27 June 1820 Last Tuesday a cobler and a taylor, having been drinking and playing at cards together most part of the night before, quarrel’d and box’d one another in Bartholomew-Close so violently that the latter was kill’d, whereupon the former ran away. [Weekly Journal, or The British Gazetteer]
1 April 1821 Norwich, March 27. Mary Taylor on Thursday last was burnt to ashes at Lynn, for being concened in the murder of her mistress; and at the same time one Smith, who murdered her, was hanged. She denied to the last her being any way guilty, seemed very penitent, and declared she died in charity. Smith was very drunk, behaved like a mad man; and when the cart was drawing away, called out to have it stop, and then pull’d off his shoes, saying, my mother always told me I should die in my shoes, but I will make her a lyar. [Grub-street Journal]
PICK POCKETS
24 February 1838 Yesterday 24 Prisoners were tried at the Old Baily, one whereof was capitally Convicted, viz. Thomas Gittings, for picking the Pocket of Mr. Hackwith of a Silver Watch, Value 4l. Nine were cast for Transportation, and 14 Acquitted. (Daily Gazetteer)
11 August 1848 Yesterday Justice Quarrel committed fourteen fellows to the House of Correction and Whitechapel-Goal, the greatest part of whom were dress’d as sailors, impeach’d by a lad, an accomplice, who says there is fifty in the gang, who has lately infested Stratford, Bow, and several other places. (General Advertiser)
Monday, 2 October 1852 On Saturday last about two o’clock, William Walker and Matthew Kelly, two notorious pickpockets, were detected in picking a gentleman’s pocket of a silk handkerchief in Flower-de-Luce Court. The gentleman on missing his handkerchief, cry’d Stop Thief, at the end of Fetter-lane, and they were pursued to Chancery-lane-end, where they were both taken. One of them is a man, and the other a lad about 15, who confess’d putting his hand in the gentleman’s pocket, but did not own taking the handkerchief. He owned that Kelly always put him on picking the pockets (for which purpose he had seduced him from his master’s service) and that he always gave them to Kelly immediately, on pain of being heartily drubbed. They made a discovery of a large gang to which they belonged, and each desired to be admitted Evidence against the other. They were carried into the King’s Head Tavern, and a Constable sent for, who refused after the third summons to attend, unless the gentleman who lost the handkerchief would come to him, which was accordingly complied with, and after relating the fact, (adding that the pickpocket had confess’d it, though not found upon him) the Constable, (who sat as Magistrate in his own shop, to enquire into the merits) refused to take charge of them, but one of the staffmen being sent for, they were conducted in a coach to Wood-street Compter till this day, when they will be examined before the sitting Aldermen. (General Advertiser)
BURGLARY
1 August 1848 Early on Tuesday morning last some rogues broke open the house of Mr Berry in Bolt Court in Fleet-street, and stole from thence a large quantity of plate, money, and wearing apparel. They got in by wrenching the bars off the cellar window. This makes the sixth or seventh robbery committed in the Courts in that neighbourhood, within a short time. – It is surprizing that the inhabitants do not prevent such mischief, which might be done, by keeping, at a joint expence, two stout supernumerous Watchmen, to patrole through the Courts all night. (The General Advertiser)
OTHER CRIMES
27-29 June 1809 On Tuesday night two women going into a grocers shop in the City, where they perceived there was only one in the shop to serve them, pretended to buy some rice, and while the shop-keeper was weighing it, one of them with a piece of whalebone dipt in birdlime, or some other such sticking stuff, pickt 8s. out of the till, but the last shilling falling upon the counter the plot was discovered, and they were both seized and committed to Newgate. ’Tis said they had been both burnt in the hand before, and that the master of the shop missed 28s. at another time when they had been there to buy goods. (The Post Man)
28 February 1830 On Thursday between twelve and one o'clock at noon, came on the tryal of Col. Francis Charters [sic], at the Sessions House in the Old Baily, before the Lord Chief Justice Raymond, and the Lord Chief Justice Eyre, upon an indictment for committing a rape on the body of one Anne Bond, his servant maid. The Prosecutor appeared in Court, and proved that on the 24th of October last she was hired by the Colonel to be his servant; and that she had lived with him several days before she knew who he was; and that on the 10th of November following, he sent for her up into his room to make his fire, when he threw her on a couch, and she crying out, he pull'd off his cap and stopp'd her mouth, and then did the crime for which he was indicted; and several other depositions concurring with Mrs. Bond's, and three several persons whom she had formerly liv'd with, appearing and giving her the character of a vertuous and religious young woman, the Jury after about three quarters of an hour's stay, returned, and brought in their verdict Guilty of the indictment. His chief defence was a sham letter sworn to by his footman to come from her, which was proved to be a forgery. Mr. Kettleby was of Counsel for the Plaintiff, and Mr. Strange for the Defendant. There were present at the trial two Knights of the Garter, besides other persons of distinction. After he was cast for his life, as aforesaid, he was carried up to Newgate, and seem'd greatly dispirited. His goods, chattels, lands and tenements are forfeited by the said verdict. (London Journal)
