240. ANN HEATHCOAT proceedingsdefend was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 18th of January , a child's bath beaver great coat, value 2 s. a muslin neckcloth, value 1 s. a child's dimity petticoat, value 1 s. two pair of childrens stays, value 4 s. two childrens cotton frocks, value 2 s. a linen counterpane, value 1 s. two pair of cotton stockings, value 2 s. two cotton shawls, value 2 s. a printed folio bound book, entitled, Allen's exposition on the bible, value 1 s. a linen table cloth, value 1 s. two linen shift bodies, value 2 s. the goods of James Griffiths proceedingsvictim .

JAMES GRIFFITHS < no role > sworn.

I was absent at the time of the robbery; I serve the honourable East India company as one of their surveyor s; I live at No. 35, Mulberry-street ; I had been absent and I came home on the 15th of January, and I found my children stripped of all their property, their clothes, nothing left but what they had on their backs; this prisoner was working in the neighbourhood backwards and forwards at several houses, and she came and cut out some little things for my children; accordingly when I left my family, I says to Mrs. Heathcoat, I wish you would take the superintendance of my family during my absence; this was the 29th of November; accordingly I left for my family's support a guinea and a half, and two guineas was paid on the 12th of December, and three guineas more on the 7th of of January, eight days before my return from the Downs; she had nothing to pay for butchers meat nor coals; upon my return the money was all expended, six guineas and a half; and I asked, I believe on the 18th, what she had done with my property? and missing the key of my chest and the key of my parlour door; she told me they were lost, but she could find them; but not finding my keys I broke open my chest, and found the chest was totally gutted, every thing was taken out; and from my parlour was taken out a claw table; I missed every article mentioned in the indictment and a great many more; on this she says, Mr. Heathcoat, my husband, will be at home in a day or two, indulge me till Sunday or Monday; I had left her in the possession of my house; I never saw her husband; I took her into custody on Monday the 21st from some circumstances which gave me a suspicion of her; when she was examined the first time I asked her what she had done with my things? she told me she was very sorry for what she had done; and produced me these duplicates which are in my possession, which I believe is fifty of them; the duplicates answer to my property most of them; the justice desired that my children might be brought into court; one is fifteen and the other is thirteen.

THOMAS ROLFE < no role > sworn.

I am a pawnbroker; I produce two frocks and a pair of stays; they were brought by the daughter of the prosecutor, not by the prisoner; the children of theparties used to bring things backwards and forwards to the shop; I knew nothing of the prisoner till I saw her at the magistrates.

Q. What was the name in which the things were pledged? - In the name of Hannah Griffiths < no role > .

Q. Pray who did the children tell you Hannah Griffiths < no role > was? - The mother.

Q.How old are the children? - Between fourteen and sixteen, as I understand by Mr. Griffiths.

Q. I desire you will refresh your memory a little; you say the children only came to you; I desire to know again whether the children always came to you alone? - I don't recollect any thing of the prisoner at all.

Q. Will you swear upon your oath that you never saw the prisoner in your shop? - I cannot charge my memory with it.

Q What do you think about it? - All I know of the prisoner is when she was before the magistrate.

Q. I don't want to know what passed before the magistrate. Did you ever see the prisoner at your house? - I can venture to swear I did not to my knowledge.

Q. How long have you known her? - I never saw her before I saw her at the magistrates to my knowledge; I don't recollect ever seeing her before.

Q. In your deposition you say you did not clearly recollect; that gives me some suspicion that you had some recollection; I desire you therefore to refresh your recollection and tell me on your oath whether you can tell me that you recollect or not? - I don't recollect on my oath; I knew nothing of the prisoner at all, or else I should be very happy to speak to her.

Q. Did you know the children? - I did.

Q. Did you know whose children they were? - I did not.

Q. Did they tell you where they lived? - They did, in Whitechapel.

Q. How far away from you? - Close by.

How many things might they pawn with you in this way? - There are four articles remaining.

Q. How many might they pawn in all from the first to the last? - I cannot tell; they did not use the house long; I asked them the reason why the mother did not come? the answer was the mother was ill and could not come.

