicious  and had sent James Page to the prisoner’s shop where he had found the missing veal, and sent for an officer.

Charles Watmore,  presumably a Constable, stated that he had taken charge of the prisoner and the meat.

There was some discussion in the court about the identification of the missing veal, but they became satisfied that the veal found at Westminster was the same side that had been stolen.

William Ortmanberg was found guilty and was sentenced to transportation for seven years.

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)              William Jones, Marcia Watmore

Theft: Grand Larceny            26 October 1814             t18141026-182 

William Jones and Marcia Watmore were accused of stealing on 22^nd October, ten breakfast cups, the property of Elizabeth Hussey, a widow.

Elizabeth Hussey stated that she was a dealer in china and earthenware, living in paradise Row, Chelsea. She stated that on 22 October she had lost the cups which were taken from a hook outside the shop door.

Elizabeth Hall, servant to a Mr Knight of Paradise Row, stated that she had seen Watmore lift Jones up on her shoulder so he could reach the cups. He had then run away.

Jones stated he was innocent and Watmore said that she was not out all the evening the theft took place.

Both Jones and Watmore called witnesses who gave them good characters and both the prisoners were found Not Guilty.

  Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)                Charles Elsworth, Charles Nuttall, Robert Weldon, James Randall, Jabez Green, Mary Ann King               Theft:  Simple Grand Larceny               Miscellaneous: Perverting Justice             14 January 1824          t18240114-13 

All the prisoners except Mary Ann King were accused of stealing on 26 December 1823 the following property of George Watmore: six saws value 20s, eleven planes value 20s, a stock value 7s, a bit value 6d, a pair of dividers value 6d, a chisel value 6d, a gauge value 6d and a bevil value 1s. They were also accused of stealing two trowels value 2s belonging to Charles Lindsay and a towel value 1s belonging to Thomas Clark.

Mary Ann King was accused of receiving, harbouring and maintaining the other prisoners, well knowing them to have stolen the goods described above.

George Watmore stated that he was a carpenter and that he was working at a house in Asher Street West on 24 December whilst Charles Lindsay and Thomas Clark were working in the adjoining house. George stated that when he finished work he left all his tools locked in a chest and locked up the house. He said that as he left he saw five people lurking about including Robert Weldon. On the morning of 26 December George found a hole cut through the brick wall of the house, his chest broken open and most of the tools gone. George said that he found the tools next day with a glue kettle which had also been stolen, at Queens Square Office.

Thomas Pace, an Officer, stated that on 26 December about half past eleven he had apprehended all the prisoners in one room. He stated that he had found a quantity of tools under a half tester bed. The prisoners had denied all knowledge of the tools and Mary Ann King, whose room it was, said that she had been out all night.

The property was produced and sworn to.

All the prisoners were found guilty. Mary Ann King was sentenced to one year’s confinement, the others being sentenced to transportation for seven years.

 Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)         Owen Daintrey       Theft: Grand Simple Larcency

12 July 1827  t18270712-50

This post is of special intesret as one of the witnesses, Robert Watmore, employee of the Post Office and Clerk to the Lambeth Vestry, was the subjcet of earlier post.

 

Owen Daintrey was accused as stealing a £5 bank note on 10 February, the property of William Codd and others, and of stating the banknote to be the property of Thomas Henderson and others.

William Hare stated that he was a clerk in the banking-house of Messrs Cox, Biddulph and Co. and that on 10 February he paid a £5 banknote in exchange for a cheque.  William produced an entry in the memorandum book showing the transaction.

Charles Lyndon stated that he was clerk to Messrs Philip Codd and Co. of Fludyer Street, Westminster. He stated that he had drawn the cheque  and received the £5 note which he had enclosed in a letter to Thomas Henderson, and placed on it the desk of Mr Codd for his signature.

Edward Septimus Codd, partner in the house of William Codd and Co. stated that on 10 February  he had signed the letter, enclosed the banknote and during the evening had either delivered it to the Post office in Scotland Yard or to the bellman in St James’s Square.

Further questioning of witnesses established that the letters at Scotland Yard would have been put into a  locked bag by a postman and  the bags would have been taken by cart to Charing Cross where they would have been put onto a mail cart and taken to the Post Office [presumably the main Post Office in St Martin Le Grand in the City].

George Morris stated that he was a mail cart driver and that on 10 February he had received the Scotland Yard bag and had delivered it to the Post Office in the same state as that in which he had received it.

Thomas Poole stated that on the 10 February Howlett and he had been the openers of the bags at the Post Office. Whilst he could not state that the Scotland Yard bag had been received safely, he did not remember any bag not arriving safely during February.

Robert Watmore took the stand and stated that he was one of the Presidents of the Inland Office. He made the following statement:

 ‘I was on duty on Saturday 10^th February; a letter addressed to the Isle of Man would be assorted to the Liverpool division or to the Liverpool Road; I had the general superintendence of the whole office; the prisoner was employed that night as assistant at the Liverpool division; letters for the Isle of Man would pass through his hands- he would receive them; after being charged, it was his duty to place them in the box; he would arrive at the office a little after five o’clock, and remain there until all the mails were made up, which would be a little after eight; he had to assort letters into the different boxes on the road – he would be sorting letters first till twenty minutes after five o’clock, and begin sorting again at twenty minutes after six – he would put the unpaid letters into the different boxes – after the sorting was complete he would have to tell up the postage – and he would be alone at the division several parts of the evening. The division is against the wall – he is there at times by himself – there may be a hundred and fifty people in the room; the nearest person to him would not be more than two yards off; three or four persons would be within two yards of him; there are two seats, where the two Presidents sit – they have a view of the whole office when in their seats – but they have to go round the office and see that everybody is at his post; the taxing clerk sits about two yards from the prisoner, but their backs are to each other; the prisoner would have to fetch letters from the taxing-table to his own; it is impossible for me to say many hands a letter may go through, but his is the last hand that they go to. When a letter first arrives, it is put to be faced- there are fifteen or twenty facers – then they go to the stamper; there are three stampers.’ 

