OLD BAILEY TRIAL
Jeanette Sidey found some information a few years ago about brothers John and William Siday who were involved in large robberies and were executed at Tyburn. Their wives were also mentioned in the trial transcripts – the wife of John Siday was acquitted but the wife of William Siday was transported for 14 years (probably to America). We don’t know if these Sidays are related to our Sideys but it would seem a possibility as the name was not a common one. Below is a newspaper report of the trial and also a summary of the transcript found on the Old Bailey website.
NEWSPAPER REPORT
London Evening Post February 1771
On Saturday seventeen prisoners were tried at the Old Bailey, two of whom were capitally convicted viz Luke Cannon and John Sidey, for burglariously breaking open and entering the dwelling house of the Hon. Edward Stratford, in Park Street, Grosvenor Square, where Cannon had been a servant, and stealing thereout a great quantity of plate, diamond buckles and other jewels, and wearing apparel, to the value of several hundred pounds, – Sidey was also convicted on Thursday of a burglary in the house of Mr Greenfield.
The following were convicted to be transported; viz Jacob Jacobs and Michael Glannon, for separately feloniously receiving great part of the plate, the diamond buckles, and other things, knowing the same to have been stolen out of the house of Mr Stratford. Frances Tudor, for stealing a silver watch, the property of William Thomas, at a house of ill fame, on or near Ludgate Hill. Alexander Middleton, for stealing an half peck; and an half quatern loaves of bread, the property of Alexander Anderson, which were, taken on him in a sack, with several others. Simon Benjamin, for stealing seven-dozen bottles of mustard seed, the property of Thomas Smith, Benjamin, alias Abraham Sanders, for stealing in the dwelling house of Ralph Caleto a quantity of wearing apparel value 39s. Anthony Barraben was convicted of petit larceny. And eight were acquitted.
Court Proceedings
Wednesday 20th, Thursday 21st, Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd, Monday 25th, Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th of February, 1771
Part One
Luke Cannon, John Siday, Elizabath, the wife of John Siday, George Burch, Jane Jones, otherwise Jane White, otherwise Jane, the wife of George Burch, were indicted for breaking and entering the dwelling-house of John Greenfield, on the 15th of December, about the hour of two in the night, and stealing one thousand six hundred yards of muslin, value 400 l. three hundred and fifty yards of muslin for neckcloths, value 35 l. two hundred and fifty yards of bordered muslin for handkerchiefs, value 37 l. four hundred yards of holland, value 80 l. one thousand yards of irish cloth, value 80 l. twenty yards worked muslin for aprons, value 18 l. seven yards of worked muslin for ruffles, value 4 l. thirty yards of flowered lawn for aprons, value 7 l. 10 s. one hundred yards of scotch cambrick, value 30 l. forty yards of damask cloth for table-cloths, value 30 l. forty yards of diaper cloth, value 25 l. twenty yards of white cotton cloth, value 25 s. five hundred yards of printed lawn for handkerchiefs, value 60 l. thirty yards of silk and cotton cloth for handkerchiefs, value 3 l. 10 s. twenty-five yards of silk handkerchiefs, value 6 l. forty yards of printed cotton cloth, value 4 l. two hundred yards of silk and cotton cloth, value 25 l. sixty yards of nankeen cloth, value 23 l. forty yards of silk, value 7 l. three gold printed waistcoat shapes, value 18 s. sixty yards clear lawn, value 13 l. 10 s. two hundred and ninety-eight yards of dimity, value 34 l. 10 s. and two yards quilted cotton cloth, value 10 s. the property of John Greenfield, in his dwelling-house. And, Elizabeth, the wife of William Siday the elder, for receiving, on the 16th of December, two hundred and seventy-three yards of muslin, seventy yards of muslin for neckcloths, seventy yards of bordered muslin for handkerchiefs, thirty-six yards of holland, two hundred and five yards of irish, thirty yards of other irish, eight yards of worked muslin for aprons, one yard of worked muslin for ruffles, fourteen yards of flowered lawn for aprons, two yards of scotch cambrick, fifteen yards of damask cloth for table-cloths, twenty yards of diaper cloth, one hundred yards printed lawn for handkerchiefs, six yards silk and cotton for handkerchiefs, seven yards of silk for handkerchiefs, sixty-one yards of silk and cotton cloth, one gold printed waistcoat shape, twenty-two yards of clear lawn, and forty-five yards of dimity, being parcels of the said goods, well knowing them to have been stolen.
