Drunks, Whores and Idle Apprentices: Criminal Biographies of the Eighteenth Century

by PHILIP RAWLINGS

  The latter End of November, all of us being at Bath, we agreed to go to Bristol, to get something towards our Expences; where John Allen pick’d up a Countryman near the Mount, that is, the Bridge, and brought him into the H – R – st, near the Back, which House we had made Flash before hand; the Countryman had but little Money, which the Sailor knew, and therefore laid him Half a Guinea that he could not borrow ten Pounds in half an Hour; then Allen and he went into the Fish Market, and he borrowed the Money of a Shopkeeper, and brought it to the said H – R – st to us, and received the Wager; but we defrauded him of all the Money in about ten Minutes, at the Old Nobb, or Belt. A Countryman came just afterwards to the House to enquire for us, but the Landlady hush’d the Man, and said she knew nothing of him nor us. The Countryman went Home, and told in his Neighbourhood that he was robbed by three Fellows on the Road. I have seen him several Times since at Bath Market, and have spoke to him, and he told me the same; I contradicted him, and said, I believed he lost it at Gaming: He did not see my Face at Bristol when he lost his Money, so did not know me at Bath. The Man keeps Bath Market, and stands at the upper End of the Market-House, selling Hog’s Haslets, and wears his own Hair.

  Just after, about the 28th of November, we were all at Bath, when Brown took the Opportunity at Night to go on the Sneak by himself, to one Mr. Bartlet’s, on the North Parade; he went into a Parlour, where he saw a Candle lighted, and stole from thence a Portmanteau Trunk: The Key was in it, and a Bundle on it, he took off the Bundle, and unlocked the Trunk, and seeing it was full of rich Cloaths, he locked it again, but took out the Key; and in the mean Time a Servant came and looked into the Room, and Brown hid himself behind the Door, and when the Servant was gone, he took up the Trunk and went into King’s Mead Fields, and left it there while he came and told us what he had done:26 I was in Bed, and so was Allen, but Elger and he went and skin’d the Trunk, and put the Things into a Sack, and Elger sent his Horse to S – n G – a’s [Stephen Gea’s] that Morning. The Horse was taken out of R – ts’s [Roberts’s] Stable unknown to him or his Ostler until Morning, when R – ts [Roberts] knew it, but the Ostler did not. In the Morning Elger and Mary Brown went on Foot to Chapel Plaster, to look over the Things, and Allen went that Night to them: The next Morning we all set out for the Devizes, to one J – n A –’s [John Allen’s]; Elger and Allen did not lie at the said House, but Brown and I did. I went and bought a Deal Box, into which we put our Things, and nailed it up, and left it under a Bed in a Room, and told J – n A –[John Allen], the Landlord, to take Care of it. He said, if it was Diamonds you know it is safe in my House. Some Time after we saw our Landlord, and Brown ask’d him if the Things were safe; he said yes, I have one of the Advertisements at my House, but do not mind that, for nobody will suspect my House; he well knowing we lived by nothing but Robbing and Defrauding the Country.

