Convictions for theft and receipt of stolen goods

On Monday last, Robert Christie, mariner on board the brig Pallas, was charged, on a complaint at the instance of the Procurator Fiscal, with having, in the course of the preceding night, stolen part of the stores of that Vessel, consisting of barley and meal.  Mrs Snodgrass, wife of an Ale Seller in Town, was also charged with having resetted the barley and meal, knowing the same to have been stolen; Of which they were both convicted, and sentenced by the Sitting Magistrate to confinement and hard labour in Bridewell; Christie for 4 months, and Mrs Snodgrass, for 2 months.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 14th April 1819.

Conviction of Robert Allan & Alexander Cruickshank

On the 29th ultimo, Robert Allan, seaman, and Alexander Cruickshank, ropemaker, were convicted before the Justices, of riotous and disorderly behaviour in the Oldtown market, - of a breach of the peace - of striking, beating, and abusing different people - one man to the danger of his life; and were sentenced to be confined in Bridewell for twelve calendar months.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 4th November 1818.

Court cases

At a Justice of Peace Court lately held at Turriff, in an action at the instance of Mr Chisholm in Lendrum, against a female servant for disobedience of orders, and deserting her service, - the Justices fined her in the forfeiture of her wages, and twenty shillings.

On Monday, John Brown, a vagrant, who had been detected in the act of stealing some wearing apparel from a farm house in the parish of Fyvie, where he had been charitably allowed a night's lodgings, was sentenced by the Sheriff, to confinement and hard labour in Bridewell, for six months.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 7th May 1817.

Conviction of Roderick Ross

On Saturday last, Roderick Ross, weaver, who had lately been liberated from Bridewell, was brought to trial by the Procurator Fiscal, for having in his possession a large quantity of base money made with intent to resemble shillings of the current coin of the realm; and for uttering a considerable part of it, knowing it to be such.  On being convicted, he was sentenced by the sitting Magistrate, to eighteen months in Bridewell.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 18th December 1816.

Trial in Aberdeen Magistrates' Court

Upon the 9th day of November current, Alexander Ross, William Ross, James Pillar, Alexander Pillar, Robert Fleming, William Burnett, George Brown, and Hugh McSween, boys mostly under 15 years of age, were all brought to trial before the Magistrates, at the instance of the Procurator Fiscal, accused of no less than Twenty-two different acts of Theft, committed within the past two months, upon the property of Merchants, and others within the Town, by these boys, who had formed themselves into a gang.  And upon the 12th current, Ann Bowie, Confectioner and Pye-maker in Aberdeen, was in like manner brought to trial, for inticing the foresaid boys into her Shop, encouraging them to spend money for Pies and Puddings, and resetting several articles from them, knowing that they had procured their money for property stolen by them, and that the articles so resetted by here were stolen.  The Sitting Magistrate, on the evidence being closed, and after addressing the Prisoners, and such of their Parents as were present, in a most impressive and feeling manner, sentenced them as follows, viz.:- Alexander Ross, (the eldest of the gang) to six months confinement and hard labour in Bridewell, and to receive fifty lashes on his bare back by the hands of the Common Executioner, the day previous to his liberation; George Brown (about 13 years of age, who had formerly been punished by imprisonment in the Tolbooth for stealing,) to four months confinement and hard labour in Bridewell, and to receive twenty-five lashes on his bare back by the hands of the Common Executioner, the day previous to his liberation; William Ross, James Pillar, Alexander Pillar, Robert Fleming, William Burnett, and Hugh McSween, each to two months confinement and hard labour in Bridewell; and Ann Bowie, to three months confinement and hard labour in Bridewell.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 13th November 1816.

Alexander Gibson sentenced

On Monday last, Alexander Gibson was convicted before the Sheriff, in a prosecution at the instance of the Procurator Fiscal, of having, in the month of June last, committed a very aggravated assault on Elizabeth Jaffray, wife of Alexander Park, in Millhill of Crimond, by striking and wounding her on the head with a stick, to the effusion of her blood.  The Sheriff, after expressing in the strongest terms, his disapprobabion of the outrageous and unmanly conduct of the prisoner, in assaulting a defenceless woman, in the manner that had been clearly proved against him, sentenced him to confinement and hard labour in Bridewell, for the space of Six Calendar Months.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 9th October 1816.

Ann Wylie & Rachel Campbell: prison sentence

On Monday last, Ann Wylie and Rachel Campbell, lately servants to Messrs Gordon, Barron, & Co. at their Cotton Mills, Woodside, having been convicted before the Sitting Magistrate of stealing from the Manufactory of their said masters, were sentenced by him to be confined in Bridewell for the space of Six Calendar Months; and to stand on the Pillory for one hour, previous to their imprisonment in Bridewell.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 7th August 1816.

