5th April 1841
1111. WILLIAM HERMITAGE and JOHN GREEN were indicted for stealing, on the 23rd of March, 102½ lbs. weight of lead, value 17s., the goods of Isaac Thomas Couchman, their master.
JAMES WEBB . I am foreman to Mr. Isaac Thomas Couchman, of Kensington he is contractor for taking down and rebuilding Hanwell church—I was engaged in taking a quantity of old lead off the church—it was kept in a barn near the church, rolled up in parcels—I used a hammer, which inflicted marks on the lead—I missed some pieces of the lead.
Cross-examined by MR. DOANE. Q. How long has Green been employed by your master? A. I do not know.
CHARLES STEBBING (police-constable T 156.) I was on duty in the Uxbridge-road on the evening of the 23rd of March, about half a mile from Hanwell church—I saw both the prisoners, about a quarter before seven o’clock, coming from towards Hanwell church, and going towards Ealing—I saw Green place a bundle on the top of a gate, and Hermitage placed a basket which he had against the gate-post—he turned and faced me as I went past them—after I had got past them a little way, I saw Green take his bundle on his back—Hermitage took his basket on his back, and they walked on towards Ealing—I followed, and met Denton—I then went up to Green, and asked what he had got—I took hold of the bundle, and found it was lead—he said he had found it in a ditch.
JOHN DENTON (police-constable T 203.) I stopped Hermitage—I asked what he had got in his basket—he said, what he had got he found—he had 51lbs. weight of lead, and Green had 51 1/2.
JAMES DOWDEN . I am grave-digger in Hanwell churchyard. I saw Green in the churchyard on the 13th of March, when I went to dig a grave in the evening—he said to me, “Are you going to have a funeral to-morrow?”—I said, “No, one to-night”—he asked me what I had—I said, 3s. for digging a six-feet grave, and filling it in—he said, “You ought to have 15s. a week for it, the same as the sexton has at Kensington; and his place is as good as 30s. a week; for he has many a bit of blue pigeon comes in his way, and I would be d—if I would not do the same.”
Cross-examined. Q. He had been employed working about there? A. Yes—I had heard the phrase blue pigeon before—it means lead.
JAMES WEBB re-examined. Here is the impression of the hammer on the lead, and the parcels are such as I rolled up—I believe them to be what I lost.
(Green received a good character.)
HERMITAGE— GUILTY . Aged 22.
GREEN— GUILTY . Aged 22.
Confined Three Months.
(Courtesy of https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?div=t18410405-1111)
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