Report of George Wood on 1 individual petition (the prisoner) on behalf of John Martin...

Report of George Wood on 1 individual petition (the prisoner) on behalf of John Martin Dalton, fish seller, (the victims brother in law) convicted at the Surrey Assizes held on 1 April 1822 for violating Matilda Pay Atkinson, daughter of Sarah Atkinson, an infant under the age of 10, on or about 19 December 1821. Evidences supplied by: the victim, Sarah Atkinson, William Thompson, surgeon, Robert Hall, 'officer of union hall', William Jones, surgeon, Cecilia Nicholls, Perigord Wigmore and John Dalton. [The report is a statement concerning people who have signed the petition and not a full report on the convict]. There is a statement from Robert Wynne Williams and James Harmer. Grounds for clemency: the prisoner is innocent, it is improbable that the prisoner has assaulted his wife's sister when his wife was in bed with the girl, the child had stated that her brother had hurt her, the prisoner is not diseased but suffers from 'a weakness' [?bladder] and his wife is not diseased. Initial sentence: death. Recommendation: no mercy. Annotated: '17 April 1822, The Law to take its course'. Folios 127-135.