April 1832 a case of robbery from a shop in High St culminating in John Hitchcock the landlord of the Sow and Pig whilst in the privy finding a banking book of Mr Green shopkeeper in High St, returning the book where he learnt of the robbery of 9 sovereigns some silver and four pound notes, eventually traced to three men who were acting suspiciously near the Sow & Pig, the men John Whittle, Thomas Biddle and George Biddle. were caught with some of the proceeds, before a jury they were all found guilty Whittle and Thomas Biddle were sentenced to TRANSPORTATION FOR LIFE, George Biddle for fourteen years.
A postscript on this case was when the three men were removed from the borough gaol, they were placed on the Union coach at the gaol door secured to each other with irons at the ankle and wrists to take them to the boat for New South Wales, in coming along the High St one of the convicts threw a piece of coal at the shop window of the shop they had robbed, On arriving at the Crown Hotel, where the Union coach stopped to pick up other passengers, the convicts waved their hats to the crowd, and the coach moving at a quick pace was soon out of sight.
In January 1833, the landlord of Sow & Pig Bond St was charged with permitting drinking during unlawful hours. This was dismissed owing to conflicting evidence (LJ). See details below:
At the same date, court hearing and the prosecution of Thomas Green at the Goat Bond Street, Mosses Pegg also gave information on the Sow & Pig (never one to miss a beerhouse out on his nightly rounds), Pegg’s accusation of the Sow & Pig being open after permitted hours was not substantial due to lack of evidence, so the case was dismissed.
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