208. 209. (L.) Richard Melvin proceedingsdefend was indicted for stealing one cannon-lock, value 14 s. 2 musket-locks, and 2 pistol-locks, the property of our Sovereign Lord the King proceedingsvictim ; 2 musketlocks, the property of Thomas Jourdan proceedingsvictim , 2 other musket-locks, the property of Geo Vernon proceedingsvictim and Geo Haskins proceedingsvictim ; and one pair of pistol-locks , the property of Richard Edge proceedingsvictim ; and

Richard Hewson proceedingsdefend for receiving 4 locks, part of the same, well knowing them to have been stolen , May 19 . ++

Thomas Stamp < no role > . I am a Gun-lock maker; last Saturday I was at Mr. Jos. Buckmaster's, a gunsmith in the minories; there I saw 4 gun-locks in his kitchen, 2 of them I knew to be the property of Mess. Vernon and Haskins; and the other 2 to be the property of the King; (2 musket-locks, and two pistol-locks produc'd) these are they; the King's mark is on the inside the plates on the 2 pistol-locks, the others I made for Mess. Vernon and Haskins, I mark'd them.

Q. Is it the common mark you put upon all you make?

Stamp. No, this is the mark I put upon all I make for them, and I make no locks of this sort but for them: I ask'd Mr. Buckmaster how he came by those locks; he said, they were brought to his house for sale by the prisoner Hewson. Here is also a parcel of locks, which I was at the finding in the house of Melvin (producing 6 more) they are of several peoples making, some in Birmingham, some in town: here are two flat pistollocks, the property of Richard Edge < no role > ; a musketlock, the property of the King, with all the King's marks on it; here is a brass lock called a cannon lock, and 2 musket-locks, the property of Thomas Jourdan < no role > , they have the letters T. J. which they always strike on the inside of the lock. I heard Melvin confess after he was taken into custoday, that he had followed robbing the Tower of locks about 12 months, and that he carried them to the other prisoner, and he us'd to buy them.

J. Buckmaster (he takes 2 musket and 2 pistol-locks in his hand) to the best of my knowledge these are the locks brought to me for sale by Hewson.

Q. Did you ask him any questions how he came by them?

Buckmaster. No, I did not.

Q. What did he charge a piece for them?

Buckmaster. He said the musket locks were a crown each, and the pistol locks 3 s. for the pair; I said the price wou'd not do for me.

Counsel. What would you sell one of them for if I wanted one?

Buckmaster. I have some that I give but half a crown a pair for, and these are not a great deal better.

Stamp. One of these locks is worth 6 of them that you talk of, which you know very well.

Q. How long had these locks been at your house?

Buckmaster. They were at my house about 7 or eight days, or thereabouts.

Q. How often might Hewson have brought locks to you?

Buckmaster. Never before he brought these; he said he was to have 5 s. a piece, and to have nothing for his trouble in selling them but a pot of beer; he has work'd for me 20 years in the gunstocking way; I have bought many 100 of gun locks and barrels too of him; I did not mistrust him.

Q. Look at them, do you see the King's mark upon them?

Buckmaster. Now I do; but I did not know the King's mark then.

Cross Examination.

Q. How long have you known Hewson?

Buckmaster. I have known him 7 or 8 and 30 years, he has been a house-keeper 35 years.

Q. What character has he bore in the neighbourhood?

Buckmaster. He has bore a good one, or I should not have imploy'd him.

Q. Did you ever hear of any locks that are returned?

Buckmaster. When they do not like them, they do not pass, they are returned.

Q. Have you met with a great number of such locks?

Buckmaster. No; I am not in that branch; such locks are sold in the common way to the shops where they have a mind to buy them.

Q. Did these appear to you as returned locks?

Buckmaster. I took little notice of them, the price ask'd for them all were too much.

Counsel for Crown. Are they mark'd with the government's mark when they are returned?

Buckmaster. Yes, they are mark'd by the viewers, I think.

Counsel for Crown. Do you know the difference between a viewed lock and a lock not viewed?

