Phoebe Elizabeth Douglas1,2

F, #20500, b. circa 1800

Life Span

EVENTDATEDETAILS
Birthcirca 1800Phoebe Elizabeth Douglas was born circa 1800 at England; based on her age of 29 when she was convicted in 1829.
MarriagePhoebe Elizabeth was married to Joseph Guest.1

Also Known As

DescriptionDateName
Married NameHer married name was Guest.1

Criminal Record

DatePlaceDetails
19 February 1829the Old Bailey, London, EnglandPhoebe Elizabeth Douglas was

MARY ANN KING, PHOEBE DOUGLAS, ANN NORRIS, theft : simple grand larceny, 19th February, 1829.
The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Ref: t18290219-57
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Trial Summary:

* Crime(s): theft : simple grand larceny,
* Punishment Type: transportation,
(Punishment details may be provided at the end of the trial.)
* Verdict: Guilty, Guilty, Guilty,
* Other trials on 19 Feb 1829
* Name search for: MARY ANN KING, PHOEBE DOUGLAS, ANN NORRIS,
* Crime Location: Mile-end-road
* Associated Records...


Original Text:

583. MARY ANN KING , PHOEBE DOUGLAS , and ANN NORRIS , were indicted for stealing, on the 9th of February, 30 yards of printed cotton, value 19s. , the goods of James Compigne .

MARY COMPIGNE . I am the wife of James Compigne , a linen-draper, of Mile-end-road. About four o'clock on the 9th of February, King came and wished to look at some prints; I shewed her several - she said they were not genteel enough - I shewed her some others, and then she asked for some more; she offered me 1s. 4d. a yard for one which I asked 1s. 10d. for: after she had detained me about eight or ten minutes, the other two prisoners came in together, and wished to look at a print in the window, which was very difficult to get at; I asked them to take a seat, but King detained me so long that I went and gave them the gown-piece out of the window -I was there, perhaps, about three minutes; I then returned to King, and she said I knew her terms - I said I could not take it; she went out rather fast, and I went to the other two; they said the print I had shown them was not dark enough - Douglas said she was a poor servant, and had seven children, and hoped I would take as little as I could for two dresses - I offered to take off half-a-crown; she had a child which was very troublesome -Norris walked towards the door with it, and they went away; I then stood a bit, went into the parlour, and said I had lost something, I was sure I had, but I did not miss them till Brown, the officer, brought these prints the next day - they are the prints which I had shewn them; this is one which King said was not genteel enough - this one she said was only fit for children's frocks; this she did not like, and this was not enough to make a dress: the prisoners did not speak to each other to my knowledge, and none of them made any purchase.(Property produced and sworn to.)

JOHN BROWN . I am an officer. On the 9th of February, I saw Douglas and Norris, about ten minutes before five o'clock, on the opposite side of the street, and King was on the same side as I was, with a bundle: I and Waters stopped her at the corner of Church-street, Bethnal-green, and took her into the Adam and Eve public-house - we found all these articles on her, which she said she had bought of a tallyman, who came to her house; I asked if she could tell where he lived, and she said No; we then searched her, and she had no money - we brought her out again, crossed over, and took the other prisoners, and took them all into another public-house; King then said,

"Phoebe, have you been with me to-day?" Douglas said, "No, Nance, have you been with me to-day?" Norris said No; we took King, but let the other two go: but from further information we went again, and took them: last Saturday, as I was going up stairs at the office, I heard Douglas, whose voice I knew, call to a man in the lock-up place, and say, "George, it's all up," for the fatements were on them; he said, "Why did you not go in somewhere, and take them off?" she said, "We had not a bl-y farthing among us:" we took the prisoners about three-quarters of a mile from the prosecutor's.

THOMAS WATERS . I was with Brown, and saw Douglas and Norris on the opposite side of the way; I called Brown's attention to them, and at that moment we saw King with the bundle; we took her into the house, and found these things; I then went out, and overtook the other two about one hundred yards off - we found nothing on them, and let them go; but on the Thursday morning we went and took them again - we asked them if they had been in any shop with King: they said No.

KING'S Defence. I never was in the prosecutor's shop- I know nothing of these other women; the things were given me by a tallyman.

DUGLAS'S Defence. I never saw this lady before I was at Worship-street: what the officers have stated is false- they knew me for some time.

NORRIS' Defence. I was not on the same side of the way with King; the time I was first taken I had half a crown in my hand - I had been no higher than Bethnal-green school that day; I had not been in the road at all; on the Tuesday Waters met a lad in the Bethnal-green-road, he asked where I lived, and gave him brandy, and said if he told me of it he would police him.

KING - GUILTY . Aged 22.

DOUGLAS - GUILTY . Aged 29.

NORRIS - GUILTY . Aged 26.

Transported for Seven Years
on 19 February 1829 at the Old Bailey, London, England.3

Family

Joseph Guest b. c 1806, d. 12 Mar 1877
Children
Last Edited19 Oct 2005

Citations

  1. [S54] Letter, Georgina Collins to Gordon Mote, 28 April 1999, Page 7.
  2. [S552] Joan Brewer, "Joseph Guest's Family," e-mail to Robert Mote, October 2005.
  3. [S553] Proceedings of the Old Bailey, online http://www.oldbaileyonline.org, (copy of text taken 19 October 2005) 19 February 1829 - trial of Mary Ann King, Phoebe Douglas and Ann Norris (t18290219-57.