Cannon, Acquitted.
John Siday, Guilty, Death.
Elizabeth, wife of John Siday, Acquitted.
George Burch, Guilty, Death.
Jane Jones, alias Burch, Acquitted.
Elizabeth, wife of William Siday, Guilty, T. fourteen years.
Part Two
Luke Cannon, John Siday, Lazarus Jacobs, Jacob Jacobs, and Michael Glannon, were indicted the two first for breaking and entering the dwelling-house of the Hon. Edward Stratford, on the 12th of January, about the hour of two in the night, and stealing one silver tea vase, called a kitchen, value 44 l. one silver cup and cover, value 23 l. one silver fish trowel, value 2 l. one silver bread basket, value 16 l. two silver hand waiters, value 8 l. six silver salts and spoons, value 14 l. one silver funnel, value 1 l. twenty-two silver table spoons, value 20 l. twelve silver desart spoons, value 4 l. twelve silver tea spoons, and silver tongs, and silver strainer, value 3 l. twenty-four silver-handled knives and twenty-four silver handled forks, value 17 l. twenty silver bottle tickets, value 3 l. two silver tumblers gilt, value 4 l. four silver pillar candlesticks with nozels, value 37 l. one silver coffee pot, value 9 l. four silver pint cups, value 18 l. one silver pint mug, value 3 l. four silver skewers, value 1 l. one silver ink stand, value 13 l. one shagreen case mounted with silver, with divers silver mathematical instruments therein, value 8 l. one parallel rule with silver sliders, value 1 l. one silver cruit stand with six glasses mounted with silver, value 10 l. one silver flat candlestick, value 3 l. two steel cork screws with silver handles and case thereto, value 2 l. one silver soup ladle, value 1 l. two silver gravy spoons, value 2 l. two silver sauce boats and two spoons, value 10 l. two sets of saddle and bridle silver studs, value 4 l. one silver mustard pot and spoon, value 3 l. one silver sugar pot and spoon, value 3 l. one hundred silver buttons for coats and waistcoats, value 8 l. four silver bottle stands, value 9 l. three silver shaving boxes with one brush and eight razors, value 3 l. one silver cream ewer, value 2 l. one pair of silver shoe-buckles, and one pair of silver knee buckles, value 18 s. two silver French-horn mouth pieces, value 1 l. three swords with gold and silver hilts, value 18 l. three sword belts with silver buckles, rings, and swivels, value 5 l. one knife and fork, value 4 l. one gold laced belt, value 1 l. one gold snuff-box, value 22 l. one cane, value 5 l. two pair of gold shirt sleeve buttons, value 4 l. one gold shirt breast buckle, value 18 s. two stone seals set in gold, value 8 l. one silver plated waiter, value 5 l. one silver cross, value 30 s. forty-eight knives, and forty-eight forks, with silver plated handles, value 7 l. one silver plated sausepan, value 16 s. four silver plated candlesticks with nozels, value 6 l. four silver salts and spoons, value 30 s. one silver flat candlestick, value 1 l. two brass barrel pistols, value 3 l. two pair of other pistols mounted with silver, value 12 l. four silver plated labels for wine, value 6 s. four pound of gold and silver lace, value 4 l. one suit of silk and silver coat frogs, value 30 s. six silk handkerchiefs, value 1 l. one muslin tea cover, value 5 s. forty linen handkerchiefs, value 5 l. forty pair of silk stockings, value 15 l. three pair of silk gloves, value 12 s. twenty embroidered sword knots with silk ribbons, value 2 l. twelve linen shirts, value 5 l. six stocks, value 6 s. six cravats, value 6 s. eight pair of worsted stocking, value 12 s. six towels, value 3 s. one pair of leather breeches, value 1 l. one pair of ticken breeches, value 6 s. six pair of laced ruffles, value 4 l. four men’s hats, value 4 l. twenty-four napkins, value 1 l. 4 s. one table cloth and cover, value 8 l. one pair of silver shoe buckles