Notes for: George FOSKETT
1861 Living with widowed father in Fulham.
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Thursday, Mar 10, 1864; pg. 13; Issue 24816; col D
Middlesex Sessions, March 9.
George Foskett, 17, William Wade, 17, James Phillips 16, Richard Reid, 44 and Margaret Reid were severally indicted - George Foskett, William Wade and James Phillips for stealing a shirt, a dress, and other articles, the property of Elizabeth Burridge; and the said Richard Reid and Margaret Reid for receiving the same, well knowing them to have been stolen.
There were eleven other indictments of a similar nature, but they were confined to the prisoners Reid.
This case presented a series of most extraordinary and extensive robberies in the neighbourhood of Hammersmith and Kensington, and which had been going on in that locality for upwards of three years. Scarcely a week has passed over during that time but robberies of linen have occurred on the premises of laundresses where the linen had been put out to dry, usually taking place between 5 and 6 0'clock in the evening. A vigilant watch was kept by the police from time to time, but although they had strong suspicions as to one of the persons by whom these robberies were effected, yet they were unable to obtain sufficient evidence to go at once and charge him with them. One of the persons principally suspected was the prisoner Reid, who ostensibly carried on the trade of a coal and coke dealer, going about with a horse and cart, and it was only on the 9th of January that Police sergeant William Willoughby, who was accopnanied by Police constable Job Lewis, 88T, felt themselves justified in going to Reid's house to make a search for some of the stolen property, and particularly some marked with the name in full of “Mark Winterbotham”. They got there between 1 and 2 o'clock in the morning, where they found Reid, his wife, and several other persons drinking together. The sergeant asked Reid if he had bought any linen of Wade, of Notting Hill marked with the name Winterbotham, to which he replied that there was nothing there but what belonged to them. The sergeant seeing a basket of wet linen under the table, pointed to it and asked him if that belonged to him, and he said it did. The sergeant said the linen was marked “L.J.B”, and he wanted to know if he claimed that, and he said that he did. The sergeant upon this said that he should take Reid into custody on the charge of stealing this and other linen which he found stowed away under the bed in his bedroom, when Mrs Reid seized the poker and would have struck both the sergeant and the constable with it but was prevented from doing so by other persons. HE was, however, taken away and lodged in the stationhouse by Seargeant Willoughby, Police Constable Lewis remaining in the house, during which time Mrs Reid again got hold of the poker and attempted to assault him with it, and became extremely violent in her conduct.
On the return of the sergeant a thorough search of the house was made, when they discovered the produce of 14 different robberies in that neighbourhood, consisting of linen, waistcoats, boots and other wearing apparel, The officers, considering there was now a sufficient case against Margaret Reid, the wife, she was also taken to the stationhouse. In the course of the search that was made the officers found 14 pawnbrokers' duplicates, relating to property which had been stolen.
From information they obtained they then went to Foskett's house, where they found him in bed, and told him to get up, as they wanted him for a linen robbery at Cave's terrace. He said at first he knew nothing about it, but afterwards said there were others in it besides him. He was told they had been looking for him for upwards of a fortnight, and he said if he had known it for half an hour before they would not have had him then. He wanted to know if they were going to take Billy Wade into custody, and they told him that they were. They took him with them to Wade's house, but as they were approaching it Wade's mother called out “Police!” and shut the door in their face. In a few moments they saw Wade, almost naked get out of an upper window on to a water tank, but the officers told him it was no use his trying to go that way, and he thought better of it and went back again. The sergeant then entered the house and took Wade, telling him that he would take him into custody for stealing wet linen, to which he said nothing.
On the way to the stationhouse he said “I hear that you have got Dicky Reid for 40l-worth, but I did not take it all”. He said “ I shall get off for 14 days, and I can do that on my head”. He afterwards said “If I should get two years I will open all before the magistrate.”
When they apprehended Foskett he said he hoped they would take “Young Whippy” (Phillips), as he knew as much about it as any of them, and he always got a share in the robbery. They went to Phillip's house, where they saw his mother, and she said her son had something to say to them, and he made a statement to them, giving a complete history of the robberies, in which they had been engaged for a considerable period, implicating Wade and Foskett. In consequence of what the officers had found and the important evidence obtained from Phillips, the magistrate at Hammersmith Police Court (Mr Ingham) ordered that Phillips should be admitted as an approver on the part of the Crown to give evidence against the other prisoners. When they found that Phillips was a witness against them the other prisoners made statements accusing each other of the shares they had taken in the robberies, and how they had divided the proceeds.
This day, on the prisoners being placed at the bar, these facts were proved, and Phillips was taken out of the dock and placed in the witness box to give evidence against them, which he did in a most positive manner.
The Assistant Judge summed up the evidence, and the jury found all the prisoners Guilty, with the exception of Mrs Reid.
Another indictment was then gone into, which resulted in the conviction of Mrs Reed(sic)
The Assistant judge said there were ten more indictments; he did not think it necessary to go into them; but the whole of the property must be given up to the owners.
The whole of the prisoners were then called up for judgement.
The Assistant Judge first addressed Phillips, and said, as he had given important evidence to forward the ends of public justice, he would not be punished for his offence, but he hoped he would never be seen there again, and he was discharged. With respect to Wade, he appeared to have borne a fair character, and the sentence on him was six months' imprisonment with hard labour. Foskett would be imprisoned for one year. With respect to Reid, an example must be made of him, and the sentence upon him was that he be kept in penal servitude for four years. His wife was to be commiserated, for no doubt she had followed the bad example that had been set her, and was influenced by her husband, and the sentence upon her was that she should be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for one year.
In the course of the proceedings, the Assistant Judge complained that a case of this magnitude, empracing 12 indictments, and requiring the examination of about 20 witnesses, should have been cast upon the shoulders of the police, instead of being got up and conducted through a solicitor and counsel; but the officers had very well discharged their duty.
Times021
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Bethnal Green St James the Great
9 May 1885 George FOSKETT, full, b, lab, Bethnal Green, Esau Foskett, deceased
Alice Mills, full, sp, Bethnal Green, John Mills, deceased
WIT: William Rycroft, Louisa Rycroft
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Marriages St Giles Cripplegate
24 Nov 1895 George FOSKETT, 45, wid, Lithographer, 11 Bridgewater Sq
Esau Foskett, shoemaker
Eliza Smith, 35, wid, Ironer, 11 Bridgewater Sq,
Frederick Read, carver
Wit: Thomas William Denny
Elizabeth S Gordon