Frances STEPHENSON, aged 21, singlewoman, was charged with stealing a bay mare the property of Edward LINDSAY, at Raithby, on the 10th June (1828).
The novelty of this case excited considerable attention, which was not at all diminished by the appearance of the prisoner, who was neatly dressed, and rather of an interesting appearance, but the strange situation in which she was placed seemed to excite no terrors in her, she gazed around with a considerable portion of effrontery, although the eyes of every person in the court were fixed with earnest curiosity upon her.
The evidence for the prosecution, which was of considerable length, but not requiring a detailed notice, went plainly to prove that shortly after the robbery, the female had the mare in her possession, and employed a person to dispose of it, under the pretence that her master, the prosecutor, was distressed in his circumstances, and that he had commissioned her to dispose of the mare. - The Counsel for the prisoner insinuated that the mare had been given to her by Mr LINDSAY for certain favours which had been allowed by her.
The prosecutor, in reply to a severe cross-examination upon this point, steadfastly denied that any thing of the kind had occurred. In her defence, the prisoner admitted taking the mare from the prosecutor´s stable, but asserted that it was with his license, as he resorted to this mode of requiting her for the favours already alluded to, and in consequence of which she declared that she was at that time far advanced in pregnancy. -
Guilty, sentence of death recorded.
Sigh. And some think Feminism is a "bad thing"! Would they rather we lived like this still?
ReplyDeleteLilith - don't worry dear; we'll look after you!
ReplyDeleteI was only checking a detail that Younger Daught had found in Lincoln, and found these records...
Frightening isn't it!
Oh Scrobs, you don't know how comforting that is. You won't let them take me away in an armoured vehicle screaming "I demand to speak with my Cranial Osteopath!" will you?
ReplyDeleteLilith;
ReplyDeleteCranial Osteopath!
Your bumps are safe with me, and nobody will get close unless you say so!
Mrs S and I were talking about this case only an hour ago, and we have decided that Gordon Brown is to blame, and so is that twit, Alistair Darling, who has suddenly become an expert in International Finance.
Otherwise, be careful of armoured vehicles, as there are several desk-top generalissimos in this government who failed Part One in the CCF!
I think the best result will come from you letting us know when you need a bit of help, and the Light Scroblene Infantry will parade in front of your delightful garden!
Couldn't he have paid cash?
ReplyDeleteWe are so lucky that our economy has a safe pair of hands to manage it. I am thinking of writing to Mr Darling and asking him to underwrite my debts.
ReplyDeleteI premume this happened as her word was taken to be of less value than that of a man's.
ReplyDeleteReminds me strangely of some nutball "religion" we've ben hearing about a lot recently, now what was it called again....?
Goodness.
ReplyDeleteI think Lilith is lost without something to fight against. She was born 100 years too late !
You can call me Emmeline HankyPankyhurst, E-K!
ReplyDeletegot some land in manchester if you are interested
ReplyDeleteHitch,
ReplyDeleteSee Tuscan's post you replied to!
Thanks for this anyway!
Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteMoral of the story - girls, either keep your legs crossed or make sure you get paid in advance.