| Reference Number | t17731020-78 |
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| Verdict | Guilty |
| Sentence | Transportation |
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| Actions | Cite this text Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 25 September 2023), October 1773, trial of BARNARD SOLOMON (t17731020-78). | Print-friendly version | Report an error |
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726. (L.) BARNARD SOLOMON was indicted for receiving four pair of silver candlesticks, value 33 l. a pair of steel snuffers with silver handles, value 5 s. a silver snuffer dish, value 10 s. four pair of silver salts, value 3 l. 13 s. four silver salt spoons, value 5 s. two silver sugar baskets, value 30 s. a silver strainer, value 8 s. four large silver waiters, value 25 l. six small silver waiters, value 10 l. a silver bread basket, value 10 l. a silver cruet stand, value 7 l. a silver coffee pot, value 6 l. a large silver cup and cover, value 9 l. a silver sauce boat, value 3 l. 16 s. a silver sauce pan, value 40 s. a silver cross stand for a dish, value 4 l. two silver ragout spoons, value 40 s. a silver sauce ladle, value 32 s. four silver sauce spoons, value 48 s. seven silver table spoons, value 56 s. eleven silver three prong forks, value 4 l. a silver desert spoon, value 4 s. a silver tea spoon, value 1 s. 6 d. a gold watch, value 5 l. forty gold mourning rings, value 20 l. and a silver hilted sword, value 40 s. the property of William Ewer , Esq; knowing them to have been stolen by Francis Talbot , in the dwelling house of the said Edward , April 1st . ++
(The record of the conviction of Francis Talbot was read, by which it appeared that he was convicted of a burglary in the dwelling house of Wm. Ewer , Esq; and stealing the plate mentioned in the indictment.)
John Matthews , butler to Mr. Ewer, deposed
"that he found his master's house broke
"open about nine in the morning, on the 2d of
"April, and that there was stolen out of the
"house the place mentioned in the indictment."
- Coleby, deposed
"that he was an accomplice
"with Talbot, Peal, and Lyon
"Lyons, in breaking open Mr. Ewer's house;
"that they took away a large quantity of plate;
"that he could not particularly mention the
"things, but that there was a cross stand for a
"dish, some candlesticks, some silver prong
"forks, some spoons, some waiters, and several
"other particulars; that they put the plate in
"a bag, which they afterwards put in a dunghill
"till they got a coach; that they put the
"plate in the coach; that Talbot and Peal
"went into the coach, and he and Lyons went
"home to bed; that he was taken up next
"morning; that when he was discharged, on
"the Sunday following, Talbot and Lyon
"would not let him go to Solomon's house,
"that they said Solomon desired them not to
"bring him there, and that he never did go;
"that he received in all about thirty guineas
"for his share at different times; that some
"times he was paid by Talbot, and other times
"by Lyons; that Solomon left twenty guineas at
"Talbot's house when he was present; that
"Talbot came to him soon after he was taken,
"and took from him a 10 l. note payable to
" William Ewer , Esq; which was taken out of
"the house with the rest of the things."
"that the prisoner.
"Solomon, lodged at his house; that on the
"2d of April in the morning about four o'clock,
" Francis Talbot called Clarke from the street;
"that his wife got up, and attempted to throw
"the sash up, but could not because it stuck
"with the rain; but being a very light clear
"morning, she told him she saw Talbot; that
"he did not see him but heard what passed;
"that when his wife was going down to the
"door, Solomon got out of bed and said it is
"nobody to you; that he went down and staid
"some time; that he heard somebody talking
"to him below; that he came up with a light
"and put his cloaths on, and his wife and he
"went out together with the man; that about
"a quarter before six o'clock, as the witness
"was dressing hims elf, somebody knocked very
"hard at the door; he went down and let the
"prisoner in; that in about a minute after the
"prisoner's wife came; that he saw the prisoner
"give her a handfull of rings about
"forty out of his pocket, which appeared to be
"mourning rings; and then took out two
"cases of a gold watch, but no inside; that she
"went up stairs but he stopped by the passage;
"that then Peal called with a box about two
"feet long and sixteen or eighteen inches wide,
"and took it up into Solomon's room; Solomon
"went with him; that the witness went into his
"workshop; and as he came down stairs, Solomon's
"door was open, and he saw a parcel of plate lie
"on the bed, and there appeared to be straws of
"horse dung among it in the box; that he told
"him he did not like the appearance of it; that
"Solomon said he dealt in plate, and he should
"come to no harm; that the witness took up a
