3 individual petitions (John Lovett, prisoner's father, John Harrison prosecutor...

3 individual petitions (John Lovett, prisoner's father, John Harrison prosecutor and James Milnes, stone merchant) on behalf of William Lovett, builder's labourer convicted at Maidstone Kent Summer Assizes 1829 of highway robbery, stealing 7s 6d and a handkerchief from John Harrison, private in the Royal Marines. There are letters from Thomas Tull to Messrs Bennett Hunt and Mills with further evidence about the case, from Bennett and Hunt the prisoner's employers, to the High Sheriff of Kent and to Sir Stephen Gaselee vouching for his good character; and to Robert Peel from James Milne and James Hunt endorsing the facts of the case. Grounds for clemency: they were all drunk, robbery not perpetrated by him, robbery not intended, situations arose because of prosecutor's improper conduct with prisoner's sister who was assumed to be a prostitute, prosecutor admits all this, first charge, father so convinced of son's innocence that counsel not employed, the other youth was acquitted, former employers would take him back. Initial sentence: death commuted to transportation for life. Gaoler's report: character etc not known. Annotated: nil. KO27