Robert Glanville

Birth, Marriage and Death information

     Robert Glanville was born circa 1790.

Other information

     On 5 December 1804 the proceeding of the Old Bailey record the indictment of John Thompson, transcribed:
JOHN THOMPSON was indicted for burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Robert Glanville , senior, about the hour of seven at night, on the 23d of November, and burglariously stealing therein fourteen yards of flannel, value 2 l. 10 s. thirteen pair of gloves, value 1 l. 6 s. and two silk handkerchiefs, value 9 s. the property of Robert Glanville , senior.

ROBERT GLANVILLE , sen. sworn. - I live at No. 132, in the Minories : On the 23d of November my house was broke open, between six and seven o'clock in the evening; I was not at home at the time.

ROBERT GLANVILLE , jun. sworn. - Q. What age are you? - A. Fourteen.

Q. You go to church? - A. Yes.

Q. Do you know the nature of an oath? - A. Yes.

Q. What does an oath oblige you to do? - A. To say nothing but the truth.

Q. Were you at home on the 23d of November? - A. Yes; my father is a haberdasher and milliner: About half past six o'clock, the officer of the street came and asked me whether we had missed any thing out of the shop, it was quite dark; I looked, and found that the window of the shop was cut; I told him what was taken away; the street-keeper produced a handkerchief, which he opened, and shewed me the things.

Q. What had been taken from your shop? - A. About fourteen yards of flannel, two silk handkerchiefs, and thirteen pair of gloves; they all lay in the window against the pane which was cut; I had put them there myself in the morning; the pane was not intirely taken out; the hole was large enough for any man to put his arm in.

Q. Could any person draw fourteen yards of flannel through there? - A. Yes.

Q. How did the glass appear to be cut - by a diamond, or broken? - A. The street-keeper found an instrument on the person that cut it.

Q. Look at the prisoner at the bar; had you seen him near your shop that day? - A. No.

Q. Was your shop-door shut at the time the street-keeper came to you? - A. It was.

JOHN FORRESTER sworn. - I am a patrol of the Minories: Between six and seven o'clock on the 23d of November, it was dark; I saw the prisoner at the bar looking in at the right hand windows of Mr. Glanville; he went from there to the left hand window, there is a door in the centre; he stood there for the space of a minute, and he retreated up a court, called New-court; I crossed over the way, and I felt the window where he had been standing, and I found the glass taken out; I walked away, and he came to the same situation again.

Q. Did there appear to be any vacancy from the opening? - A. The things that were behind had fallen against it, so that the place was blocked up; I walked away, and he returned again; he took his observations, and went to the same place after the space of a minute; he looked about him, and looked in the other window of the shop; he then went to the place where the glass had been taken out, for the space of a minute, and then retreated into the court again; I stood still, and he retreated backward and forward to the window, and up the court, four or five times; I kept my eye on him; I crossed over the way, and I laid hold of him; I saw his pockets stick out, and I said, my lad, what have you got here; he said, nothing at all; he put his hand to his pocket to throw them down, but I kept his hands up.

Q. Did he attempt to throw them down? - A. He did, but I kept him from that; I took him across the way into Mr. Price's shop, the shoemaker, and there I searched him, and found upon him thirteen pair of men's and women's gloves; I found nothing else on his person. After I secured him, I went back to Mr. Glanville's, and informed them; then I went into Vine-street, that leads out from New-court, and there I found this roll of flannel, and two silk handkerchiefs.

Q. During the time you were watching this man, did you observe any body else go up in the direction of New-court? - A. No, I saw not any person with him; I found these things hid behind a truck, standing up against a wall; I then took the prisoner to the watch-house, and on searching the prisoner I found a knife; I have been a patrol for these five years; I produce the knife; the knife is for that purpose, to work the putty round the mouldings, and the glass flies in all directions.

Q. From what you observed at the time you were watching the prisoner, have you any reason to believe that he saw you? - A. No.

Q. When you searched him, and found this upon him, did he say any thing for himself? - A. He said so far as this, it is all over with me.

(The articles produced, and identified by the prosecutor and his son.)

Prisoner's defence. Every thing that man has said against me is false; I was coming from Wapping, and coming down the Minories I saw those gloves laying on the ground, and I knocked at the door to see if the gloves belonged to the person of the house, where I picked them up; he came to me, and said, what are you doing; I said, I have been doing nothing at all; he said, come along with me, and he took me over the way into a shoe-shop.

Q.(To Forrester.) Was the prisoner knocking at any door when you saw him? - A. No, he was going to the same spot again.

GUILTY, aged 18.

Of stealing to the value of 26 s.

Transported for seven years .

London Jury, before Mr. Common Serjeant.