1783 trial – The Sage Page

📜 This Day in History – 4 August 1783

James Mackey — The Sly Waistcoats That Cost a Life (4 August 1783)
Accused of stealing two waistcoats worth just eight shillings, servant James Mackey was found guilty and sentenced to seven years’ transportation. A small theft—life changing consequences.

This Day in History – 23 July 1783

Ot en Batley – The Great Linen Heist (23 July 1783)
A servant’s bold theft of luxury damask linens led to public whipping and discharge—a rare mercy amid harsh Georgian justice.