Saturday 16 Jan 1819 (p. 2, col. 6 – p. 3, col. 2) COUNTY SESSIONS. [continued] Sarah IRWIN was charged with stealing two pieces of cotton handkerchiefs, the property of Mr. John DIXON, draper, of Whitehaven. She pleaded not guilty. Mr. COURTENAY called the following witnesses— John DIXON is a linen draper at Whitehaven. On the 19th of Nov. last, the prisoner came into his shop about three o'clock, when he was very busy, and there was nobody present to attend to the customers but himself. The prisoner went to the higher end of the shop, where there was a pile of yellow Britannia handkerchiefs. When witness went up, he observed that the pile had been meddled with, and his suspicion was excited. The prisoner desired witness to cut a blue handkerchief, saying she had not money enough about her, but would go and get some. Witness remarked a restlessness about her which he did not like: as she went out, her cloak opened a little, and he observed something yellow: he stopped her, and found upon her two pieces of handkerchiefs, wrapped about her body, under the cloak: they were his property. The prisoner was apprehended immediately by the Police, and the officers called upon witness the next day, and marked the goods. The Jury found the prisoner guilty instantly, and she was sentenced to six months' imprisonment in Carlisle gaol. Charles WALKER, and Archibald KELLET, were charged with stealing Poultry, the property of Mr. John NOBLE, of Penrith. Mr. LAMB conducted the prosecution. John PARNELL sworn—he is apprenticed to Mr. BIRCH, cabinet maker, of Penrith, and lives with Mr. NOBLE, who is an innkeeper: last year, witness took care of the poultry. Sometime in July last, he missed 3 hens out of the inn-yard; he knew the hens well. Hearing that they were at Castle Mill, he went down there in October, where he found them with other poultry, and brought them back; Castle Mill belongs to a person named HORNSBY. In consequence of something which he heard, he went to the prisoner, WALKER, to ask him if he had sent any hens to Castle Mill; he denied that he had at first, but witness told him he had better tell the truth. WALKER then said he had bought them in the market; he afterwards said that the other prisoner, KELLET, had given them to him. The hens were produced in Court; witness had no doubt of their being the same that were lost. The prisoner, WALKER, asked the witness how he could know the hens after 18 weeks' absence, who replied that he knew them well. William HORNSBY lives at Castle Mill, of which his father is farmer. Witness has known WALKER some years—he brought 3 chickens to Castle Mill soon after Whitsuntide to walk there, which, he stated, he had bought in the market—he told witness that if he would let them walk, witness might have the eggs. The hens remained till PARNELL took them away: witness thinks the hens produced are the same. Mr. BLEAYMIRE, solicitor, of Penrith, was present during the prisoners' examination before Major BROUGHAM, when they made voluntary confessions, which Major B. took down in writing: neither threats nor promises were held out to them. When read, they said what had been taken down was perfectly correct, but they refused to sign it. The Clerk of the Peace read the confessions, in which the prisoners fully admitted the theft. The prisoner, WALKER, denied all that had been sworn against him, and said he had bought the fowls in the market. He observed that there were many persons in Court who knew him, among others, Mr. NANSON, the high constable. Mr. NANSON, on being sworn, said he knew nothing of the prisoner's character. WALKER, Guilty: one year's imprisonment in Carlisle gaol. KELLET, Not Guilty. Ann BELL was indicted for stealing Shoes, the property of Isabella TOLSON. Mr. ARMSTRONG stated the case, and adduced the following evidence. Isabella TOLSON sworn. She lost a pair of shoes from her mother's house, in November last, which were made by Thomas GREEN. She applied to JACKSON the constable to find them for her; Mr. STEEL was there. She afterwards saw the shoes in JACKSON's hands; she has no doubt but they were her's. Robert JACKSON, the Constable, stated, that having been applied to by Isabella TOLSON about a pair of shoes which she had lost, he went to Mary KNUBLEY's with her and GREEN, the man who made them. The prisoner was present. KNUBLEY said she had borrowed them from Ann BELL, which prisoner heard, and said they were her's, her father having bought them for her. GREEN said they were the same that he had made for Isabella TOLSON, but the heels had been knocked off. Thomas GREEN proved that he made the shoes in question. Mr. John STEEL, solicitor, attended before Major SENHOUSE, when the examination now produced and read, was taken; no threat was used to compel her to confess; she voluntarily admitted the theft. The Prisoner, in her defence, said she did not steal but found the shoes. Guilty.—Imprisoned one month, at Whitehaven. At these Sessions, a number of convictions were filed against several persons, for going, in company with dogs, for the purpose of killing Game, without having taken out Certificates, upon the information of the Surveyor of Taxes at Whitehaven. A compromise on the part of five of these persons took place in Court, the Surveyor agreeing to take the penalty of £20 from one, and to quash the other four. An objection was taken by Mr. LAMB, on the part of George HOSKINS, who did not compromise, that the offence was not laid down with sufficient distinctness in the Conviction, as it stated the two offences of using dogs, and aiding and assisting in killing Game, and concluded with the adjudication of the penalty, "for the offence aforesaid." Mr. LAMB argued, with considerable ability, that this variance was fatal to the Conviction. Mr. ARMSTRONG, on the part of the Prosecution, contended very ably in its support: but the Court being of opinion, that the objection of Mr. LAMB was tenable, the conviction was quashed.

Hi, My thoughts are with everyone affected by the recent weather in Cumbria. Just seen some video footage on the BBC online site: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35020487 Wow!! Looks pretty bad! ... Just image, Petra, 100 years from now, someone transcribing the news of the day ...! Cheers, Susan New Zealand