Report of Francis Buller on 2 collective petitions (2 copies of a petition from 2...

Report of Francis Buller on 2 collective petitions (2 copies of a petition from 2 people, prosecutors; and 5 people, including the prisoner's mother, 1 of the prosecutors, and the chaplain of Southwark in Surrey) on behalf of Abraham Clark/ Abraham Clarke, convicted at the 'late assizes' at Kingston upon Thames [Surrey Assizes], on 23 March 1798, for a burglary and taking wool, value £105, property of John Fell and Joseph Steele, Quakers. There are letters regarding the petition from the Duke of Portland and Henry Thornton. Portland also encloses a letter from the Marchioness of Bath sent to 'My dear Brother' who has been entreated to intervene in the case of Abraham Clarke, by Mr Clark, 'the King's Butler' who is the uncle of the prisoner. There is a letter to Isaac Clarke, relative of Abraham Clark, from J. Rippen, instructing Isaac Clarke to draw up a petition and Rippon will present it. Rippon mentions the distress of Isaac Clarke's sister in law. There is a note from person unknown, that Abraham Clarke was discharged from a previous allegation of stealing a tea chest, the property of Daniel Whitton, tried at Surrey, Lent Assizes 1795. It states there are 'no other Account of him at the Assizes for these ten years back'. Grounds for clemency: the Quakers do not wish the man to die on account of 'their property,' particularly as he is unprepared to meet 'the Great Judge', had been represented in court as an old offender and this was not the case, the prisoner has obtained a certificate to this effect from Richard Carpenter, 1 of the magistrates of the Southwark Police Office, which has been given to Mr Baldwin, had a widowed mother (widowed 8 years earlier; the prisoners father had previously worked for Mr Fell for 17 years) who is distressed and has refused to eat for 14 days, she has 6 children to support with 2 being entirely dependent upon her. Initial sentence: death. Recommendation: no mercy; annotated 'unfavourable'. Folios 8-24.