Report of Richard Perryn on 2 individual petitions (the prisoner and Richard Blackford)...

Report of Richard Perryn on 2 individual petitions (the prisoner and Richard Blackford) and 1 collective petition (33 people) on behalf of George Yardley, servant to the Prosecutor, convicted at the Warwickshire Assizes on 20 August 1791, for stealing brass, property of Richard Blackford, his employer, at Aston near Birmingham in Warwickshire. There is also a letter from Richard Blackford stating that the appearance of his name supporting the prisoner is in fact in the handwriting of his father who was prevailed upon in his absence (and unknown to him the prosecutor) to sign his name to a petition. Grounds for clemency: previous good character, first offence, already served 6 months, has received offers of employment, value of the brass was very small, and has a dependent wife and 3 children now chargeable to Birmingham. Initial sentence: 7 years transportation. Recommendation: none made, but states if all of the circumstances of the petition had been known he would not have received a greater sentence than 6 months in prison. Folios 27-31.