with diamonds set therein, value 150 l. one pair of silver breeches knee buckles with stones therein, value 8 l. one shirt breast buckle with diamonds and rubies set therein, value 30 l. one shagreen buckle case, value 2 s. two cloth coats laced with silver, two cloth waistcoats laced with silver, and two pair of cloth breeches, value 40 l. one shag coat, value 30 s. one velvet coat, one velvet waistcoat, and one pair of breeches, value 20 l. two silk waistcoats laced, value 4 l. one plain silk waistcoat, value 1 l. one cloth coat and one pair of breeches, value 2 l. one pair of thickset breeches, value 10 s. one paper machee snuff-box, value 30 s. one snuff-box made of gold and silver with a picture therein, value 20 l. one brilliant diamond ring, value 200 l. one cluster diamond ring, value 20 l. one ring with a picture and diamond, value 20 l. two gold rings with stones set therein, value 2 l. one gold ring with crystal and hair set therein, value 1 l. 10 s. two gold mourning rings, value 2 l. one gold ring, value 1 l. one pair of silver shoe and knee buckles set with topaz-stone, value 8 l. one pair of silver shoe and knee buckles set with paste, value 5 l. and one silver stock buckle set with paste, value 1 l. the property of the Hon. Edward Stratford, in his dwelling house; and Lazarus Jacobs and Jacob Jacobs with receiving, on the 14th of January, one silver tea vase, called a kitchen, one silver cup and cover, one silver fish trowel, one silver bread-basket, two silver hand waiters, six silver salts and spoons, one silver funnel, twenty-two silver table spoons, twelve silver desart spoons, twelve silver tea spoons and silver tongs and strainer, twenty-four silver handled knives and twenty-four silver handled forks, twenty silver bottle tickets, two silver tumblers gilt, four silver pillar candlesticks with nossels, one silver coffee pot, four silver pint mugs, one silver pint mug, four silver skewers, one silver ink stand, one shagreen case mounted with silver, with divers silver mathematical instruments therein, one parallel rule with silver sliders, one silver cruit stand with six glasses mounted with silver, one silver flat candlestick, two cork steel screws with silver handles and case thereto, one silver soup ladle, two silver gravy spoons, two silver sauce boats and spoons, two sets of saddle and bridle silver studs, one silver mustard pot and spoon one silver sugar pot and spoon, one hundred silver buttons for coats and waistcoats, four silver bottle stands, one silver cream ewer, one pair of silver shoe buckles, and one pair of silver knee buckles, two French-horn silver mouth pieces, three swords with gold and silver hilts, three sword belts with silver buckles, rings, and swivels, one knife and fork, one gold-laced belt, one gold snuff-box, one cane with a gold head, two pair of gold shirt sleeve buttons, one gold shirt breast buckle, and two stone seals set in gold and Michael Glannon for receiving, on the 18th of January, one pair of silver shoe buckles with diamonds set therein, one pair of silver breeches knee buckles with stones set therein, one shirt breast buckle with diamonds and rubies set therein, and one shagreen buckle case, being parcels of the said goods, well knowing them to have been stolen.
Summary
The Trials being ended, the court proceeded to give judgement as follows
Received sentence of death, seven.
James Foster, Richard Mortis, Thomas Peak, John Siday, George Burch, John Leveridge, Luke Cannon.
Transportation for 14 years, four.
Elizabeth Siday, Mary Wood, Jacob Jacobs, Michael Glannon.
Transportation for seven years, thirty-two.
Richard Mortis, Thomas Peake, John Siday, Luke Cannon, and George Burch, who were capitally convicted last Sessions, were executed at Tyburn on Wednesday the 27th of March.