Prisoners on the run: Hay Fleming & William Fleming

BROKE PRISON, and REWARD OFFERED.

WHEREAS upon the night betwixt Sunday last the 5th and Monday the 6th days of May current, the Prison of Stonehaven was broke into, and HAY FLEMING, and WILLIAM FLEMING, sons to William Fleming, whose family reside in Aberdeen, and who is said himself to have been lately confined in Bridewell for theft, made their escape from said Prison of Stonehaven:

A REWARD of TEN GUINEAS

Is hereby offered to any person or persons, who may apprehend and bring back, the saids Hay Fleming and William Fleming, to the said Prison of Stonehaven; to be paid by John Low, Writer in Stonehaven, Procurator Fiscal of the said county, upon their doing so.

The saids Hay Fleming and William Fleming were incarcerated in the said prison upon an accusation of theft, and stealing from the Glasgow Carrier's Carts, which pass betwixt Glasgow and Aberdeen, a considerable quantity of Goods, part of which were found upon them, when they were apprehended in the foresaid county, and the remaining parts thereof were found concealed by them within various places of the County.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PERSONS.

The said Hay Fleming is about 5 feet 6 inches high, of a darkish complexion, a little pitted with the small pos, darkish hair, and dark brown eyes, wore a short blue coat, and grey pantaloons, or a blue jacket and blue trowsers, dark vest, and round hat.

The said William Fleming is about 5 feet, 7 inches high, fair complexion, light blue eyes, brown hair, wore a green short coat, and green great coat, grey pantaloons, light spatts, and a round hat.

Stonehaven, May 6, 1816.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 8th May 1816.

Circuit court intelligence

William Lees, convicted of theft and assault, as mentioned before, received sentence of transportation for seven years, and David Kemp, convicted of theft, was sentenced to eighteen months confinement and hard labour in Bridewell.

William Strath, cattle dealer in Boghead, parish of Fyvie, accused of theft and assault, pleaded Guilty to the indictment, and was sentenced to a year's hard labour in Bridewell, and ordained to find caution to keep the peace for two years thereafter, under a penalty of 600 merks Scots.

William Forbes was indicted for the murder of John Allan, apprentice ship carpenter, on 16th March last, by stabbing him in the side with a pen-knife, on the road leading from Aberdeen along the Spittal to Old Aberdeen.  A number of witnesses were examined for the Crown, and several in exculpation of the pannel.  The Jury found, by a plurality of voices, the libel not proven; whereupon the pannel, after a suitable admonition from Lord Pitmilly, was dismissed from the bar.

William Hay, accused of theft, was upon his own petition, consented to by the Depute Advocate, banished from Scotland for life, under the usual certification.

The last trial before the Court was that of John Garden, alias Shockey de Garden, accused of three several acts of theft, and of being habit and repute a thief.  After the evidence had been gone through on the part of the Crown, the Advocate Depute restricted the libel to an arbitrary punishment, and admitted that the charge of habit and repute had not been proven.  The Jury, after deliberating for a few minutes, returned a verdict, finding the first charge not sufficiently proven, and the Pannel Guilty of the two last; whereupon he was sentenced to be transported beyond seas for seven years.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 24th April 1816.

William Forbes & Mary McDonald committed to Bridewell

In a scuffle in the Spital, on Sunday the 10th March current, John Allan, Ship Carpenter, received a Stab in the left side with a pen knife from William Forbes, Apprentice Watch-maker; in consequence of which, the said John Allan died on the morning of Friday last.  Forbes has been committed to prison, to stand his trial at the ensuing Circuit Court of Justiciary.

Mary McDonald, for Theft, was on 21st March current, committed to Bridewell for Three Months, and banished the Burgh for life.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 27th March 1816.

Prison sentences for violent assault

For several successive days in January last, a number of idle and disorderly persons, consisting partly of boys, and partly of sailors, apprentice tradesmen, and others, assembled in the neighbourhood of Old Aberdeen, trespassing on the fields, throwing stones, annoying passengers, and otherwise disturbing the public peace.  Several of them were apprehended; and on Wednesday last, Alexander McLean and John Solomon, sailors, and William Forbes, apprentice cork-cutter, were convicted before the Sheriff, on the complaint of the Procurator Fiscal, of having been actively engaged in these riotous proceedings: and also of having committed a violent assault on James Anderson, gardener in Old Aberdeen, at whom they had taken offence, on account of his endeavouring to drive the mob off his grounds.  McLean was sentenced to confinement and hard labour in Bridewell for three months, and Solomon and Forbes for two months.  It is hoped, this example will operate as a salutory check to similar practices in time coming.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 13th March 1816.

