Sheffield Independent – Monday 24 October 1887

A Sad Case from Mexbro’.

On Saturday, at Doncaster, Thomas Oxley, a boy living with his parents at Mexbro’, was charged with stealing half a sovereign by finding it at Mexbro, and his mother, Harriet Oxley, was charged with having received the same knowing it to have been stolen.

It appeared according to the evidence, that the son of John Clifford, of Mexbro’, was sent to the shop of Mr. Waddington, pawnbroker, with half a sovereign and some pawn tickets, these being wrapped up in a piece of paper. On the way he started to play, and while thus engaged, it was said, the money and tickets fell out of his pockets.

The boy, Oxley, it was alleged, picked up the half-sovereign and took it to his mother, and the lad Clifford, went home and reported the loss. Mrs. Clifford went to Mrs. Oxley about the matter and the latter, it was said, replied that her son had not given her half-a-sovereign but an American cent.

Elizabeth Oxley, daughter-in-law to the defendant, said the boy went to her and asked if what he had got was half-a-sovereign, and she said it was. A woman named Cooper spoke to seeing the boy give his mother the money, and that she put it in a purse saying ” half-sovereigns were not very plentiful.”

The magistrates I found the defendants guilty, and Lord Auckland, the chairman, said the mother was much the most to blame. She was fined 40s including costs, and the boy was ordered to have four strokes with the birch rod.