Anne Stanbury was charged with theft from Mary Cranford of Hampstead on 30 December 1745. References to pawning, borrowing and credit are (whether true or not!) quite common in thefts of domestic goods involving women.
Anne Cranford [prosecuting]. Anne Stanbury was with me as a Charewoman. Upon the 30th of December when I went up to Bed, I found a Pillow upon my Bed more than my own. I thought she might take it away from her Lodging. I reckon’d upon her coming in the Morning as usual. There were three Boxes of my Grand Mother’s, which she had left in my Care, when my Mother died. When I got up in the Morning, and came to go down Stairs, one of these Boxes was like to fall down: They were up two Pair of Stairs, between two Rooms. One of the Boxes I found uncorded and open’d; then I mistrusted this Anne Stanbury had robb’d me. I went to her Lodgings after her, early next Morning, but she had discharged her Lodgings and had not been home all Night. About the 3d of January I found her in Bunnel-Row. So I asked her how the Pillow came upon my Bed, and why she did not come as usual. My Dear Mistress, she answer’d, I knew I had wrong’d you and I was asham’d to see you. I told her of the Boxes: Indeed, my dear Mistress, says she, I was in Liquor and I uncorded them; but I will tell you what I have done with the Things, And she said, she would go with me to the Pawn-broker and fetch them out, if I would not let the Pawn-broker give her Trouble. So I went the next Morning to one Mr. Kiese’s, Pawn-broker in Cheek-Lane. I went with her to another Pawnbroker, and she called for two Parcels more, at one Sharp’s on Saffron-Hill. Then she said, she had given me all. I told her I could not release her ’till I had seen whether these were all the Things. Then I sent for my Mother; when she came there was nor half the Things. Then I went with her to the Alderman, and she sent to Kiese’s for a Holland Apron, the same Pawn-broker she was at before. Then says she, my dear Mistress, I can tell you of more, but you cannot have them, for I have sold them out-right to a Pawn-broker in the Strand. She often used to say to me, she question’d not, but there were a great many good Things in these Boxes.
Q. You have got part of these Things then?
Anne Cranford . Yes.
Q. (to Mary Cranford of Hamstead.) Have you look’d on these Things that were pawn’d, and in the Custody of your Grand-Daughter?
Mary Cranford . Yes. They are mine, I left them at my Grand-Daughter’s.
Q. How many Boxes were there?
Mary Cranford . Three, and the Goods I have mention’d were in one of these Boxes.
Q. (to the Prisoner.) What have you to say for yourself?
Prisoner. My Mistress us’d to lend me Money, I being under Necessity. My Mistress order’d me to pawn them.
Q. (to Anne Cranford .) She therefore pawn’d these Things at your Desire?
Anne Cranford . No indeed, please you my Lord, I should not have bidden her break these Boxes open; I have, indeed, lent her Money; 10 s. a Week she has had of me.
(Convicted, sentenced to transportation.)
Why they stole: women in the Old Bailey 1779-1789
Clothing, cloth and cloth-theft in Defoe’s England
Crime and law bibliography
Women and crime in early modern Seville