Further witnesses were called who testified that the Isle of Man bag had been properly sealed  and that this bag had  arrived safely in the Isle of Man on 13 February.

Thomas Henderson took the stand and stated that he lived at Ramsey on the Isle of Man and that on 13 February he had not received a letter containing the £5 note.

William Wadham Cope next stated that he was one of the City Marshals and that on 12 February he had been sent to the Post Office and asked to search the prisoner. The prisoner had produced the missing £5 note from his pockets. The prisoner had stated that he had received the note from Mrs Brooks of Nelson Square where he lodged. Cope stated that together with a Mr Wood and Mr Peacock – the Post Office solicitor,  he had gone to Nelson Square and that Mrs brooks had denied that she had given the note to the prisoner. The prisoner had then admitted that he had not received the note from Mrs Brooks but would not disclose from whom he had taken it.

Owen Daintrey, the prisoner, now made a very long speech to the court in which he stated the case to rest entirely on presumptive evidence and that it was by no means conclusive against him; that he had taken the note in question on the evening on 10 February at a gambling house and that he had been reluctant to acknowledge that he had been to a house of that description. He further stated that if he had acquired the note feloniously he would certainly have destroyed it before he was taken into custody.

Charles Compton stated that he was employed by the Post Office and that after the prisoner had been interviewed by the President of the Inland Office, Daintrey had returned to the Accountant General’s office where there was a fire burning which he could have used to destroy any papers he might have wanted to get rid of.

Owen Daintrey was found Not Guilty.

What do readers think? Was Daintrey guilty or not guilty?

  Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)   James Welch   Theft: Pickpocketing    16 July 1829             t18290716-129 

James Welch was accused of stealing one watch value £4, three seals value £1, one watch key value 5s, one ring value 5s and one watch ribbon value 2d from Mary Dungate.

Mary Dungate stated that she was the wife of Francis Dungate an undertaker, and that she had joined him on 25 June at a public dinner where she had sat in the gardens. She said that she had had a reticule in her hand which had contained the items stolen and that she had felt someone push her and that she had momentarily lost hold of the bag. She had seen someone running away.

Joseph Brent said that he had heard an alarm and had tripped up a man running towards him and he had afterwards found the stolen goods on that spot.

Samuel Whatmore said that he had been at the dinner and had seen the thief take the watch out of the reticule and run off. He had then seen the man fall down  and he was sure that the prisoner was the same man. He had not caught the man because he had been forced away by the crowd.

George Smith stated that he was an Officer and had been standing at the entrance to the gardens when he had heard ‘Stop thief’, being called. He had chased the prisoner into a booth. He had taken the prisoner to Mary Dungate who had confirmed that he was the man.

The prisoner stated that he was innocent.

James Welsh, aged 18 was found guilty and was sentenced to be transported for fourteen years.

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A transportation ship

 Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)    Mary Lear         Theft: Simple Grand Larceny   1 December 1831        t18311201-181 

Mary Lear was accused of stealing on 25 November one sheet value 2s, one pair of stays value 6d, one frock value 6d, one pair of drawers value 6d, one napkin value 3d and one shift value 6d, the property of Samuel Whatmore. 

Samuel Whatmore stated that he lived in Drummond Crescent and that the prisoner had come to his house to nurse his wife. When the prisoner had been there 10 days, Samuel had missed a sheet and had been told by the prisoner that it was at the mangle, that the mangling woman had gone to tea and that he could not have it that day.

Thomas Morton stated that he was a pawnbroker at Somers Town and that he had a child’s gown, a napkin and a shift pawned by the prisoner.

John Caller stated that he was a Policeman and that he had arrested the prisoner and had found five duplicates [tickets] on her which led to the pawnbrokers.

Mr Bourne stated that he was a pawnbroker at Somers Town and that he had a shirt and a pair of stays pawned by the prisoner.

Mary Lear, aged 49 was found guilty but was recommended to mercy. She was sentenced to three months confinement.

 Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)  John Whatmore     Miscellaneous crimes   29 November 1832     t18321129-93 

John Whatmore was indicted for a misdemeanour to which he pleased Guilty.

John Whatmore was sentenced to transportation for seven years.

 Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org)  Elizabeth Watmore      Theft: Simple Grand Larceny   3 July 1834        t18340703-179 

Elizabeth Watmore was accused of stealing on 16 June two sheets value 4s, one blanket value 3s, one curtain value 4s, one candlestick value 1s and one saucepan value 10s, the property of John Gray.

John Gray stated that  he lived at Harvey Street, Hoxton and that his wife had let the back kitchen to the prisoner at a rent of 2s 3d a week which she had paid tolerably well. She had had a man with her who she said was her husband. John Gray stated that on 16 June he had missed the property from the Back Kitchen.

Mary Fry stated that she had heard a terrible quarrel and had run to the Prosecutor’s whilst Mr Gray had gone for an Officer. She stated that the prisoner had admitted that she had taken a saucepan but had promised to make it good on the 24^th of the month  with all the other items.

Matthew Panton stated that he was an assistant to Mr Laws, a pawnbroker and that he had all the items which were pawned by the prisoner.

Elizabeth Watmore was found Guilty and sentenced to 6 months confinement.