4 June 1826 On Wednesday last one White that kept the King’s-Head ale-house in Hog-lane was committed to Newgate by Justice Ellis in Denmark Street, (being charged upon oath) for ravishing his own child, a girl of about 11 or 12 years of age. [Weekly Journal, or The British Gazetteer]
10 December 1826 Stafford, Dec. 3. We have a man also from Stone, for committing a rape on a woman of that place, who us’d to carry the letters to the neighbouring towns; but because he could not master her in several hours, and then not without tying her legs to a tree, he cut her in a barbarous manner, so that her life is despaired of. He was taken washing the blood from his cloaths, by some people that came by, where he had left her almost dead, and heard her groan. This is the second rape he has attempted, but narrowly escap’d for the first. [Mist’s Weekly Journal]
26-29 July 1801 On Friday night a woman of the town, that lodged in Marsom Street, being jealous that her gallant had dealings with some body else, cut his throat with a razor, for which she was committed to the Gate-House, where she hanged her self on Sunday morning. [Weekly Journal, or The British Gazetteer]
16 November 1828 Wednesday two night-walkers were committed to Tothill Bridewell, for misdemeanors; one was so drunk, that it was thought proper to provide a wheel-barrow for her; but the ground caught her so often in her passage, that she was all of a colour before she came to her journey's end. (Weekly Journal, or the British Gazetteer)
9-16 August 1818 On Monday last a journey-man taylor was committed to Newgate for incest with his own sister Mary J—s, who keeps the Ben Jonson’s Head Alehouse in Great Wildstreet near Lincolns Inn-Fields, they being detected in the very act by the husband, the woman is gone off. (Original Weekly Journal)
12-14 November 1801 Yesterday a young woman took a coach in Red Lion-street, to go to Fleetstreet, and coming out, left a bandbox behind her, which a person going by perceiving, he presently went into the coach, bidding the coach-man drive towards Cheapside; but he had no sooner opened his prize, e’re a child within it fell a crying, which the coachman hearing came down, and carrying the man before a Justice, he was obliged to give security to maintain the child. [English Post]
27 December 1829 On Monday in the morning, a new-born infant was found wrap’d in a dirty cloth, and laid upon a bulk upon the Hay-market, with a note wrote in the following words, viz. ‘The parents of this infant being miserably poor, pray that some charitable person will find it a coffin and shroud, and give it a Christian burial.’ (London Journal)
Saturday, 18 January 1829 A milkwoman’s daughter at Endfield was lately buried alive there: When she was going to be interr’d some people at the funeral, thought she looked fresh, and taking a looking glass, and applying it to her lips, they fancied they perceived a dew on it as from breath, but the cruel mother mock’d and reviled them, and swore she should be buried, and so she was; but this coming to the ears of a near relation, he got the grave dug up, and the coffin open’d, when she was found with her knees drawn up, and the nosegay in her hand beaten to pieces with struggling for life. A surgeon was sent for to bleed her, but it was then too late. (London Journal)
28 May 1830 Saturday, May 23. Yesterday as one Mrs West in White-chappel, was dancing her only child in her arms, to keep it quiet, she happened to strike it against a scale-beam, and cracked its skull, so that it died on the spot.[Grub-street Journal]
23-25 April 1801 This day a woman living in Southwark, was by a warrant, brought before Sir Thomas Lane, being accused of bewitching a young-man in her neighbourhood, who has lain under great calamities for a considerable time. I am told, she is at present committed to one of the Compters, till such time as it shall appear, what proof can be brought against her; and that in the mean time, several examinations are taking upon oath, in writing, relating to that affair. [London Post]
1-4 November 1801 Last week an information was exhibited against a person that pretends to be bewitched by an old woman, who was tried and acquitted at the last Surrey Assizes. [Post Boy]