Q. Now Mr. Rolfe there is only another question, which is, that these people living in the neighbourhood, and all these things being brought by these children, why you did not take the trouble to go down to the parents house to see whether all they said was true? - I did not.

Q. I only ask you the other question, why? - The reason was because I asked them why the mother did not come? they said, the mother was ill and could not come.

Q. How long were they in the course of pledging property? - It might be two months.

Q. Then they were pledging things at different times for near two months and yet you would not step to a neighbour to enquire about this circumstance? - I did not step to be sure.

JONATHAN MURRAY < no role > sworn.

I live in Whitechapel; I am a pawnbroker; I produce a book and a counterpane, and several other things.

Q. Is there any thing that you can speak to brought at any particular time? look at the prisoner at the bar; did you ever see her? - Yes, on the 24th of December she pawned a counterpane with us; I have it here, she brought it herself.

Q. Did you enquire whose it was? - I did; she said, it was her own property.

Q. Pray was any body with the prisoner when she brought the counterpane? - Not at the time she brought the counterpane; she pawned it for 2 s. 6 d.

Prisoner. When I carried in the counterpane the daughter was with me. - The daughter was not in the shop at the time.

Court. Can you recollect and be sure there was no other person with the prisoner at that time? - There was no other people in the shop with her.

Prisoner. There were several people in the shop and the daughter was with me.

Court. Was there many people in the shop at the time? - There were more people.

Q. Pray how old were the daughters of the prosecutor Griffiths? - About fourteen years of age; they have frequently come with the prisoner when she has brought things at other times; she pawned it in the name of Ann Walton < no role > . (Produced and deposed to by Mr. Griffiths, by a rent in the middle done in calendering of it; he have seen it a hundred times, and had had it in his house many years.)

Court to Mr. Griffiths. Was you at home on the 24th of December? - I left home on the 29th of November, and did not return till the 15th of January.

Q. Was the prisoner at the bar living in your house on the 24th of December? - She was; I left her in charge of my family during my absence.

Q. Pray did you at all mention this counterpane or had any conversation about the counterpane with the prisoner? - I never spoke to her about that article, for that article was left in a chest, and I left the key at home, that was one of the keys that were lost; when I left home that counterpane was in that chest.

Q. Did you just before you left your house see this counterpane? - I did; I had some papers that was in the trunk, and before I left home I went to the trunk and put them together, and this counterpane was there then, and when I examined the chest when I returned it was gone; I also lost a paper which entitles me to will 50 l. to whom I please, from a benefit society.

Prisoner. When Mr. Griffiths went out of town he left me in charge of the children; with that my husband left money to pay a bill that was owing, I imprudently lent the money; I asked the children for something to make up the money; they gave me leave; I did nothing without the childrens consent, and if Mr. Griffiths had given me a few days longer I should have replaced every thing; I have had the money since and that the children know; I beg you would examine them; the eldest took all the things out of the chest and gave them to me.

SARAH GRIFFITHS < no role > .

Q. How old are you? - Sixteen in August.

Q. Do you know the nature of an oath? - Yes.

Court to Prisoner. Now prisoner I do not chuse to put any question to this child but what you shall dictate.

Prisoner. Ask her whether I ever opened the chest and took any thing out? - No, I never saw her.

Q. Whether I ever took any thing out without her leave during her father's absence? - Yes, once.

FRANCIS GRIFFITHS < no role > sworn.

Prisoner. I have only to ask her what I asked the sister.

Court to Mr. Griffiths. In consequence of a question that the prisoner has desired to put to these children; I must put to you a question; did you put these things in the care of the children, or in the care of the prisoner? - In the care of the prisoner.

Q. Who had the key of that chest? - The key of the chest I left with my daughter Sarah; but when I came home I enquired for it of the prisoner; she told me it was lost, but every thing was safe in that chest; and she said that Sally Griffiths < no role > had lent it to that child that is now in the prisoner's arms, and it was lost that way.

GUILTY of stealing the counterpane only

Imprisoned two years in the House of Correction and fined 1 s .

Tried by the second Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice GROSE.