Rebecca Golsby, Convict "Friends" 1811

1 Nov 1809: http://www.oldbaileyonline.org t18091101-48 REBECCA GOLSBY was indicted for feloniously stealing on the 20th September, four sheets, value 1l. a table cloth, value 5s. a breakfast cloth, value 2s. a napkin, value 1s. thirty-six quart bottles filled with British wine, value 20s. nineteen yards of dimity, value 19s. half a yard of muslin, value 1 s. and a mattrass, value 10s. the property of John Few, in his dwelling house. FRANCES FEW. My husband’s name is John Few ; we have a house at Tottenham, in West Green Lane the prisoner was my servant. On the 20th of August I went to Brighton. Q. Did Mr. Few go at that time - A. No, when I went away I left the different articles in the indictment secure; I left a quantity of linen in a drawer. In one of my bed rooms I left a quantity of sheets and table linen; in a closet in the prisoner’s room there was a trunk locked up, containing linen of mine, and muslin. Q. Was there any spotted muslin - A. Yes, I have found two caps since made out of that muslin. Q. Had you any wine of any particular sort - A. Yes, gooseberry and currant wine in a closet in the breakfast parlour; I left that locked up. I returned from Brighton on the 20th of September. In the evening I found the closet and the side-board broke open; the closet in the parlour where the currant wine was, was broke open, which I had left locked; the brass-work was filed off. I missed a pair of fine sheets marked G. and a Lancashire sheet marked G. Y. I then called the prisoner, and told her I had found the drawers open, and missed the linen; and asked her if she knew any thing of it; she appeared very much confused, and trembled. Court. Was this the day you came home - A. No, three days afterwards. She said she knew nothing of it, there had no one been in the house since I left home. I told her I had found the closet open in her her room, and the wine closet open in the parlour; she denied any knowledge of there being open. In the closet in her room, there were three whole pieces of dimity on a shelf; I found they had been cut; I measured them over, thirteen yards were cut from one piece, and six yards from another. I desired her to look every where for the linen, as I had left her in care of the house. Then she said she had her sister and a Captain Hamilton to see her in the house, but they took nothing away with them. I told her that she had wine from the closet; she said that she had one bottle from the closet, but she found the closet open. I let it pass then for a week or more, hoping that she would bring the things. On the second of October she was taken up; she denied any knowledge of the things till the last. After she was gone, I found two caps in her box, made of the muslin which was locked up in the closet in her room; I have had them ever since; these are the caps; I missed half a yard of spotted muslin. I know the muslin, and I know these caps are made out of that spotted muslin. Q. Whereabouts is the value of that muslin - A. About two shillings. I have not recovered any of my other things, excepting a mattrass. JOHN FEW. I am the husband of the last witness. On the 16th of September I went to Brighton; I had all the keys in the house under one key. I missed about a dozen of currant wine, and two dozen of gooseberry; the back rows were cleared, and without getting up in a chair I could not see. It was either taken from the back-row, or from the front, and the back-rows forwarded; a bottle of cherry-bounce was drawed out and filled up with something else. I examined all the locks before I left town, every one was safe. I know no more than my wife has told you. HENRY DUNCANEY. Q. You are a servant to Mr. Few - A. Yes, I was left in the house when they went to Brighton. I know nothing about the wine or the linen. The prisoner’s friends were there, there was Mr. Hamilton and her two sisters, and two more men, I do not recollect their names; the men were all seafaring men. Q. Had they any wine - A. I saw wine drank, I do not know where it came from. Q. Who produced it - A. The prisoner I believe. I did not see her - I do not know - I never heard where it came from. Q. Did you drink any of the wine - A. Yes; it was currant wine that I drank. Q. to Prosecutrix. Have you got the caps here - A. Yes, there is some of the prisoner’s lace tacked to it; I have no doubt but the muslin is my property; I never gave it to the prisoner or any body else. Prisoners Defence. The muslin that I made them caps of, I bought before my mistress went to Brighton, and I made the caps, while she was there; when my mistress returned from Brighton, every thing appeared to be very comfortable; she was at home eight or nine days before she called me up stairs, and told me that she had missed some linen. I was very much astonished, and frightened, to hear that she had lost any thing. She said, if I would confess if any body had led me astray, she would let me go about my business. I told her I was innocent, and therefore I could not tell her. My mistress had a good character with me. GUILTY, aged 29. Of stealing to the value of 39 s. only. Transported for seven years. Second Middlesex Jury before Mr. Baron Thompson. Denis Pember on 6th October, 2016 wrote: Rebecca arrived in the colony in 1811, suposedly with one or two children. In the colony, Rebecca formed a liason with Joseph Tuzo (First Fleet Convict, 1788, ‘Scarborough’). They had two or three children. In the 1822 Census; Golesby, Rebecca, free by servitude, Friends, 7 years, wife of J. Tuzo, Sydney Golesby, William, came free, child of above. Golesby, Mary Ann, 10 born in the colony, child of above. Goelsby, Priscilla, 7, born in the colony, child of above. Golesby, Johanna, 4, born in the colony, child of above. Son William clearly came with her, there is less evidence for Mary Ann. Here she is stated to be ‘born in the colony’ However later evidence conflicts. The younger two, Priscilla and Johanna are the children of Joseph. In the 1825 Muster; Golsby, Rebecca, free by servitude, Friends, 1811, 7 years, widow, Sydney Golsby, Mary Ann, 13, came free, Friends, 1811, family of above. Golsby, William, 17, came free, Friends, 1811, family of above. Golsby, Priscilla, 10, born in the colony, family of above. Golsby, Johanna, 7, born in the colony, family of above. Here we find Mary Ann declared as a passenger on ‘friends’, not born in the colony. In the 1828 Census, There seems no mention of William and Mary Ann. William should be there, hHe married in 1827 and he and his wife Elizabeth subsequently had 11 children I have been able to trace. Page 166… [Ref G0840] Goulby, Rebecca, 45, FS, Friends, 1812, 7 years, charwoman, living at Kent Street Sydney. The two younger girls are also recorded. Page 375… [Ref T1396] Tuzo, Priscilla, 12, BC, Lodger with Reb. Goulby. [Ref T1397] Tuzo, Johanna, 10, BC, Lodger with Reb. Goulby. Priscilla married John Bayliss in 1832 and they subsequently had 11 children. John was the son of Joseph Bayliss (NSW Corps, Second Fleet, 1790, ‘Surprize’) and Ann Taylor (Convict, 1801, ‘Earl Cornwallis’).