  We went from thence to Salisbury, to see a Crop Horse run over that Course, belonging to Thomas Brooks of Coleharbour, he was Seventeen Years of Age, and ran nineteen Miles within an Hour: We could take nobody in at Salisbury at any Trick, so we went that Night to Wilton, to consult what to do. Brooks lay with us that Night, and the next Day we agreed to go and steal some Horses, and take them into the North, and bring others back into the South; we went that Evening, about all the Grounds within three Miles of Salisbury, and could see none worth taking, but a Colt worth about fourteen Pounds, and him we could not catch. We went towards Salisbury, and just by a Mill in the Marshes, we caught two Galloways, both with cut Manes, but we thought them not worth taking; we therefore went that Night to Salisbury, and the next to Farrington, in Berks, we made it Night before we got to Marlborough, where we stole a black Mare out of a Ground just by,27 in the Road to Farrington, which we reached the same Night; we lay at W – m T – r’s [William Trinder’s] that Night and the next Day, and at Night we went into a Field of Mr. Lock’s, at the Crown Inn and stole from thence a Bay Gelding,28 and I rode all [p. 16] that Night with the Mare and Gelding towards Highamferris, [Higham Ferrers] for there was a Fair there the next Day; but Brown, Elger, and Allen staid there that Night to prevent our being discovered: They met me at Highamferris, but we could not sell our Horses. T – r [Trinder] our Landlord, knew the black Mare, and of our stealing the Gelding. We made the best of our Way into Yorkshire, and we sold the Gelding to a Baker in Doncaster, for four Pounds, but he did not know it was stolen. We then went for Wakefield Fair, but when we came there were disappointed, for there was none. Elger’s Horse fell sick at Newark on Trent, and he borrowed a Horse of the Baker that bought the Bay Gelding; but when we were at Wakefield, Allen borrowed a Horse to go to York, and Elger sent his Horse back to Doncaster, for we saw in the London Evening Post, the bay Gelding advertised,29 and made the best of our Way to Bantry [Bawtry, Yorkshire], but did not come near Doncaster: We sold the black Mare there to a man of Rotherham, for one Pound one Shilling and Sixpence;30 she broke out with the Grease. We went the next Day to a Fair in Lincolnshire, and picked up a Man on the dropping of a Shilling, and brought him into the House, where Elger and Brown were set on Purpose. Elger passed for a Sailor, and Brown for a Dealer; the Man had no Money, but Elger laid him a Guinea he could not borrow twenty Guineas in half an Hour; I went the Countryman’s Halves, and went with him, and at the first Place he borrowed Ten, and a thirty Pound Bank Note, and in returning he borrowed twelve more; we went back to the Sailor, and showed him the Money, on which he paid him the Guinea, and we went to play at Pricking in the Belt, we made stakes for twenty-two Guineas, and fain would have played for fifty, which the Countryman would not, but said, if he won he would play again; but the Sailor took Care not to let him, he pricked and lost, and was most terribly frightened, but he would prick again for thirty; we were afraid he would make too big a Row when he lost that, that is, a great Noise, however we made Stakes for the sixty, which was the Note and our thirty; he pricked and lost, and then stood as if he was Thunder-struck, for some Time with his Back against the Door: I seemed to be the same; but at last got him out of the Room, under Pretence of borrowing some Money, while the Sailor and Brown went to our Horses, which Allen had got ready; I gave the Countryman the Slip, and followed after them, not letting any Grass grow under our Feet for thirty Miles before we stopt, and that was at Bantry, at a House of our own Sort. There was a great Search made all the Country round for us, but we were at Home. The next Day we made our Way for the City of Cambridge, in order to mill some Ken, that is, to break open some House; but we had no Success there, so we agreed to prig some Peads, that is, [p. 17] steal some Horses, and take them away West: Allen and I went for Newmarket, and Brown and Elger for Leighton Buzzard. I and Allen stole a black Gelding and Bay Colt, near Brinkley in the Woodlands, and brought them to Hungerford in Berks, and sold them to William B – ge [Barbridge], of the same Place: He did not know that they were stolen, but thought that they were got on the Mason, that is, for Paper.31 Brown and Elger stole a flat headed Bay Gelding from the Bell Inn in Leighton Buzzard, and brought him to Bath, and kept him for his own riding.32 We sold the sorrel Mare that was stole from Wakefield, to our Landlord J—n R—ts [John Roberts], at Bath; he would not buy her till he knew where she was stolen from, but he had no Luck with her, for she fell sick and died in a Fortnight after. Here we divided all the Money we got this Journey.

  About the latter End of December, being all at Bath together, J – n R – ts [John Roberts], our Landlord, came to Brown, Elger, and Allen, and ask’d for me; he told them he could help them to twenty Pounds; just after I came to his House, when he told me the same: I ask’d him how it was to be got; and he replied, on the Scamp, that is, on the Highway; for, says he, there is a Man that puts up at my House, that is going to receive twenty Pounds, but a great deal of it will be in Halfpence, and it is easy to be napt, that is, taken. We then agreed that I should go and rob the Man by myself, and they would be at a small Distance for Fear of Resistance. R – ts [Roberts] helped the Man to tie the Sack behind him, that the Money was
in, I standing by him at the same Time; the Man went his Way, and we followed him up to the Top of the Hill, I got on a Collier’s Horse, with Coal Sacks on the Pack Saddle, I spoke to the Man going up the Hill, and when I got on the Down I let him go on before, and then rode after, overtook, and robbed him; I had a Stick in my Hand, which R – ts [Roberts] and my Accomplices gave me, and a Tinder Box instead of a Pistol: I rode the Man’s Horse back again to the Foot of the Down, where my Accomplices were waiting for me, and we went directly to John R – ts’s [Roberts’s]. The Money that I robbed the Man of, was one Guinea and some Silver, and thirty-nine Shillings in Halfpence, which we divided between us, and R – t’s [Roberts] had eight Shillings worth of the Halfpence. The Man came to R – ts’s [Roberts’s] the next Morning, and said he was robb’d, and ask’d what Time the Ostler came home, for he suspected him: We told him he was at a Friend’s House all Night; and we all laugh’d to hear the Man say the Person who robbed him put a Pistol to his Cheek, it being nothing but a Tinder Box.33

