Old Bailey Proceedings:
Old Bailey Proceedings: Accounts of Criminal Trials

6th September 1769

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513. (M.) John Watson, otherwise William Davis proceedingsdefend , was indicted for stealing a bay mare, value 15 l. the property of John Collins proceedingsvictim , July 19 . ++

John Collins < no role > . I live at Hints in Staffordshire . My bay mare was safe in a close, near home, on the 18th of July, and she was missing on the 19th. I found her again at Mr. Harding's, at Edmonton. She is about fifteen hands and three inches high, four years old, a bald face, two white legs behind, and the near leg before, and has a spavin on the near leg behind.

Mr. Harding. I keep a public-house at Edmonton, and a team of three horses. On the 6th of August, the prisoner came to my house and called for a pint of beer, and a bait of hay for his mare; he offered to sell her for eleven pounds. I agreed to give him ten guineas. I had a little suspicion he did not come honestly by her. I thought she was worth more money. I gave him a guinea earnest, and I was to give him nine more at three weeks or a month after; but if I did not like her in that time, I was to give him four shillings a week for her work, and he was to return my money, and take her again. He said he was going to keep a shop in Stoney-Stratford, in Buckinghamshire. He told me he had swapt away another mare for her about two miles on the other side Hounslow, and said he lived by the Pewter-platter in St. John's-street. I went about three or four days after we had agreed, and enquired by the Pewter-platter, but could not hear any thing of him. He had wrote his name John Watson < no role > . I found a man in that name had sold horses there. We heard the mare was advertised a week before he was taken. I was not at home when he was taken.

Joseph Guyant < no role > This name instance is in set 1428. . I am a smith and farrier, and live at Edmonton. On the 6th of August I was by when Mr. Harding agreed for the Mare with the prisoner; and, on the 18th of August, I saw an advertisement describing her; it answered to every hair upon her. I applied to Sir John Fielding < no role > the next day, and he desired me to look out for him. The prisoner came again the 21st. I was told there was such a man in the field, and that he had been at Mr. Harding's. I went after him, and found him standing at the end of a ditch by a stile. As soon as he saw me, he up with his stick, and said, Stand clear, I do not choose to be taken alive. I said, Mr. Watson, here is some suspicion against you, perhaps you may get clear. Said he, Do not take me, for I will not be taken alive. I said, There are many people in the corn field I shall call to, and you cannot help being taken. He made a blow at me, but missed me; then he ran. There was a boy before him with a large stick, and I said to the lad, Knock him down, split his scull if you can. He immediately came back, threw his stick down, and said, Gentlemen, take me and welcome, do not use me ill. I am guilty, I own; my life is not worth a farthing. He asked what we intended to do with him; I said, You must be carried before Sir John Fielding < no role > . He desired to be carried to Mr. Harding's. I said he should go to the King's Head. I took him there, and got a cart, and brought him to the Brown Bear in Bow-street. Mr. Bond ordered us to carry him to New-prison for that night. We took him there. When we had him before Sir John, and after I had given an account that the prisoner was the person that sold the mare to Mr. Harding, the prisoner said he was the man. Sir John asked him if he knew any thing of a grey mare that was left at such a place; he said he knew nothing of one or the other. I told the justice I heard the prisoner say he changed another for her two miles on the other side Hounslow. He said I was a very false man, for he bought her two miles on the other side Hampstead.

Mr. Alford. I am a farmer. The prisoner was at my house, at Sutton Coldfield, in Staffordshire, on the 17th of July: he came about two in the afternoon, dined, and had some wine and water. He asked me whether I had any keeping to keep a mare. Some time after that he called to the ostler to bring his saddle and bridle. I asked him what countryman he was; he said he lived with Mr. Wiber and Mr. Carron, of Thickbroom. He left a grey mare, and made no agreement, only to turn her out to grass. This was the Monday before Mr. Collins's mare was missing. Mr. Collins lives about four miles from me.

Mr. Lucas. I am a farmer, and live about four miles from the prosecutor. I know the mare very well; I used to see her almost every day. I have seen her since at Mr. Harding's at Edmonton. She is Mr. Collins's property.

Prisoner's Defence.

I left my grey mare at Mr. Alford's house on a Monday, about eight or nine weeks ago. I had some dinner there, and I thought she was very weak, and not able to carry me to London, so I brought the saddle away, but not the bridle. I came into the London road about two miles on this side the gentleman's house; then I came on the machine. On the Friday following I bought a little thing in Smithfield for three guineas and a half. I had a bed at the Swan and Two Necks. There was an acquaintance of mine, which I had not seen for two or three years; he went to Oxford races. I heard he was almost killed, when I was at Maidenhead; then I went through to see him, and found there was nothing in it. Coming along, we stopped at a public-house, I think the Coach and Horses, on the heath, where was a man in company with me, that was upon this mare; we were talking about changing, we stopt at that alehouse, and we agreed to change. I gave him five guineas to boot. He went over the bridge on this side Brentford. The mare was very thin, so I took her to a farmer's in a Green lane; I think his name is Willes or Wilmot, or some such name. I left her there a fortnight at grass. When I was riding down the road, going to Hodsdon, I called at Mr. Harding's house; he said I might light, and he would give my mare a bit of hay. He asked me whether she was for sale. I asked eleven pounds, or eleven guineas. We agreed upon the conditions he has mentioned, and I left her. I believe I was there again about three weeks after. Mrs. Harding said he was gone to some fair. I had three pennyworth of rum and water. I went to the Two Brewers at Ponder's End, to see a friend that worked at some mill; he was not there; then in coming over the field I met this man. I was going to Winchmore-hill. It rained very hard. I stood under a tree just by a stile, and was putting my leg over the stile when I saw him; he asked somebody that was meeting me to stop me. I could not tell what he meant. I did not know but he might come to arrest me for money. They threatened to knock me down. I told them I would surrender myself, and threw my stick down. I never said such words as he says I did.

Guilty . Death .




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