Re: Jane Cullen (b abt 1820)/James Somers/Summers to Australia
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In reply to:
Jane Cullen (b abt 1820)/James Somers/Summers to Australia
Marci Young 2/04/13
This is Mary Sullivan who also went by the ALIAS Margaret Sullivan -
MARY SULLIVAN, Theft > grand larceny, 13th May 1812.
143. MARY SULLIVAN was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 21st of April , eighteen yards of ribbon, value 6 s. the property of Charles Bluck
CHARLES BLUCK . I am an haberdasher , 32, Bishopsgate Street Without . On Tuesday the 21st of April, the prisoner, with another person, came into the shop and asked for some ribbon, and while she was looking at them another woman came in, wished to see some thread, and was very impatient, so much so that I suspected the three were companions together. The other woman said she was in an hurry, I said she should be served in her turn, I turned round quick suspecting the prisoner, I saw the prisoner very much confused; at the same time a person in the shop said that she had stolen something, I laid hold of her apron and found that she had half a piece of ribbon; the woman that was so impatient ran away. I stopped the prisoner and another woman and sent for Sapwell, who found the ribbon on her, she said by some accident it had fallen into her apron.
Q. Was that possible - A. Oh no, impossible.
THOMAS SAPWELL . I searched the prisoner, I found the ribbon mentioned in the indictment in her apron, I asked Mr. Bluck if that was his property, he said yes; since that I have dropped the ribbon out of my pocket, through some misfortune I have not got it to produce.
Q. Was there a private mark upon it - A. Yes, it was sworn to the next day before the Lord Mayor by Mr. Bluck.
Q. (to Mr. Bluck) Are you sure that the ribbon that Sapwell shewed you had your private mark upon it - A. Yes, I do swear that it had my private mark, and it was my property.
Prisoner. When I went into this gentleman's shop I asked to look at a bit of ribbon, I had some muslin in my apron, I looked at two piece of ribbons, I asked him to cut me a couple of yards off; a person that was there did shove against me and that ribbon fell into my lap, and before I could have time to take it out of my apron that gentleman took hold of me, he asked me what I wanted with the ribbon, he rolled it up in my apron and kept it there. I wish to see what is the property against me.
Prosecutor. A neighbour had watched her, and came to tell me they were suspicious characters.
Sapwell. When I lost the property I made it known to the Lord Mayor's clerk, and to Mr. Newman the solicitor; I called the several watchmen together in the parish, I told them I would give them a guinea if they could find the property or any body that did, and since then one of the watchmen went down to the Compter and let the prisoner know that I had lost the property. There was a fire at Mr. Mott's the soap boiler, I lost it out of my pocket; whether the hole in my pocket was cut or no I cannot say.
GUILTY , aged 18.
Transported for Seven Years .
London jury, before Mr Recorder.
Ship: Broxbornebury - 1814