  About the 18th of January, 1753, I, Brown, Elger, and Allen, agreed to go to Bristol on the Sharp, or the Sneak; which we did, [p. 18] but we could not get any Thing on the Sharp that Day: But at Night we went on the Sneak, first into Queen Square, and tried several Houses. At last Elger jump’d the Glass of a Gentleman’s Keen;34 that is, lifted up the Window of a House at the lower End of the Square, and jump’d into the Parlour, and brought out five Silver Tea Spoons and one Pair of Tea Tongs, with a Delft Server from a Tea Table. We then pull’d down the Window, and went our Way: I think the Tea Spoons were marked with the Spread Eagle. We went directly over the Draw Bridge for College Green, and tried all the Doors and Windows there: At last we went into Orchard-Street, to one Mr. Smith’s, a Watchmaker, as I was since informed. Brown got Entrance in at the Door, and went up Stairs into the Bed Chamber, whilst the Family was below, and he staid about twenty Minutes in the House; and in the mean while Mrs Smith came to the Door, and Elger ask’d her where such a

  Gentleman lived; she told him, and went in and shut the Door after her. We all resolv’d if Brown was grabb’d, that is, taken, to rescue him; but he soon came out with his Arms full of Men’s wearing Apparel, such as follows, viz. Three Coats, two Waistcoats, three Pair of Breeches, a great Quantity of Stockings and Neck-cloths, and one Handkerchief. The said Things I carried to Frances Allen’s Room that Night for her to secrete for us, and accordingly she did; and I went next Day to Bristol again, to meet my Accomplices: I left with Mrs. Allen a Pair of Silver Shoe Buckles of Mr. Smith’s.35 We went at Night on our old Rigg; and went over the Drawbridge towards College Green; Brown went into a Peruke-maker’s House, and went up Stairs, and had got all the Things in a Table Cloth that was in the Drawers, when he heard a Noise of the Barber and another Man coming home; who suspecting us, (as having heard of Mr. Smith’s House being broke open the Night before) followed us, and shut his Door: However, Brown got out of a Garret Window, and over the Tops of several Houses, and got behind a Stack of Chimnies for the Space of two Hours: He could not get into any House, but was forced to go back again into the same House, and come softly down Stairs along the Entry: A Boy hearing some Body in the Entry, ran to him with a Knife in his Hand, and call’d him Rogue; upon which Brown told the Mistress of the House, that as he was coming over the Draw-Bridge, a Bailiff was in pursuit of him, and that he ran into her House for shelter, and had been on the Stairs a Quarter of an Hour, which the weak Woman believing, bid him stay for Fear the Bailiffs should be about the Door; but he did not care to stay for Fear the Master should come home, and so bad her good Night and went his Way, but we were at Bath five Hours before him.

  [p. 19]The next Day we divided the Stockings and Neck-cloths between us four, except some Thread Stockings and the Handkerchiefs, which Mary Brown and Frances Allen would have for themselves: The two Women kept the rest of the Things for us till Bristol Fair. Our Landlord R – ts [Roberts] had one of the Bills of the Robbery left at his House; and when we came into his House, he said, Why will you not let me have some of the Cloaths, to make my Son some Cloaths? You never let me have any Thing as you do other Landlords: I think I ought to have a Penny’s worth as well as they.36

  The 25th of January, 1753, we went to Bristol Fair on the Sharp; but we had no Luck that Day, so at Night we went to milling of Swaggs, that is, breaking of Shops, or Warehouses: Accordingly we went to the Bell Inn, in Thomas Street, and broke open the Warehouse, and with a dark Lanthorn they brought out of the said Ware-house to me, two Pieces of broad Livery Cloth, one brown and the other blue, directed for Mr. Harford of Bath:37 I staid in the Street till the other three went into a House in Temple Street, just by the Back of the said Inn; where Elger went up Stairs, and opened a Box that was not locked, and brought out a Piece of brown Stuff, and Linen for a Gown, and gave it to me; I came to the Lamb-Inn, at Lawford’s-Gate with it, and took Horse directly for Bath, and delivered the Goods to Frances Allen to secrete for me, and I then went to Bed: About Two o’Clock in the Morning Brown, Allen, and Elger, came to Bath with a Pack of Handkerchiefs that they had stolen from the London Ware-house in Peter-street;38 and they told me they had lost a good Booty for Want of the Lanthorn that I had in my Pocket. Elger went forward with the Pack of Handkerchiefs to Chapel Plaister; and Brown and Allen called for the Cloth, Stuff, and Cloaths, that Mary Brown and Frances Allen had secreted for me; and they followed Elger to St – n G – ’s [Stephen Gea’s] where G– – –[Gea] got a Box made on Purpose to nail up the said Goods in. I went the next Morning to them, and put the Things into the Box: We staid there a Day or two, and at last we sold St– – – –n G – – –[Stephen Gea] upwards of twenty Dozen of the said Handkerchiefs, and four Yards of the blue Cloth, and to his Wife Mary the Piece of Stuff for a Gown, they both well knowing the same to be stolen, and from whence.