WILLIAM SIDAY, WILLIAM PARIS, theft housebreaking, 03 Jun 1772.
WILLIAM SIDAY and WILLIAM PARIS were indicted for breaking and entering the dwelling house of Mary Fisher, widow, on the 3d of March, about the hour of seven in the forenoon (no person being therein) and stealing three cloth coats, three cloth waistcoats, two pair of cloth breeches, one pair of cotton breeches, one pair of Bristol stone buttons, one pair of leather breeches, one pair of silver knee buckles, one Bath great coat, a deal box, three shirts, four neckcloths, two linen handkerchiefs, two pair of leather gloves, two leather pocket books, two pair of worsted stockings, one pair of brown thread stockings, one case of instruments, one dove tail saw, one pair of silver shoe buckles, a silk handkerchief and seven guineas in money, numbered, the property of James Waterson in the dwelling house of the said Mary Fisher.
Summary
The Trials being ended, the Court proceeded to give judgment as follows
Received Sentence of Death, William Siday, William Paris
Death
Many, in fact most, death sentences were not carried out. Through benefit of clergy, use of pardons and respited sentences due to pregnancy or in order to perform military or naval duty, many of those sentenced to death were not actually executed.
The use of the death penalty was removed from pickpocketing in 1808, and from many more offences in the 1820s and 1830s. But the death penalty was still regularly imposed for murder, violent assault, burglary, housebreaking, robbery, and coining.
Hanging
Most defendants sentenced to death were to be hanged at Tyburn (where Marble Arch stands today). Execution was a public spectacle, meant to act as a deterrent to crime convicts were drawn in a cart through the streets from Newgate, and, after they were given a chance to speak to the crowd (and, it was hoped, confess their sins), they were hanged, surrounded by huge crowds, as depicted in William Hogarth’s Industry and Idleness.
The convict was placed in a horse drawn cart, blindfolded, had the noose placed around his/her neck, and then the cart pulled away. Until the introduction of a sharp drop in 1783, this caused a long and painful death by strangulation (friends of the convict often helped put them out of their misery by pulling on their legs).
After the execution there were sometimes struggles for possession of the corpse between assistants to the surgeons, who wanted it for teaching anatomy, and friends of the convict, who wanted to give it a proper burial. Concern at the disorder which occurred at such scenes led to the transfer of executions in 1783 to outside Newgate Prison.
Some of the most serious offenders were hanged near the place of their crime, as a lesson to the inhabitants of that area.
Transportation
The first major innovation in eighteenth-century penal practice was the extensive use of transportation. Although there was some idea that transportation might lead to the reformation of the offender, the primary motivations behind this punishment were deterrence and the exile of hardened criminals from society.
Although many convicts were transported in the seventeenth century, it had to be done at their own expense or at the expense of merchants or shipowners. In the early eighteenth century there was a desire to extend transportation as a way of creating a more effective alternative to the death penalty (in terms of deterring crime) than benefit of clergy and whipping. In 1718 the first Transportation Act allowed the courts to sentence felons guilty of offences subject to benefit of clergy to seven years transportation to America. In 1720 a further statute authorized payments by the state to the merchants who contracted to take the convicts to America.
The first Transportation Act also allowed those guilty of capital offences and pardoned by the king to be sentenced to transportation, and it established returning from transportation as a capital offence.
Under the terms of the Transportation Act, those sentenced to death could be granted a royal pardon on condition of being transported for fourteen years or life. From 1739, a number of such cases appear in the Proceedings.
In 1776 transportation was halted by the outbreak of war with America. Although convicts continued to be sentenced to transportation, male convicts were confined to hard labour in hulks on the Thames, while women were imprisoned. Transportation resumed in 1787 with a new destination Australia. This was seen as a more serious punishment than imprisonment, since it involved exile to a distant land.
In the early nineteenth century, as part of the revisions of the criminal law, transportation for life was substituted as the maximum punishment for several offences which had previously been punishable by death.