235. ELIZABETH BROWN proceedingsdefend was indicted for forging and counterfeiting a Bank of England note, for the sum of 2l. with intention to defraud the Governor and Company of the Bank of England proceedingsvictim .

Second Count. For a like offence, with intention to defraud Henry Lee proceedingsvictim .

Third Count. For feloniously disposing of, and putting away the said note, as and for a good note, knowing it to be forged, with intention to defraud the Governor and Company of the Bank of England.

And Eight other Counts for the like offences, varying the manner of charging them.(The indictment was opened by Mr. Giles, and the case by Mr. Garrow.)

ELIZABETH LEE < no role > sworn. - My husband keeps a silversmith's-shop in Shoreditch : On the 28th of February last, the prisoner came into the shop to buy a pair of silver table-spoons, I sold her them for twenty-six shillings and three-pence; she gave me a two pound note, and I was going to give her change, my brother Phillips was in the shop, and he spoke to me in Dutch, and said, he believed it was not a good one, he would go out with it, and as he went out the prisoner was going away; I told her to stop till my brother came back; Phillips was not many steps from the house, he came back, saw the prisoner going away, and he desired her to walk in and sit down, he then took hold of the prisoner, and took her into the parlour. I then sent for Mr. Lee from the Rainbow Coffee-house; Mr. Lee's hair-dresser was there, his name is Pearson, and I left him with her while I went into the shop, then Mr. Lee came home; Phillips returned me the note again, and I gave it to Mr. Lee. I sent for an officer, and the note was given to him; I wrote my name upon it in Dutch, and the officer put his name upon it. The officer and Mr. Lee took her to Mr. Winter's from my house.

Q. Look at that note; is that your name in Dutch? - A. It is; that is the note that the prisoner gave to me.

Q. How long had you been from the parlour? - A. About ten minutes.

Prisoner. Q. Did I attempt to run away? - A. She had just got off the step of the door; I thought she was going away, and I took hold of her by the arm.

SAMUEL PHILLIPS < no role > sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. I was in Mr. Lee's shop when the prisoner came in for a pair of spoons, she agreed to have a pair at twenty-six shillings and three-pence; she put her hand in her pocket and took out a two pound note, Mrs. Lee took her pocket-book out to give her change; I said to Mrs. Lee, in Dutch, let me look at the note; I looked at it, and said, I believe the note to be a bad one. I went out with intention to go to a neighbour's to compare it with another two pound note; before I had got two yards from the door I saw the prisoner coming out at the shop-door, I turned back, and desired her to walk in, I went backwards with her into the parlour; she said, if I did not like the note she would give me another, I believe there was a hair-dresser present. Mrs. Lee told me to fetch an officer, I went, and the officer came; Mr. Lee was sent for from the coffee-house; Mrs. Lee put her signature upon the note, and the officer did the same, and he went with her to Mr. Winter.

Q. Look at that note, and tell us if that is the note that was presented by the prisoner? - A. Yes, this is the note.

Court. Q. Did you mark that also? - A. Yes; my name is on it.

Cross-examined by Mr. Const. Q. She offered to give you another? - A. Yes.

Q. That was upon your going out to change it? - A. Yes.

Q.Nothing more passed than that she would change it if you did not like it? - A.Nothing else. JAMES PEARSON < no role > sworn. - Examined by Mr. Giles. I went to Mr. Lee's to shave him, the prisoner was in the parlour, she rose up from the chair and took a parcel of papers from her pocket, there appeared to be about three or four small parcels.

Q.What were the size of the papers; had you an opportunity of knowing what it was like? - A. No; I said, what, you are burning of them; and she said, no.

Q. Did she in fact burn that paper? - A.She burned it.

Cross-examined by Mr. Const. Q. You could not tell what that paper was? - A. No.

Court. Q. Did you make no attempt to rescue it? - A. No; the fire was a large one, and it was consumed in a minute; it seemed to me to be thin paper.

NATHANIEL LOARING < no role > sworn. - I am clerk to Mr. Winter, solicitor of the Bank: I was present when she gave an account of the transaction; she was asked where the got the note; I understood her she had it from Dighton, in Shoe-lane.

Mr. Const. Q. Was it taken in writing? - A. It was not. There was a former examination taken in writing by Mr. Winter.

Mr. Garrow. Q. Did you hear the name of Steel? - A. Yes; she said she had it from Steel; I do not know which of the two names she mentioned first; she said Steel kept a public-house in Whitechapel; Steel was sent for, I was there when he came.

Q. Was he informed, in the presence of the prisoner, that she had stated herself to have received the note from him? - A. He was. He said he never gave her a note in all his life; that she had had money of him, but did not recollect that he had ever given her a note. Then she immediately said it was from Dighton, in a court in Shoe-lane.

Q.What did she say her name was? - A.Brown.

