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COURT CASE NOTES 1853

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This is one of a series of notebooks kept by Baldwin Fulford JP, during sessions at an unnamed court. The date of this one is c.1853. It contains notes of the charge, evidence, verdict and sentence, if any. The crimes are mostly theft, with one indecent assault. They were committed at locations across Devon.
The notes were evidently written at high speed. Punctuation is minimal. To assist the reader, I have inserted a colon after the name of the witness and an additional space between phrases. Names given may not be wholly reliable, either in the original or in this transcription.

Locations and surnames include the following:

OLIVER, VINEY

CARTER, DOBLE

LOCK

DAVY

Heavitree: LAKE, REYNOLDS, BRIGHT, WESTBEER, FULFORD

Kingsbridge, Dodbrook, Aveton Gifford: HAWKINS, DOWNING, BROWN, PASSMORE, JERRETT, PARKER

Church Taunton (Churchstanton), Willand: BAILEY, JOYE, HARTNOLL, SPILLER, SPEARL (Spurle)

GOSS

DOWN

CROSS

Cullompton: WILLS, CARNALL, WARE, FRANCIS

East Stonehouse: WHITELOCK, PIKE, MILLS, SNOOK

Plymouth: COLLINS, PENN, ?WARDLING

Paignton: ROWE, PRESTON

Teignmouth: EVANS, KERSLAKE, SALMON, WARD, SMITH, ENON, HARRIS, CLAMPIT

 

Transcribed by Fay Sampson Priestley, April 2003

(Inside cover)
May 18. 1853

(First page) 
11Mary Oliver  3 months) Pd Guilty Larceny  
 2Catherine Viney  4 months) being employed  
23Elizabeth Carter  Pd Guilty  Larceny4 months
 4Betty Doble2 months
35 Wm Lock  Pd GuiltyLarceny
  1 month  1 Wh
46John Davy  Pd GuiltyLarceny
   2 weeks
57Wm Lake  17  at Heavitree  15 May  Sunday
 8Richard Reynolds  16.  Hen & 2 chickens. Property of William Bright.

Wm Bright: in customs at Heavitree. Keep Poultry  14 May had Bantam hen  two chickens  saw them at 6. Put them to roost in outhouse in ?Base  gone morning at 7. Close by House fence broken  next was a field. Not a path  ?first went to Westbeer's House in Paris Street. May 15. found Hen & chicken. Gave next day to Fulford. Identifies.

Henry Westbeer: Sunday 15 May 8½ morning had no chickens. When I came back saw Pris  they asked me to buy fowls  they left them at my House  asked 1.8 for them. I knew Pris.

Fulford: Police  took Pris 15 May 11 at night  Lake stated he saw Reynolds bring out fowls.

     Guilty.Wm Lake. 3 m 1 Wh
  Rich Reynolds  4 m 1 Whip
69William Hawkins  Pd Guilty  4 Months
 10James Downing  Stealing from Kingsbridge Union 28 Feb Monday

Thomas Brown: constable of Dodbrook  26 March searched Downing House  his wife with me  in upstairs room found things produced in Aveton Gifford.

Sarah Passmore: matron of Union  know Downing  was in house in March. Had case of cloathes  missed on 21 March from store  Identifies.

Jas Jerrett: Downing confessed

     Guilty. Receiving. 6 months.

James Downing  Larceny  Not guilty.

7Wm Hawkins  24 April 1853  Kingsbridge Union  bread & cheese.

Mary Ann Parker: 23 April 5&6 morning bread room door open  9.10. 22nd right  pudding & cheese gone  mark on it.

Thomas Brown: 25 April took Pris  found cheese in pocket  charged him  he said he did not go for Blanketts.

     Guilty. 5 Months.

8 11 James Moore of Church Taunton  18 March on Rachel Bailey  assault with intent Friday.

Rachel Bailey: Ch Taunton  servant to Mrs Joye  is 15. Was sent to Willand 18 March  came back about 8. The moon was shining  saw Pris  knew him before  he offered me peppermint and halfpence and went after me 2 fields & a bit  kept on putting his arm round me  we then got to road about ¼ mile from home  not far from houses. He then threw me into ditch & took up petticoats & unbuttoned trousers. I struggled & called out  then some one  Robert Hartnoll & his wife came  Pris ran away. I told them & went home with them  I told my mistress

Robert Hartnoll: 18 March  ?think about ¼ 8. I heard someone screech out. Saw chap go over hedge. Girl was crying. I heard her make a complaint of a man pulling up her cloaths.

