n the water, having been a
seaman for several years, and after that a bargeman. He was a young man
of tolerable good sense, very civil in his behaviour and in nothing
resembling those who are ordinarily addicted to robbing and thieving.
His parents were persons in tolerable circumstances, and had taken a due
care of his education. The particular crime for which he died was
assaulting James Flemming, in the company of George Gale and Edward
Brown, _alias_ Benson, and taking from him, the said Flemming, a silver
watch value forty shillings, and two guineas in money, the third of
April.

John Hornby had been bred for some time at school, being descended of
honest parents, who put him apprentice to a joiner. But being naturally
inclined to idleness and vice, in a short time he had occasion to take
base and illegal methods to acquire money. His necessities were also
increased through foolishly marrying a woman, while he was yet a perfect
boy and knew not how to maintain her. Picking pockets was his first
resource, and the method of thieving which he always liked best and got
most money at; but being of a very easy temper, his companions found it
no hard thing to persuade him into taking such other methods of robbing
as they persuaded him would be more beneficial, and in this Benson seems
to have been one of his chief advisers. In himself, Hornby was
good-natured and much less rude and boisterous than some of his
companions. He had been but a very short time engaged in the
street-robbing practice and did not seem to have courage or boldness
sufficient to make himself considerable amongst his companions in those
enterprises, which in all probability was the reason that while under
confinement they treated him but very indifferently, and sometimes went
so far as to give him ill names and blows, which he endured without
saying much, and seemed perfectly resigned to the several punishments
which his own iniquities had brought upon him. The crime for which he
died was a robbery committed on the highway, upon the person of one
Edward Ellis, from whom was taken a silver watch, value four pounds, and
two guineas in money.

William Sefton was born in Lancashire, and during the life-time of his
father received a tolerable education. But on his mother's marrying
another husband, Sefton, who had been bred a barber and peruke-maker,
finding things not to go to his mind, came up to London. But changing
place did not seem to make him much