Q. Did she state in your presence where she lived? - A. Yes; she said she lived at No. 23, Paradise-row, Islington.

Q.Did you hear her say any thing about her living at Steel's? - A. No; I went first to Dighton's with the officer, and after that I went to the prisoner's house.

Q.You did not find any thing that relates to the subject of Bank-notes? - A. I found a good Banknote, which was an exact copy of the other, except the last figure in the number; that good note is not here.

Cross-examined by Mr. Const. Q.In point of fact, there was an examination taken writing? - A. There was only the leading features of her story taken by Mr. Winter, for the purpose of getting any other information; there was part taken in writing and part not.

Q.And you do not perfectly recollect the name she used? - A. She said she had them of Dighton; she was asked how many; she said, six, then twelve, and afterwards one hundred; she said Dighton gave her them unfilled up, she got them filled up, and was to put them off, and was to have a certain share of the profit; she was not asked what share.

Q. Did not you conclude the woman was out of her senses at the time? - A. No; I certainly did not.

Q. After this, she carried you to Steel's? - A. Yes.

Q.And he said, she had had money of him, but no notes? - A. Yes.

Q.And you did not hear her say that she lodged at Steel's? - A. No.

Mr. WINTER sworn. - Examined by Mr. Garrow Q. Upon this person being taken into custody, was she brought to your office? - A. She was.

Q. Have you, in your hand, the original minutes you made of what she stated to you upon this subject? - A. I have.

Q. Did you enquire of her what her name was, and what answer did she make? - A. She said her name was Elizabeth Brown < no role > , and that she lived at the house of Mr. Steel, the sign of the Cock, in Whitechapel; she stated herself to be the wife of Benjamin Brown < no role > , of a place called Broom, near Wolverhampton, in Staffordshire; that she had four children; two at Steel's, in Whitechapel, and two in America. She stated that she had been at Steel's for six or seven months past, and that she worked for Steel, who had a wife and one child, for which she received her board and clothes; that she had done needle-work for the family, but could not recollect what part of the family. She stated that Steel had kept the Cock two years; that she had received a two pound note from Steel about a week ago; that Steel had taken the Horse and Groom public-house from her husband, in St. Martin's-lane; he was to give two hundred pounds. She admitted that she had gone into the shop to purchase spoons. I questioned her how she had been employed for several days previous to the 28th. She stated, that, on the 27th, she had not been out of Steel's house the whole day; that she had been employed in nursing the child, and needlework. That, on the preceding day, the 26th, she did nothing material, but made the beds; but was not out. On the 25th, she could not tell what she was about; that she was reading, but not out on that day. On the 24th, was cleaning the house. On the 23d, could not tell what she was about, but was not out. In short, that she had not been out of Steel's house all the week; that she had received the note in question with several other notes, six I believe, then twelve, afterwards eighteen, and I believe at last, one hundred, from Dighton, in Shoe-lane, who she supposed had manufactured them; that they were not filled up; but a circumstance occurred, her son being in her presence; he was an apprentice to an engraver. Her own son stated, that she had asked him to fill up those blanks, and she would give him a shilling a piece to fill them up; and the boy said, he would sooner suffer death. He said, she had told him she had received these notes from Dighton, and that she was to share in the produce of them. To all which she assented.

- STEEL sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowlys. I keep the Cock, in Whitechapel: I have known the prisoner eight or nine years; she has never lodged with me since I have been in Whitechapel, which is near two years.

Q. At any time lately, did you pay her a two-pound note? - A. I have paid her money severaltimes, and a one pound note, but I do not know that I ever gave her a two pound note. They have had money come out of the country into my hands, and it was always remitted to me.

Q. Has she been nursing your children, or working for you lately? - A. Not more than three or four times in the year.

Q. Was that justbefore she was taken up? - A. I do not remember.

Q. Do you remember being sent for to the Bank? - A. Yes.

Q. Was she at your house for three days before that? - A. No.

Mr. Const. Q. You cannot say whether you remitted her a two pound note or not? - A. I cannot.

THOMAS BLISS < no role > sworn. - Examined by Mr. Giles. I am an inspector of Bank-notes.

Q. Look at that note, and see if it is a genuine Bank-note? - A. It does not admit of any doubt of its being a forged note.

- FIELD sworn. - Examined by Mr. Giles. I am a cashier of the Bank, for notes under five pounds.

Q. Is the name of Field, subscribed to that note, your writing? - A. It is not.

Q. Is their any other cashier of the name of Field, who signs notes? - A. No.(The note read).

TWO.

Bank. No.C 5037. No.C 5037. I promise to pay to Mr. Abraham Newland, or bearer, on demand, the sum of Two Pounds.

London, 12th day of February, 1798. For the Governor and Company of the Bank of England.

£. Two. J. Field. Entered, W. < no role > Wade.

The prisoner did not say any thing in her defence, but called Daniel Ingram < no role > , a dealer in coals in Bream's-buildings, who had known her from 1793, and gave her an excellent character.

GUILTY Death . (Aged 44.)

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Baron HOTHAM.