Aberdeen Magistrates' Court

In the course of the last few weeks, the Sitting Magistrate, on complaints at the instance of the Procurator Fiscal, sentenced the following persons, as after-mentioned, viz. :-

George Guyan, Pilot at Footdee, for threatening personal mischief towards the Birth-master at Footdee, was ordained to find Caution to keep the Peace for Twelve Months, under the penalty of 100 Merks Scots, and committed to prison till he found such Caution.

David Ross, a Journeyman Baker, for attacking and striking a Gentleman on the Public Street, and for conducting himself in an outrageous manner; was fined in the sum of £2 sterling, and ordained to find Caution to keep the Peace for Twelve Months, under the penalty of 100 Merks.

Thomas Whyte, an Irishman, for returning from banishment, was Drummed out of Town, and again banished from the City and Liberties for life.

William Panton, Mariner, for assaulting and striking George Urquhart, a private in the Aberdeenshire Militia, and for cutting him with a knife; was sentenced to Twelve Months imprisonment and hard labour in Bridewell.

Ann Clark, for a great many acts of swindling and fraud, was sentenced to Six Calendar Months imprisonment and hard labour in Bridewell, and was also banished from the City and Liberties for the space of five years.

Elizabeth Stewart, for stealing two Linen Shirts from a Garden in King-Street, was sentenced to hard labour in Bridewell for Three Calendar Months.

Isobel Meldrum, for stealing and feloniously carrying off from a Dwelling House in North-street, sundry articles of wearing apparel &c. was sentenced to imprisonment in Bridewell, and hard labour for Six Calendar Months, and Banished from the City and Liberties for five years, under the usual Certification.

John McRobie, for stealing from his Master's Cash Box on various occasions, was sentenced to confinement in Bridewell for Three Months, and to be kept to hard labour.

John Durward, for stabbing a young man with a knife to the effusion of his blood, in the Gallowgate, was sentenced to Two Months imprisonment in the Tolbooth, and until he should find Caution to keep the Peace for Two Years, under the penalty of 400 Merks Scots, besides being fined.

Thomas Rutherford, alias Thomas Robert Meldrum, alias Thomas Brown, Mariner, was sentenced to Twelve Months confinement and hard labour in Bridewell, and banished the City and Liberties for life, for stealing a quantity of wearing apparel.

George Melidge, alias John Osbond, Mariner, was sentenced to Twelve Months confinement and hard labour in Bridewell, and banished the City and Liberties for life, for stealing several Rolls of Tobacco from the ship Mason of Peterhead, while lying in this harbour.

John Ferguson was committed to Prison for 14 days, fined, and ordained to find caution to keep the peace for two years, for assaulting a young woman in the public streets.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 28th February 1816.

Circuit court: cases of William Law, George & John Downie and Joseph MacHardy

On Monday last, the Circuit Court of Justiciary was opened here by the Right Honourable Lord PITMILLY.

There were only two cases before his Lordship.  The first of which was that of William Law.  The libel against him was of a very formidable nature - not less than two separate charges of housebreaking and theft, aggravated by prison breaking.  The pannel pleaded guilty of the crime of prison breaking, but denied the rest of the libel.  Owing to the panel having acknowledged his guilt of one of the charges, by petitioning the Sheriff of Kincardineshire for voluntary banishment on a prior occasion, the Public Prosecutor departed from that charge, and confined himself to the charge against the pannel of breaking in to the house of Isabella Smith, in the neighbourhood of Stonehaven, and carrying off various articles narrated in the indictment.

It appeared that Isabella Smith had, about the end of the year 1812, left her house, and gone on a visit to a daughter in Arbroath; and during her absence, her dwelling house had been forcibly entered, and completely ransacked of every article of value.  Sometime after, a bed and bed-tick, the property of Smith, was traced to the house of John Duncan, broker in Montrose, and was clearly proved to have been purchased from the pannel; but none of the other articles were ever heard of.  The Public Prosecutor attempted to bring the housebreaking home to the pannel; but the evidence on this part of the libel, though strongly presumptive, was by no means conclusive on the point.  The Jury were enclosed, and returned a verdict yesterday morning, when they unanimously found the pannel, upon his own confession, guilty of prison-breaking, and of stealing a bed and bed-tick, the property of the said Isabella Smith; but found the other parts of the libel not proven.

