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Extract of a letter from Portsmouth, Dec. 6.
“On Wednesday night last as Mrs. Lewis, who keeps a Public-house, the sign of the Battle of Minden, at Hilsea near Portsmouth, was going to-bed, she discovered the feet of a man under the bed. Her maid and children lay in the same room; one of the children cried for beer, which proved a very lucky circumstance for her; alarmed as she was, she had nevertheless the presence of mind to pretend not to take any notice of what she saw, but fondly desired the child to lie still and she would draw her some beer. She immediately went down stairs, slipt out of doors, went over to a farm-house opposite, and after alarming them acquainted them with the circumstance. The Farmer and three of his men arming themselves went over with her, and found a man under the bed with a razor open in his hand; they instantly secured him, and the next morning carried him before a Justice of Peace, who committed him to Winchester gaol. Thus providentially did this woman and three innocent children escape from being all murdered. What is remarkable is, that this woman’s husband was shot about five years ago two miles from Portsmouth, as he was going home, by one Williams, who was executed for the murder, and is hanging in chains on South Sea common.”
— Oxford Journal, Saturday 12 December 1772 source
This piece appears word for word in several papers, but the copy in the Kentish Gazette seems to be about a week ahead of the others, so I imagine that’s where the letter was originally sent.
Question
Who was the man under the bed? The reports of the next assizes give us some candidates:
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At the assizes for the county of Hants, which will be held at Winchester on Monday next, the following prisoners are to take their trials : Stephen, Burges, for murder.—Sarah Bartlett, for concealing stolen goods.—Robert Blackman, for housebreaking.—James Sinfold, for theft ; John Ford, for robbing his master.—William Patrick for stealing pigs.—Moses Neat, for an assault.—John Hawkins, for sheep-stealing. —John White, for theft.—Thomas Shivil, for theft.—Joseph Steer, for theft.—Dan Barns, for house-breaking.—Robert and John Artlett, for a highway robbery.—Richard Johnson, for theft.—William Budd, for a highway robbery. —Charles Bradley, for stealing wheat.—Peter Barnett, for robbing his master.—Thomas Cooper, for house-breaking.—Thomas Randall, William Cook, Richard Mott and Robert Ramsey, for divers felonies at Portsmouth.—George Laws, for house-breaking.—Francis Pratt, for horse-stealing. John Reed, for robbing a road waggon.—John Ware, for attempting to shoot Thomas Toogood.—Joseph Fisher, for sheep stealing. George Vernell, for house-breaking.—Thomas Hebb, for theft.—John Woolfry, Willam Warren and William Warren, junior, for sheet-stealing.—Isaac Williams, for stealing wheat.—And eight others to be brought from Gosport and two from Odiham Bridewell.
— Reading Mercury, Monday 01 March 1773 source
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WINCHESTER, March 6.
At the Assizes for this County, which ended this day, before the Honourable Mr. Justice Willes, and the Hon. Sir Henry Ashurst, Knt. the following prisoners received sentence of death, viz. John Hawkins, for sheep-stealing; Due Barns, for a burglary; Robert Artlett and Thomas Artlett, for robbing Mr. Daniel Chase, at Shirſield; Francis Pratt, for stealing a mare; Joseph Fisher, for sheep-stealing; George Vernell, for a burglary; John Woolfrey and Wm. Warren, junr. for sheep-stealing; Mary Bagwell, for shop-lifting; John Bartlett, for sheep-stealing; and Richard Mott, for felony and burglary.—At the same Time the following were sentenced to be transported; Robert Blackmore, Tho. Ford, Charles Bradley, Thomas Randall, William Cook, George Laws, John Reed, Thomas Hebb, Oliver Bower, James Thompson, and Wm. Burk, alias Johnson, for 7 years; two were branded; two imprisoned for 12 months; two whipped; and 24 were acquitted.
— Hampshire Chronicle, Monday 08 March 1773 source
Richard Mott looks the most promising candidate, on the basis that the razor might upgrade the crime to a felony, and whatever he did happened at Portsmouth.
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WINCHESTER, March 13.
The Judge, before he left this town, reprieved for transportation all the prisoners he condemned, except Robert Arlett, who is left for execution.
— Hampshire Chronicle, Monday 15 March 1773 source
Ok, so I guess our first pass is for a Richard Mott who was transported in 1773.
Soooo… transportation to the Americas wasn’t suspended until 1776 and Australia’s First Fleet was 1787. He would have been right at the tail-end of the practice, and perhaps ended up as an indentured servant.
Todo
Next step might be a trip to Kew, or a paid account at one of the genealogy sites. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/criminal-transportation/