John Shearing was born circa 1777
JOHN SHEARING and JOHN GREEN were indicted for stealing, on the 21st of March 1819, at Great Stanmore (outer London) , one gelding, price 7 l. , the property of Thomas Christmas .
THOMAS CHRISTMAS . I am a coachmaker , and live in the parish of Great Stanmore. I had a gelding in Stanmore Marsh ; I saw it safe on Sunday morning, the 21st of March, and missed it that evening. I saw it again on the 30th in possession of Stiles, and am certain it is the same that I lost - I had had it about a year and a half, and know it by several marks. It is worth 7 l.
SARAH THOMPSON . I live in Stanmore Marsh, my husband is a labourer. On Sunday, the 21st of March, about three o'clock in the afternoon, I saw three men take the gelding off the marsh - the prisoners are two of them; I have not the least doubt of it - they were all on foot. One caught it by the head, the other walked round and examined it, and the third sat down. They led it off the green into the road by its head, then let go its head, struck it with a stick, and drove it up a lane which leads to Kingsbury and other places - they were five minutes in my sight.
Cross-examined. Q. The prisoners were strangers - A. Yes. I saw them a fortnight after at Union Hall, among other people, and have not the least doubt of them. They were not pointed out to me.
WILLIAM STILES . I am a broom-dealer, and live in the Borough-road. On the 28th of March the prisoner, Shearing, came to me, and asked me if I wanted to buy a horse, and requested me to go to the Obelisk livery-stables to look at it - he said it belonged to Green, who was with him. I knew Shearing before, and asked him if he knew Green? he said Yes; that he knew the man well - that his father and him kept an errand-cart, and he used to turn it out into the field, but now he was obliged to sell it, as he had quarrelled with his father - Green did not hear that. I went to the stable; Shearing showed me the horse, and asked 6 l. for it - I gave them 4 l.; I laid the money down, Green was there, and took it up.
Q. Did Green treat the horse as if it was his - A. He took the money for it, and gave Shearing a 1 l. note to pay the hostler the expences. I gave Shearing a shilling for his trouble. In about two hours I heard something, and gave information. Christmas saw the horse, and claimed it.
Cross-examined. Q. Green did not hear the conversation about the money - A. No. I cannot swear which took the money up.
COURT. Q. Who gave the 1 l. note to the other to pay the expences - A. Green gave Shearing one of the notes I put down. I think the expences were 10 s. - I believe the charge is 2 s. a night; it had nothing but hay.
SHEARING'S Defence. I was at a public-house at Stanmore, walking about, and never saw the horse until I came to town.
GREEN'S Defence. I was on the dunghill on the common for an hour and a half. I came to town, and met Shearing and another man, who asked me to go and sell the horse for them - I went to the witness Stiles.
SHEARING - GUILTY . - DEATH . Aged 27.
GREEN - GUILTY . - DEATH . Aged 25.
Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron Garrow .
The convicted was commuted to a Life sentance and transportation. John was transported on 27th October 1819 aboard the 'Coromandel' from Portsmouth and arrived in Port Jackson on 5th April 1820, having previously unloaded 150 convicts at Van Diemens land (Tasmania). The ship's Master was James D Downie and the ship's Surgeon Archibald Hume. There were 300 male convicts on board and 1 died on the voyage.
Convict reference No .
On ??? John made an application to marry .
On 20th November 1831 John was granted a Ticket of Leave No 31/887 restricting his employment to the Windsor area of NSW.
John died on 12th December 1851 and in interred at St Matthews Anglican Church cemetery Windsor, NSW.