His Lordship then pronounced sentence of transportation against the pannel for 14 years.

Thereafter came on the trial of George and John Downie, and of Joseph Machardy, accused of assaulting and deforcing Malcolm Gillespie, excise officer, to the effusion of his blood and danger of his life.  The Public Prosecutor passed from the charge in so far as related to Machardy; and the pannels, George and John Downie, pleaded "guilty in part" which was afterwards explained by their Counsel to import a denial of the deforecement, and a denial of having assaulted or beat the exciseman to the danger of his life; but they admitted, that they had been engaged in a scuffle with the said exciseman, and had struct him so as (they were since informed) to draw blood from his body.  The Advocate-Depute acquiesced in the accuracy of this qualified confession; and thereafter an appeal to the clemency of the Court and Jury was made on behalf of the pannels, in respect of their candid confession, - their submissive and voluntary appearance to meet the justice of their country, - and their previous good characters, of which a proof was offered by respectable witnesses then attending.  The Court judged it unnecessary to go into any proof on the matter of previous character, of which no impeachment had been made; and a Jury having been enclosed, they unanimously, and without leaving the box, found the pannels guilty in terms of their confession; but recommended them to the clemency of the Court.

Sentence of imprisonment in Bridewell for the period of nine months was pronounced upon them, after a suitable admonition from the Bench, and at the end of the period of their confinement, to find bail for their good behaviour for three years.

Counsel for the Crown, Mr Home Drummond; for the Pannels, Mr Gordon.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 28th September 1814.

Cases brought before the Justices of Peace of Aberdeen

On Monday last, Janet Douglas, otherwise Oliver, a vagrant and incorrigible vagabond, who was about six years ago imprisoned in the Tolbooth of Aberdeen, along with a John Oliver, said to be her husband, for the crime of coining and uttering base money, and also committed to Bridewell, about four years ago, in virgue of a Warrant from the Justices of the Peace, for some crime she was guilty of about Tarland; was duly convicted before the Magistrates, of obtaining money from the Lieges in an illegal manner, by pretending to be deaf and dumb, to tell fortunes, and to have a licence from the King certifying her capacity to cure different disorders, &c.  She was sentenced to two years confinement in the House of Correction for this city, and to be kept to hard labour, and afterwards banished the Burgh and liberties for life.  And on the 23d inst. Donald Campbell, residing at Putachyside of Aberdeen, and Margaret Ross, his spouse, who were some time ago banished the Burgh, by the Magistrates, for Harbouring such idle and vagrant persons as the said Janet Douglas, and who had been guilty of harbouring her on the present occasion; along with Helen Ellis, at Backtraps of Aberdeen, a person of notoriously bad character, who was banished from Banff and Peterhead lately, and who at present keeps a house of bad fame, were disposed of as follows, viz., the said Donald Campbell and Margaret Ross, were fined in the sum of £5, and committed to prison till payment, and also banished the Burgh and liberties for the space of Three Years; the cause was continued against the said Helen Ellis.

Christian Benzie imprisoned

On Friday last, Christian Benzie, servant to a family in this place, was detected in having stolen various articles of wearing apparel, &c. in her master's house, and, upon her own confession was sentenced to three months imprisonment in Bridewell, by the sitting Magistrate.  What aggravated this girl's offence was, that she had practised the most artful means to fasten the guilt of her own conduct upon her fellow servant; and had even gone the length of emitting a declaration in court in regard to various missing articles, which she alleged to have been purloined by said servant; and which were afterwards found in her own possession.  We think this statement due to the character of the servant in question, who was detained in custody for some days, owing to the base artifices of said Christian Benzie.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 12th May 1813.

Alexander Bower, Fordyce

Upon Saturday the 8th curt. a vagrant calling himself Alex. Bower, a native of the parish of Fordyce, was apprehended at Huntly by the constables, and brought before the Justices there, charged with theft; and the same being clearly proven, they sentenced him to be confined in Bridewell (which seems to him to be a place of amusement, he having been there twice before) for the space of twelve months, therein to be kept at hard labour.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 12th May 1813.

Imprisonment of convicted swindler

Friday last, Donald Mackay, a notorious swindler and impostor, who, on false pretences, particularly giving himself out as a Drover and Cattle Dealer, had obtained money from several Gentlemen and others in this place, stood an hour on the pillory, with a label on his breast denoting his crime; and was afterwards drummed through the streets to Bridewell, where he is to be confined 12 calendar months, and in the course of that period is to receive 50 lashes on his back, by the common Executioner.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 27th January 1813.