Huntingdon Bedford and Peterborough Gazette 31 Oct 1829: Theft from George Hemington Harris
Two travelling painters, who gave their names as FRANCIS and THOMAS SMITH, one 30, and the other 16 years of age, were indicted for stealing a piece of painted canvas from the premises of Mr. George Hemington Harris, of Trumpington. W. Sealey, a servant, proved missing the canvas, which had been cut from the coping of a harvest cart, early on the morning of the 24th August last, and soon afterwards he saw the two prisoners in a field on his master’s farm with a piece of canvas on their shoulders; he took them into custody. Mr. Harris proved that the canvas was nailed on the cart the preceding evening, and that in the morning a piece had been cut and torn away. The piece found on the prisoners exactly corresponded with the remnant on the cart. The prisoners in their defence said they found the canvas on the road, and put it on their shoulders to keep them warm. To a question from the Court, Holder, the officer, said that the prisoners had been loitering about the neighbourhood for some time, especially the younger one, who had associated with a parcel of ju-venile thieves. — The Chairman said, it was necessary in this case to make an example, as it was evident the prisoners had no ostensible mode of getting a living, but appeared to live by plunder and fraud: he therefore sentenced them to be transported for seven years.