" candlestick, that there was as a crest upon it"of a serpent winding round something, and
"the same crest in the false nozel of the candlestick;
"that there was other plate, but he
"did not examine what the crest was; that there
"was a large cup with two handles, which
"might hold near three pints; a cross for a
"dish and he believed four pair of candlesticks,
"two very large waiters, and a parcel of
"small ones, lay by them; and particularly a
"parcel of forks all silver, with handles like
"spoons; and a great many more, he could
"not particularly describe; that Solomon sent
"his wife out, and she fetched a bushel of
"charcoal; then she went out again, and returned
"again in half or three quarters of an
"hour, and brought in an iron mould for an
"ingot in her hand; that in half an hour came
"an old man, who he afterwards found to be
" Abraham Bochero , with what they call a Dutch
"stove under his arm, and a pair of tongs sit
"to take crucibles out of the fire with, and
"some crucibles in his hand for melting; he
"went into the room and there they made a
"great fire; and that they continued melting
"all day, as he and his wife saw by going in
"and out into the room; that towards evening
"Bochero went away; that he saw the prisoner
"break the silver and put it into the
"melting pot, as he broke it; that he saw him
"put the rings in; that Solomon took a pair
"of shears that were in his shop, to cut to
"pieces what he could not break; that about
"three o'clock in the afternoon Talbot came;
"that the prisoner's wife opened the door and
"called his wife to fetch them some gin; and
"that they asked him and his wife to come in
"and drink with them; and that while he was
"a drinking he saw the whole transaction;
"that between six and seven in the evening
"Talbot came again, and they sent for some more
"liquor and insisted on his wife and himself
"drinking with them; that Talbot said he
"wanted money, and Solomon gave him ten
"or eleven guineas, and said he had no more;
"that Talbot said they all wanted money, and
"thought it was hard to be kept so long out of
"it; they said there was a guinea to the coachman;
"that he had one and must have another;
"the witness looked upon it the money was for
"this plate, and conjectured it was a felony by
"the appearance; that the plate was melted into
"fourteen or fifteen ingots; that Solomon
"shewed them to him; that the next week he
"asked him to go with him to buy some chairs,
"and he shewed him a bank note of 10 l. payable
"to Mr. Ewer, and said he had it with
"the plate and gave 7 l. for it; that the prisoner
"told Talbot not to let Coleby come into
"the house, because he had been an evidence;
"and that he told Talbot to keep away as much
"as he could, and said he did not want any of
"them there; after the ingots, were melted
"he shewed the witness the ingots, and said
"there was as much as cost him 130 l. that it was
"worth 4 s. an ounce; that the witness was
"afraid to make a discovery because there were
"always cutlasses in the room; that he was
"never taken up, but Sir John sent for him,
"and he made the discovery."
Susannah Clarke deposed, "that on the 2d of
"April, between four and five in the morning
"Talbot called at the window; that she got
"out of bed, and Talbot said he wanted
"Solomon; that she knew Talbot very well,
"he used to sell potatoes; that she saw Talbot
"stand in the highway, and she had a full view
"of him; that when she was in the passage,
"Solomon; came down in his shirt, and said it is
"nobody to you, it is to me; that Solomon and
"his wife went out and returned about six
"o'clock; that she got up about eight and
"went into his room for the tea kettle; that
"Solomon's wife opened the door a little way;
"that while she went to fetch the kettle, the
"door went wide open, and she saw a great
"deal of plate; that there were waiters and
"candlesticks, and she thinks a coffee pot;
"that there was a great quantity on the bed;
"that she saw a great fire, and Bochero putting
"it into a stove to melt, and Solomon was
"breaking it; that Solomon's wife pulled a
"great quantity of rings out of her bosom, and
"was looking over them; that they seemed
"to be mourning rings; that she saw Talbot
"between two and three in the afternoon, and
"again in the evening; he said he wanted
"money; that the prisoner said he had but 11 l.
"and gave him 10 l. or 11 l. she could not tell
"which; that Bochero staid till between five
"and six, when he left off work, because his
"sabbath was begun."
The prisoner, in his defence, said, "that in
"the beginning of March, Clarke and his
"wife were at his house; that he missed a
"gown and a handkerchief belonging to his
"wife; that the beginning of May he came
"to Clarke's, and she was altering the gown in
" a little back room; that he told her it was"taken out of his house; she said she would
"make him amends for it; that he knew nothing
"of Mr. Ewer's plate; that Clarke had a
"bad character.
Guilty . T. 14 Y .