Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 30 May 2023), April 1769, trial of John Davis Joseph Andrews (t17690405-9).

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John Davis, Joseph Andrews, Theft > grand larceny, Theft > receiving, 5th April 1769.

224, 225. (M.) John Davis and Joseph Andrews were indicted; the first for stealing eight yards of superfine woollen cloth, value 4 l. four yards of shaloon, value 4 s. and four yards of hair shag, value 8 s. the property of Chamberlayne Goodwin , George Farmer , and John Pippen , Feb. 24 ; and the other for receiving two yards of hair shag, three yards of superfine cloth, and one yard of shaloon, part of the said goods, well-knowing them to have been stolen , Feb. 28 . ++

Chamberlayne Goodwin. I live in Hoglane, Moorfields, and am a dyer , in partnership with George Farmer and John Pippen . On the 24th of February, one Mrs. Brown came and asked If we had not lost some cloth. She said she had stopt some which was brought by a girl, which the girl said she had of John Davis 's wife. This was on the Friday; and on the Monday and on the Friday she brought it to our house, and the girl, who said she had it of John Davis 's wife to carry to pawn. I then examined, and found I had lost several such things, that had failed in the dying.

Q. What is Davis?

Goodwin. Davis has worked for us many years. He did at this time. He was a lost-man, to look after the white goods that came in and fort them. I took him up, and in consequence of this, I found goods at several pawnbrokers. I found a remnant of shaloon at Mr. Marshalls's; and at Mr. Andrews's I found two remnants of scarlet hair shag, two remnants of Pompadour cloth, and a remnant of orange coloured shaloon; at Esther Shorey 's, in Paul's Alley, I found a remnant of Pompadour cloth; and at Mrs. Day's, in Play-House-Yard, Whitecross-street, I found two remnants of orange coloured shaloon, two remnants of black amen, and a remnant of scarlet hair shag; at Mrs. Dyson's I found a remnant of orange coloured shaloon; and at Mr. Alefounder's in Petticoat-lane, who had advertised things stopped, I found a remnant. These were our property. I suppose Davis stole them, because his wife, through the assistance of the girl, had disposed of them. I have inquired Andrews's character, and find it a very good one. The girl took me to his house, and asked for the things which she had pawned. He delivered them very readily without asking for any money.

Elizabeth Taylor . I received the things of Davis's wife, and pawned them by her order, and gave her the money.

Q. Did Davis ever send you with any?

E. Taylor. Davis was never by but once. She gave me the piece to pawn, and he was by when I came back with the money, and I gave it to him.

Q. Did he know what the money was for?

E. Taylor. Yes. His wife told him what it was for she told him she got me to carry that piece or shaloon. It was orange coloured shaloon, and I pawned it for half a crown.

Q. Is that here?

E. Taylor. No it is not. (The things found at Andrews's produced in court and deposed to.)

Q. to Goodwin. Had Davis's wife been used to come to your house?

Goodwin. I do not remember I ever saw her at our house. I do not know that I know her. After these things were found, Mr. Andrews brought some black amen and green amen to our house, when I talked with Davis about it; he said it was not that, but it was a darker cloth that he had taken.

James Ellis . I am a beadle. I took the things found at the pawnbrokers mentioned in the indictment.

Q. Did you meet with any difficulty at Andrews's when you went for the things?

Ellis. No, none at all. He produced them readily. He has a very good character.

Ann Dyson . The girl pledged four yards of shaloon to me.

Sarah Barlow . I live in Rose-alley Golden-lane. Elizabeth Taylor worked for me. Davis's wife sent for her. She returned to me, with some cloth in her lap, very fuddled. I insisted upon knowing what she had in her lap. She would not let me see till I got her into the kitchen. Then she pulled it out, and I stopt it; there were about two yards of it.

Richard Mordant . I am a pawnbroker. There were four parcels of goods pawned with me by three different women. E. Taylor brought one piece, and wanted 16 s. upon it. I said it would not do for me, and made her take it back again. I cannot swear to any of the women that brought the four parcels. I turned several parcels back that Davis's wife brought.

Davis's Defence.

I know nothing of them. If they were pawned by my wife, I was no ways privy to it.

Andrews's Defence.

That girl came to me under fictitious names. Two pieces were pawned in one day; one in the daytime, the other at candlelight, so that I did not discern the colour; if I had discovered that, I should have stopt her.

E. Taylor. I carried some in the name of Ann Davis , and the other in the name of Elizabeth Turner her mother; one by daylight and the other by candlelight.

Davis guilty . T .

Andrews acquitted .