John Spiller: constable  he said he had heard people tell of that before  9 April after this he had been in ditch with girl but did nothing to her  heard some one at gate & got over hedge & had the warrant 26th. Never heard anything against Pris. Did not know Baily. He has been working for Spearl. I had been looking for him.

     Guilty. 4 months
912Charlotte Goss.  stealing from Master
     Pd G. 6 months 
1013  John Down  stealing from Master
     Pd G. 6 months
1114  James Cross.  stealing tools
     Pd G. 6 weeks
1315  Catherine Wills  15 years  of Collumpton  2nd May Monday from her Master  Wm Carnall  2 pounds 1 shilling

Wm Carnall: keep Merry Harriers in Collumpton  Pris in service more than a months. Kept money in drawers in bedroom. I missed money many times. 26 April put 5 sov. in purse. There was silver in same drawer  missed 2 sov. on 28. Then marked 10s. 2nd May missed one shilling  wife kept keys. I did not go to drawer between  shilling the same. No other servants  a Smith lived there

Maria Carnall: wife of W.C. Tuesday 26th of April. put in 5 sov. 28th went again  2 sov gone  Husband 10s marked. Did not take out of purse. Shilling same

David Ware: took girl  confessed.

Wm Francis: bought 28th  gave sov.

     Guilty. 6 months.
1416  Richard Whitelock  East Stonehouse after ?bone. 25 lb raw fat  Property of Wm Pike

Wm Mills: servant of Pike  killed 3 bullocks  left fat in slaughter House  14 Thursday afternoon. Friday morning. 5 or 6. fat gone  from 20 to 30 lb. Policeman Snook produced fat. It fitted.  knew Prisoner. He has worked in premises

George Snook: met Pris 14 Apr evening ?running with bag  about 11  I stopped him  he had fat in bag. He said he had bought in market of Puncher who said he had not sold fat. Pris said yes you have. P said I have not  take him in custody. Pris persisted in story  next day went to Wm Pike  fat fitted. He said he bought it of chap in Fore street who he did not know. Produces fat

     Guilty. After Previous convict.
     7 years
1517  William Collins  one ass.  Property of Ann Penn

Thomas Penn: son of Ann Penn who is widow. She had donkey on farm  I look after. Saw it 8 14 April in court. Next morning it gone  gate open  chained. The donkey could not unhooked it. same day saw it in Plymouth Market for sale. I gave Pris in cus.

Wm ?Wardling: of Plymouth  15 April saw Pris with Donkey who said for sale  said he was working for 2 years  an hour after showed Penn the donkey & Pris

     Guilty. 6 months.
1618  Henry Rowe  hay in Paignton  Property of Thomas Preston. 27 March  Not Guilty
1719  Charles Evans) 22nd of April at Teignmouth  one watch  property of Harris Salmon
     20  Thomas Kerslake) Friday

Harris Salmon: Travelling Jeweller  Devon Arms Teignmouth  Friday  22 April  Prisoner & others who were sitting by Table  I had box  another was with them  I don't know him  showed a watch to Evans  he offered price  did not agree  I showed another  he took it. & looked at it  Evans passed to the Pris & another. I say if you wont buy give it back  he put it in pocket & said you gave it me  it was double case  He opened it & I took the case from him  the watch he put in his pocket  it was the man not here  the 3 were all together. I went for Policeman & I came back without one  they were not at the table  I did not see Pris there at all  people were there. I looked at them  could not identify. It was about 10 when I came back. I showed one Karslake to Policeman. I cannot say about his dress.

X: got to Teignmouth day before  There were many Quart cups on table. 3 or 4  I did not go to a man calt Ward & say he took my watch  he is here  when they would not give back watch I thought they were joking.

Charles Smith: saw Pros & Pris who were sitting left side by door together  no one else on same seat. Salmon offered watch & ?when at second to Karslake  saw Salmon with the case & K. with watch  heard Salmon ask for watch  K said you gave me watch  it was not given  Salmon went away. While away the Pris changed frocks. Said Ward who denied. K then had watch  while he went second time K put watch on table beyond a quart  nearly covered by arms. Evans sitting by side  Evans went out & came back & Karslake after  then Police came & took K.

X: I did not think they meant to take watch  I thought it was a joke.

Thomas Ward: was there  knows Pris  K put watch behind cup  Jew could not see it. he moved it to prevent him

Samuel Enon: Evans took watch from Karslake. Saw Evans put it under frock

Joseph Harris: Police. Took Karslake at Devon Arms. I asked if he knew about it  he said Charly had it. I took him & did not find watch

Wm Clampit: I took Karslake  Harris had Evans. Evans said to K. D. my eyes D my eyes  never a word.

     Guilty. 1 month.