Person:Joseph Sapwell (3)

5th Great Grandfather (246)

With the use of the name William 3 times for his children his father may be called William. Death and Burial records cannot be found for any of the Williams.

It looks like Joseph may have been a travelling merchant of some kind travelling between Wolverhampton and St George Hanover Sq.

Joseph was a victim of a stolen shirt the case took place 26 Now 1808 at the Old Bailey

694. JOSEPH DANIEL was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 22nd of September , a shirt, value 3 s. the property of Joseph Sapwell .

JOSEPH SAPWELL. I live in Crispin street, Spital fields . On Thursday the 22nd of September, between five and six o'clock in the evening, I lost the shirt, it hung in my yard to dry; I saw the prisoner take the shirt off the line; I did not see him come in, I saw him in the yard when I was upon the stair case; I ran down stairs, thinking to catch him; he ran out first, and I after him; I cried out stop thief, he was stopped by James White . As he run along he flung the shirt into a grocer's shop.

Q. Did you see that - A. No, it was given me by the mistress of the grocer's shop.

Q. Then how that shirt came into the grocer's shop you do not know - A. No.

Q. How far was that grocer's shop from your house - A. About two hundred yards in the direction that the prisoner ran; I took the shirt to my house and delivered it to my wife. I took the prisoner down to Worship street office; he was committed.

Q. Then you actually swear that you saw him take the shirt off the line - A. Yes.

Q. Did you see him have it while you pursued him - A. No.

JAMES WHITE . Q. Where was you on the 22nd of September - A. I am a carpenter; I had left work in Crispin street, I heard the cry of stop thief, I saw the prisoner running from Mr. Sapwell's house; I told him if he did not stop I would knock him down with my plane. He stopped, and denied having taken the shirt.

Q. You did not see any shirt thrown into any shop - A. No; I saw Mr. Sapwell have the shirt on returning - I did not see who gave it him.

DINA SAPWELL . Q. You are the wife of Joseph Sapwell , are you - A. Yes. I hung out my husband's shirt to dry on this Thursday, about three or four o'clock, on a line in the yard: the prisoner took the first shirt on the line.

Q. Did your husband afterward deliver any shirt to you - A. Yes, as he came down the street. The property produced and identified.

Prisoner's Defence. I had been as far as Whitechapel, and coming that way I heard the cry of stop thief; I went to see what was the matter; that young man stopped me and said I had stole a shirt. The prisoner called two witnesses, who gave him a good character.

NOT GUILTY . Second Middlesex jury, before Mr. Baron Thompson .

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?path=sessionsPapers/18081126.xml

1. ↑ John Street Presbyterian Chapel, baptisms 1727-1815.