I went one day to Mr. Brogden, in Long-lane, West-smithfield, who lent out wearing apparel, of him I hired a suit fit for any little master in London; bought at the same time a satchel to put some books in, thus equipped, I went to Mr. Greg, a watch-maker in St. James’s street; on going into the shop, I perceived there was but one man therein; upon his being told my father had bespoken a watch for me, and I wanted to know if it was ready, he replied, as indeed well he might, that he knew nothing of the matter, but that Mr. Greg his master, being at the coffee-house, he would go to him, and ask the question; the minute he was gone, I fixed my eye on a gold watch, chain and seal, with which I marched off with all speed, took a hackney coach in Pall-mall, away to Holbourn, and sold the watch, though it was worth fifty-five, for seven guineas only, to Mary Keen, a woman who understood that business much better than myself. She has been transported four times.

At this time, and with this money, I went down to Reading in Berkshire, where I took great delight in going out with my gun; at length money falling short, I went to a milliner’s shop, under pretence of buying some lace, to go round a cap and handkerchief, for my sister; the milliner asked if I was not too young a man to be a judge of lace? I replied, being young I should hope for better usage, and left it entirely to her generosity to serve me of that which was best of the kind; at this moment I fixed my eye on a particular piece; pretending to have a bad cold, took my handkerchief out to wipe my nose, laid it down on this piece of lace, which repeating again, I took the lace up with my handkerchief, and put it in my pocket, and then told the milliner, I would stay till I was grown older; though it is clear I was too old for her now. I took my leave, and marched gravely off, without the least suspicion; and went directly to the Crown, the grand inn in Reading, hired a horse for Maidenhead, but pushed on for London, sold the horse in Smithfield for five pounds ten shillings, and the lace to a milliner at Charing-cross, at a very decent price; at the same time cheapening some of her lace, made bold to steal one piece.

Thus I found a method to deal among the milliners, without much danger of detection, women being less on their guard than men, and always delighted with any one who will hear them prate and chatter. Very few milliners escaped my dexterity, for my youth, simplicity of manners, and engaging behaviour, caused me always to pass without suspicion; nay, on many occasions, I have been treated with extraordinary marks of civility and politeness, and with the best the house afforded, even after I had robbed them, which sometimes has squeezed my heart a little, but I was too far gone in the road of perdition to think of returning back.

I now thought of amusing myself in the country; accordingly set out for Bath, Bristol, &c. in the first of these cities I took a room for myself in a widow-gentlewoman’s house, who kept a shop in the drapery way; she had a daughter, a neat, pretty, genteel girl, whom I courted more for the sake of being free with her, than any real love; then the mother began to trust me, and place great confidence in me, upon her daughter’s account, which continued to the mutual satisfaction of us all, till I found an opportunity to make off with between twenty-five and thirty pounds-worth of goods, taken out of the shop, and retired to Bristol, where I dealt a little among the milliners: returned for London, but being taken ill on my journey thither, I stopt two or three days at the Castle at Marlborough, where I observed a great quantity of plate, and other things of value lie very carelessly about, I only borrowed a silver tankard, and six table spoons, to assist in defraying my expences on the road: at Brentford I sold the tankard and spoons for five pounds ten shillings, and stole two pair of silver paste buckles, proceeding directly for London. I committed about fifty other robberies in the small way, which, as being trifles, are not worthy of farther mention.

I have sometimes, for the sake of variety, gone to dyers and scourers shops, in the character of a gentleman; on seeing none but a woman there, I asked for my servant, who came there for my cloaths; being told there had been none, then on asking if my cloaths were done, (they not knowing but that I had some there) shewed me several suits, clean, and not clean, but I never took a cleaned suit, always pretending they should be wore once more before cleaned, desiring my servant might be sent home as soon as ever he came; so tying them up in a handkerchief, left the poor dyers and scourers to lament their folly and precipitation. I used to serve the hatters in the same manner, both in gold and silver laced hats, without being in the least suspected.