  The next Day we all set out for the Rock Tavern in Staffordshire, with our Goods; but it raining, we left Brown on the Road with them, and went forward to the said Tavern, it being our old Place of Rendezvous; where we sold a Silk Camblet Coat, two Pair of Breeches, and a Silk Cream-coloured Waistcoat, for one Pound six Shillings, to Edward and Margaret L – – [Lines], and they helped me to cut off the Gold Lace from an embroidered blue Padusway Waistcoat, and we burnt it before their Faces, and gave them [p. 20] the Remainder of the Waistcoat, and told them from whence it was stolen: We sold the Remainder of the Handkerchiefs, about nineteen Dozen, to John – –, and the Mazarene blue Coat for one Pound, he being at Bristol the same Time they were stolen, and saw them at G – – ’s [Gea’s] House; but he would have nothing to do with them there, until we carried them to the Rock Tavern.

  Brown came to us the next Day, and told us he had sold the Cloth for 4s. 6d. per Yard, to Mr. Thomas B–, at Coalharbour, in Gl – r Road; but I cannot take upon me to swear it, because I was not a Witness of it.

  The R – k [Rock] Tavern has been a Place of Rendezvous for these People for thirty Years past, tho’never detected till now; but all the Country knew it, and used to call those who used it, Thieves and Highwaymen. The Landlord and Landlady have appeared at their Trials several Times; but once especially for Christopher F—stone [Fetherstone or Feterstone] at Northampton, for a Robbery on the Highway, and got him off by swearing him to be at their House at the Time.

  When we came to Bath, I sold the Silver we took off the embroidered Waistcoat to John F – – d [Ford], which was not quite an Ounce. I told him it was taken off a Waistcoat which was stole from Mr. Smith of Bristol; but I never got above one Shilling of F– –d[Ford] for my Silver to this Day.39 Brown likewise sold the Silver Spoons and Tea Tongs that were stolen from a House in Queen’s Square, to John F– – –d [Ford], for nine Shillings; he well knowing the said Things to be stolen, and from whence.

  We all staid in Bath to spend our ill got Money until March, R – ts [Roberts] had got one Burk [Thomas Burk]40 at his House, very poor, and just out of Bristol Gaol, whom he kept for a Month at Bed and Board. On the 11th Day
of March, Brown, Elger, and Allen, went to Abingdon Fair, and left Burk and I at R – ts’s [Roberts’s]; when the latter came to me, and said, JOHN, Will you take Burk with you, for he owes me Money? To which I answered, Not I; I am not going out at all any more: He said, Abingdon Fair is Tomorrow, and Burk will show you where you may buss a Couple of Prads, and fence them at Abingdon Gaff; that is, Burk will show you a Couple of Horses that you may steal, and sell them at Abingdon Fair: Accordingly we did steal two Geldings from a Ground of Mr. Smith’s at the Castle and Ball, one a Black and the other a Bay,41 and rode all Night, and the next Morning we got to Abingdon, where I saw my Accomplices, who had no Luck that Day. I sold the black Gelding to a Countryman near ’Squire Dashwood’s in Oxfordshire, and we stood in the Fair all the Day with the other; but we could not get our Price for him: At last we sold him to a Flash Dealer, one Bishop, of my Acquaintance, for three Pounds thirteen Shillings and Six-pence, and told him where he came from, he at the same Time [p. 21] very well knowing him to be worth seven Pounds;42 and then we had no Horse between us both, but I chanced to go into the Ram or Lamb Inn, when the Ostler asked me if I wanted my Horse, I said Yes; when he brought me a fine Bay Gelding, bridled and saddled: I ask’d him what he came to, he said Five pence; but I gave him Six pence, and rode away, sometimes riding and sometimes walking. We lay that Night at Lackdale, and the next Night at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. About a Mile from that Town, Burk stole a Grey Poney, and we rode that Night to the Rock Tavern, our old Place of Rendezvous.

  The next day we went within three Miles of Newport in Shropshire, to another Flash House; and the Day after went to Nantwich Fair in Cheshire, where we met with two Flash Horse Jockeys, to whom I sold the Bay Gelding: Their Names were John S-[Small] and Joseph S –[Shoten], both Partners, and who live at N – p – t [Newport, Shropshire]: They both ask’d me where the Horse came from, and I told them that I stole him from the Ram or Lamb Inn, in Abingdon: They said they would take Care what Part he went to, and then gave me six Guineas for him, tho’ it was worth fourteen.43