Rebecca Clift — A Servant’s Crime and Punishment (29 July 1799)
Found guilty of stealing fine linens from her employer, Rebecca Clift was sentenced to be whipped and transported. Her silence in court remains a haunting footnote in a justice system slow to offer mercy.
Tag Archives: public whipping
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.
The Sage Page 