I waited on a mercer on Ludgate-hill to cheapen some silks for waistcoats, with sattins, and some for gowns; I requested of the mercer to make a bill of parcels, put them up, and send his servant with me to my lodgings in Pall-mall; which being done and come there, on opening the bundle, told the servant there wanted a piece of sattin, and sent him immediately home for it: The bill amounted to forty-three pounds, and the parcel heavy, yet I easily (in the interval of the servant’s departure and return) found means to walk off with all. I left an answer on the bill of parcels which was left upon the table, that my judgment was not sufficient for such a large sum, without advice whether I should pay him at his return, or never. I went directly to Mr. Howard’s, in Long-lane, Smithfield, and sold the whole parcel for eighteen pounds; telling me, any quantity brought to him he would buy. This gave me great encouragement to continue in the mercers business: I served several other mercers in the same manner.

Not long after this I went to a gentleman in Long-acre, hired a chariot and pair of horses, to go to Windsor, intending to stay a fortnight; accordingly I set off, and stayed pretty near the time agreed on; I sent my servant to Eton, with a view of defrauding my landlord, and for this purpose asked him for twenty guineas, with which he very readily complied; the pretext was to purchase a pair of horses: having thus succeeded, I slipped on one side, and set off for London, leaving the man, chariot and horses to come at their leisure. The next day I sent for a sword-cutler, to bring me half a dozen swords to my own lodgings in the Hay-market, that I might take my choice in variety, but brought never a cut and thrust, I sent him back for some; and when he was gone, I took a walk out with the half dozen swords, with an intention never more to return.

I then took lodgings in Duke’s court, St. Martin’s lane, where I had not been long, but I sent the servant of the house to a jeweller, to bring me a variety of rings, the jeweller immediately sent one of his servants with some of all sorts; no sooner were they under my eye but I fixed on two, set with diamonds; I told the man, as I was no judge of their value, he would give me leave to shew them to a friend at next door, he readily assented, and so left the honest servant for his own amusement in my new lodgings: for I used to take a lodging one day, and serve a tradesman in this manner, and leave it the next.

Soon after, I put on the dress of a gentleman’s servant, went to a very great milliner’s in Pall-mall, as from a lady in Grosvenor-square, lately come from abroad, who wanted some assortments of her best lace, and desired one of her people with me; according to my application it had the desired effect: I brought the servant to a house under some repair, that I had the knowledge of; I took the box of laces, went up stairs to shew my pretended lady, leaving the servant in the hall, to whom immediately returning, I told her my lady was in bed, and she must come again in an hour, but must leave the laces, with a bill of the rates or prices of each sort; she went away very contentedly, and I had the generosity to follow with the whole box, and made clear off. I thought it now high time to leave off dealing with the milliners. The garb of a gentleman’s servant in livery, I always found the best to deceive with at this time, and made use of it on divers occasions, with my two companions before mentioned, Abraham Crabb, and Campbell Hamilton, and being apprehended for a small theft, made myself an evidence against them both; Crabb was tried at the Old Bailey, in February 1749-50, in the mayoralty of Sir Samuel Pennant, for stealing a peruke, value twenty shillings, and John Beaumont for receiving, knowing it to be stolen. The evidence (as an accomplice) I gave was, that I was about fifteen years of age, and deposed that I had followed the business of thieving two years; the prisoners, however, were acquitted, there being no evidence to the fact but my own. Crabb was again indicted with Campbell Hamilton, for stealing on the 10th of December 1749, a silver watch, value four pounds, the property of Mr. Jonathan Scriven, in his dwelling house; and Catherine Hall, widow, for receiving it, knowing it to be stolen: my evidence was here also unsupported by any other; though what I swore upon this and the former trial was nothing but the truth, with respect to all the prisoners; the silver watch belonged to the grocer in Drury-lane, already mentioned. I resolved never to have companions in any of my exploits, judging that I might one day or another be detected by my associates, as I had done by them.

Many surprizing pranks have I used with all trades in London; but at last pursued by my evil genius, I went into the shop of Mr. Honychurch, under St. Dunstan’s church in Fleet-street, on the 5th of November 1750, and stole a silver watch, with which I got off, imprudently keeping it till the next day, I offered it pawn to Mr. Price on Snow-hill; it being advertised, he stopped me, sent for Mr. Honychurch, and carried me out of the city to justice Fielding, who committed me to New-prison, Clerkenwell, thence removed to Newgate, took my trial on the 10th of December 1750, in the mayoralty of Francis Cokayne, Esq; was capitally convicted, and received sentence of death with fifteen others, among whom were Mr. Baker, the sugar-baker; and Mr. Joshua West, a clerk of the Bank.