William ALSTON Tanner of London [6769]

  General Notes:

THEFT INVOLVING THE PROPERTY OF WILLIAM ALSTON
13 th Jan 1796
Trial Summary:
Original Text:
149. WILLIAM SHELTON was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 25th of December, an ox-hide salted, value 20s. the property of Richard Gearing.
Second Count. Laying it to be the property of William Alston.(The case was opened by Mr. Gurney).
WILLIAM ALSTON sworn.
Examined by Mr. Gurney. I live in Long-lane, Southwark; I am a tanner, I delivered one, hundred and nine hides to be shipped on board a barge, marked T, directed to Charles Poole, tanner, Taunton.
Q. Did you deliver any others? - A. Yes, fifty-two, directed to Mr. Poole, Overshaw, near Bridgewater; they were marked on the inside of the hide, on the fleshy side; there was a piece of sacking tied on, with a tar rope, such as is made use of to tie up raw hides.
Q. To whom did you deliver them? - A. I delivered them to William Saunders; I saw them delivered.
Q. Who is Saunders? - A. I believe he is servant to Richard Gearing; he likewise gave me a receipt for them.
Q. Did you at any time afterwards see any hides that were delivered to him? - A. On the 29th, I was in Leadenhall market; Mr. Cork asked me if I had lost a hide, I said I did not know; he told me a hide was brought by a porter that morning, and desired he would sell it; Mr. Cork observed that it was a hide that was salted, and he supposed it had been stole or lost, and therefore he did not offer it for sale; he asked me if I had lost a hide.
Q. In consequence of this, did you go to the barge? - A. Not immediately.
Q. When you examined the hide, did you know it? - A. I knew it; I shipped the same on the 21st, in Saunders's barge, at Brook's Wharf, I went to the barge and found Mr. Saunders.
Q. Did you look over the hides? - A. No, I did not.
Q. Have you any doubt as to the hide? - A. No, I have not.
Q. Was it one of the fifty-two? - A. Yes; I marked it, as I seldom mark them; I bought fifty for Mr. Poole, of Overshaw; I marked them with P, that I might knew them, they are falted hides, to preserve them from putresaction.
Q. They are not saleable in this town? - A. No.
WILLIAM CORK sworn.
Examined by Mr. Gurney. I am a salesman in Leadenhall-market: On the 29th of December, a man, who was a stranger to me, throws down before my window, a hide, his name is Cranfield.
Court. Q. Was that the same hide you shewed to Mr. Alston? - A. On the person's putting it down, I said, my friend, how came you by this hide, I am afraid it is either stolen or lost; he said, a man brought it to a public-house, at the Saracen's-head, in Friday-street, where he was porter, and asked him to bring it to market to some salesman to sell.
Court. Q. Did he tell you who he was? - A. No; it remained on my premisses, and I enquired of three gentlemen, if they had lost any; upon enquiring further, a person told me he thought it was one of Mr. Alston's, and said, he would enquire, desiring me not to dispose of the hide.
Court. Q. Was the hide you shewed to Mr. Alston that which you received from Cranfield? - A. The hide I received from Cranfield, I shewed to Mr. Alston.
WILLIAM CRANFIELD sworn.
I am a porter, at the Saracen's Head, Friday-street; between the 21st and the 29th of December, the day I went to Mr. Cork, the prisoner came to me at the Saracen's-head, Friday-street, and told me he had found a hide in Thames-street, and asked me where he could sell it; I told him the only way would be to carry it to a salesman; he said, I should be glad if you will carry it for me, you have no occasion to be afraid to carry it for me, for I came honestly by it; I carried it in a bag; as soon as I put it out of the bag, Mr. Cork told me it was either lost or stole.
Court. Q. Are you sure that was the same hide you had from the prisoner? - A. Yes.
Mr. Gurney. Q. Was the prisoner to come to you after you came from Mr. Cork? - A. He did not come then, I saw him afterwards.
Q. Did you tell him what Mr. Cork said of its being lost or stolen? - A. Yes.
Q. When did you see the prisoner next? - A. Not till a week after that.
Q. He never came to take the money? - A. No.
Q. Did you know him before this? - A. Yes.
Court. Q. You knew the prisoner? - A. Yes; I am sure he is the man.
Jury. Q. He brought the hide in a sack? - A. In a bag.
WILLIAM SAUNDERS sworn.
Examined by Mr. Gurney. Q. I belong to Mr. Richard Gearing's barge.
Q. Did you receive any hides from Mr. Alston? - A. One hundred and nine and fifty-two on the 1st of December.
Q. Did Mr. Alston come at any time afterwards? - A. Yes; he asked me, if I had all the hides; I looked, and found one was taken out; it was taken out of the fifty-two; only fifty-one remained.
Prisoner's defence. About half after five o'clock, I had done my work; I went to make water, and found this hide in Thames-street, and kept it till the Tuesday following; and then I went to this porter, at the Saracen's-head, to take it to market to sell it for me; he called at Mr. Cork's, in Leadenhall-market, and was stopped; I met a young man that worked in the deal way, and he told me, that two ships were to land at Gravesend; I went, and there was no such thing; I came back to Deptford as fast as I could; coming to London, I found a young man, he gave me work; and on Monday, about two o'clock, the constable came to take me.
Court. Q. Was there any body present, that saw you find it? - A. No; it was about six o'clock, on Christmas Eve.(The prisoner called two witnesses, who gave him a good character).
GUILTY. (Aged 33.)
Tried by the London Jury, before Mr. COMMON SERGEANT.
[Imprisonment. See summary.] <gsummary.jsp?dc=17960113&orig=t>
WILLIAM SHELTON, theft: simple grand larceny, 13 Jan 1796.
The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Ref: t17960113-92
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IT IS UNPROVED THAT THIS IS THE WILL OF WILLIAM ALSTON TANNER.

THE WILL of WILLIAM ALSTON.
DATED 8TH MARCH 1780
The Will of William Alston of Pepper Alley in the parish of Saint Saviour Southwark co. Surrey, salesman, 8th March 1780.
I desire my debts, funeral charges and probate of this my will to be first paid.
of London. I give to my friend William Calvert of Park St. parish of St. Saviour gent L40 and my gilt watch.
I give to my cousin Ann Molineaux of Mewington (sic) Butts widow L20
I give to my poor cousin Ann Moore L20
I give to Elizabeth Pitts of the Fishmongers' Almshouses at Newington Butts L20
I give to my cousin Mary wife of ------- Lawrence of Moorfields London, tailor, L20 and a ring value one guinea.
I give my servant Sarah Francis L5 for mourning.
I give to my friend ---- Wickam of Shoreditch widow and weaver L10 and to each of her four children living at the time of my death L10 to be paid them at the age of 21 the interest to be applied for their benefit in the mean time.
I give to William Calvert, Ann Molineaux, Elizabeth Pitts, Mrs. Wickham and my friends John Paylor of Sun Court, Cornhill, Gentleman, and John Beams of Islington gent, a mourning ring each value one guinea.
The residue of my goods, money and estate I give to Mary Johnson, spinster, now living with me.
I appoint the said Mary Johnson and William Calvert, executors.
(Signed) WILLIAM ALSTON.
Witnesses : Thomas Clark. William Spear.
Proved 13th May 1780 by Mary Johnson spinster and William Calvert executors named in will.
Collins 233
Page 144 Alstoniana