Trial of Jane Leigh Perrot, at Taunton Assizes, on Saturday the 29th day of March, 1800; charged with stealing a card of lace, in the shop of Elizabeth Gregory, haberdasher & milliner, of the city of Bath — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Trial of Jane Leigh Perrot, at Taunton Assizes, on Saturday the 29th day of March, 1800; charged with stealing a card of lace, in the shop of Elizabeth Gregory, haberdasher & milliner, of the city of Bath
John Stuart Mill · en
About half past Seven o’Clock, the Priſoner, attended by a number
of Ladies, walked from their Lodgings at the London-Inn, in two or
three different Parties, to the Aſſize Hall, where they waited in the
anti-room to the Grand Jury Room, till the Judge came, about Eight
o’Clock. She then went into the Priſoners Pen, accompanied by her
Huſband and ſeveral ladies. Mrs. Leigh Perrot appeared very pale and
emaciated, between 50 and 60 Years of Age. She was dreſſed in a very
light lead-colour Peliſſe, a Muſlin Handkerchief on her Neck, with a
Cambric Cravat; her hair of a dark brown, curled on her Forehead; a
ſmall black bonnet, round which was a purple ribbon, and over it a
black lace veil, which was thrown up over her head; while the Jury was
called and ſworn, ſhe appeared perfectly calm and collected, converſing
with her Counſel and Friends.——The Indictment conſiſted of four Counts,
varying the owner of the Property charged to have been ſtolen. Her
Counsel requeſted ſhe might be allowed a chair, which was granted.
THE PROSECUTION HAVING BEEN OPENED BY Mr. BURROUGH, ... Mr. GIBBS
STATED THE CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION.
_That on the 8th of August, the lady at the bar came to the shop of
Elizabeth Gregory, the prosecutrix, in Bath-Street, Bath, where having
purchased some black lace, she contrived whilst the shopman Charles
Filby, who had been serving her, was gone to procure change of a five
pound note she had given him, that she took from a box at the end of
the counter, furthest from that at which they had been standing, a card
of white lace, that Filby saw her take it, that he would swear it was
not by mistake put into the paper parcel of black lace he gave her,
that Sarah Raines would confirm him in this; that Elizabeth Gregory
seeing the prisoner pass by her shop, in about 20 minutes after, and
walking with her husband, went out and accused her of having the lace,
that she denied it, but said if it was in the parcel, the shopman must
have put it up by mistake, that the parcel was examined and the white
lace was found in it; Mr. Leigh Perrott readily told his address; the
parcel was not in the state when found in Mrs. Perrott’s possession
as it had been folded up by Filby for her; and that they, Gregory and
Filby, went immediately before the Mayor, to lodge an information, but
in consequence of the number of Soldiers who were passing through
Bath, for the expedition in Holland, the magistrates could not attend
to them ’till the week following._—These were the leading facts of the
case, for the prosecution.
ELIZABETH GREGORY, EXAMINED by Mr. BURROUGH.