John Romaine and the Overcoat Heist
A cloth coat. A short pursuit. And a plea for mercy that never came.
🧥 The Crime
On 31 July 1784, John Romaine stole a cloth great-coat worth 5 shillings from the home of Charles Alexander Crickett, a resident of Charles Street, Westminster.
It wasn’t the most audacious theft of the Georgian period, but it was swift—and it was enough to change the course of Romaine’s life forever.
🕰️ The Testimony
Crickett’s account at the Old Bailey was concise and damning:
“On the 31st of July, between the hours of one and two in the afternoon, I lost a coat from my house… I missed it in about five minutes after it was taken.”
Realising the theft almost immediately, Crickett rushed into the street and spotted Romaine not far away.
“I overtook him in St. Ann’s-lane, Westminster. I told him he had a coat which belonged to me. He said he had not, and immediately threw it down.”
Romaine made no attempt to run. Instead, when questioned by the local justice, he simply said:
“I took it… and hoped he would be favourable.”
⚖️ The Verdict and Sentence
The court took little time to deliberate. Grand larceny (any theft over 1 shilling) was a serious offence under the Bloody Code.
Verdict: GUILTY
Sentence: Transportation for seven years
He would likely be sent to a prison hulk, and then shipped off to the American colonies—or, given the year, New South Wales—as part of the burgeoning penal system.
🧠Why This Case Stands Out
- The value of the coat may seem small, but it represented a week’s wages for many at the time.
- Romaine’s immediate confession and hope for leniency are deeply human, reflecting a quiet desperation—perhaps hunger, cold, or hopelessness.
- The speed and efficiency of the Georgian justice system is chilling by modern standards: the theft, arrest, trial, and sentencing all took place within weeks.
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