Buckmaster. I am not so good a judge. Counsel for Crown. Is there a broad arrow put upon them before they are hardened?

Buckmaster. Yes, I do not know of any marks after they are hardened.

Counsel for Crown. Did you ever hear of a lock that had the King's mark on it, that has been returned?

Buckmaster. They are viewed after they are hardened, and if they do not like them they are returned, if there is some defect in them.

Counsel for Crown. When the King's mark is upon them, is the lock perfect?

Buckmaster. Yes.

Thomas Hartwell < no role > . I am under the surveyer general in the small gun office.

Q. What time is it that they put the government's mark upon the locks?

Hartwell. These sort of locks are sent in by the contractors in this state (holding a soft lock in his hand) with the contractor's mark on them (he takes up a hard one) this is mark'd with all his Majesty's proper marks.

Stamp. This is found at Mr. Buckmaster's house.

Q. What is done before you put the King's mark upon them?

Hartwell. They are narrowly inspected by a proper officer, to see whether they are according to the pattern agreed for; if they are approv'd of, he immediately strikes a proper mark on the inside, which we all know, and all the trade knows; if we meet with a lock in the East Indies we know who it was viewed by; there is not a boy in the trade but what knows it; he strikes his mark first, and immediately after that strikes the broad arrow on the outside; after which, they are never return'd back to the maker again; then they go to the engravers, then to the hardeners; they go through another inspection after that, and if needful they are return'd to be made good, but never sold after the King's mark is upon them (that is not new locks) these 2 musket locks, and 2 pistol-locks, are the property of his Majesty, with the proper marks upon them; here has been some are used with the pistol-locks, part of the marks have been taken out on the outside; the cannon lock is the property of his majesty, I can plainly discover where the mark on the brass plate has been filed out; this was made for firing a piece of ordnance, they could be used by nobody else, they are for firing 3 pounders on the quarter-deck of 24 gun ships.

Stamp. That cannon lock was found in the lodgings of Melvin.

Hartwell. The price for these locks is 14 s. and 6 d. each; for all sorts of cannon locks these are the lowest of all, but then they are put upon an average.

George Haskins < no role > . Here are some locks mine and my partner's property. We imploy Mr. Stamp to get us up locks, and then we mark them with out names; he marks them in the country by our order; when we came to Mr. Buckmaster's he was backwards; we ask'd him for the locks that Mr. Stamp had seen there; he gave them us; and said he had them of Hewson, I sent for Mr. Hewson, and he came; my partner and I ask'd him how he came by these 4 locks; he said, the man he had them on was gone to Birmingham, and was there by now, that was on the Monday; we told him we were great suffers, and would prosecute him, or know the bottom of it; when he found we insisted upon a satisfactory account, he desired us to give him time till the next day; we told him we could not, we did give him time till the next day, then he desired time till one o'clock, at which time we went to his house again, his servant told us he was at the Red Cross in the Minories; we went there, and there we saw Hewson and Melvin; there Hewson said he had the 2 pistol locks and 2 musket locks of Melvin, they are the property of his Majesty; we never sold any to Melvin, or any body else; we serve the government with them.

Q. Did Buckmaster say what they were brought to him for?

Haskins. He said, they were brought to him to be sold.

Cross Examination.

Q. Were the 2 prisoners together in company when Hewson said he had them of Melvin?

Haskins. Yes, they were; he said he gave 3 s. in part of payment to Melvin for the locks.

Q. Might not Buckmaster suppose Melvin was gone to Birmingham?

Haskins. I can't say what he might suppose; then we charg'd a constable with them both.

Melvin's Defence.

I sold them locks to Hewson for 2 s. a piece, and one shilling I had of him for the 2 pistollocks, and spent the money at the Red Cross.

Hewson. I will call some witnesses to my character.

Hewson call'd Robert Harding < no role > , who had known him upwards of 20 years; William Watts < no role > , upwards of 30; Richard Jervise < no role > , Williams, John Watts < no role > , about 30, and Thomas Harding < no role > about 10; who all gave him a very good character.

Melvin Guilty .

Hewson Acquitted .

[Transportation. See summary.]