The following gives the transcriptions of a few of the cases held in London assizes and certainly shows the difference in the kinds of evidence and statements required today.

11 January 1775 A case of simple grand larceny where RICHARD WOOD was indicted for stealing three case knives (value sixpence) and three case forks (value six-pence) the property of GEORGE HEBDEN on January 2nd 1775. The prosecutor was called, but not appearing his recognizance was ordered to be estreated. The accused was acquitted.

3rd December 1780
MARY, otherwise ELIZABETH CARPENTER was indicted for stealing a silver quart tankard (value 3 l. 10 s) and eight silver table spoons( value 3 l) the property of GEORGE HEBDEN on October 12.
MARY HEBDEN’S STATEMENT
I hired the prisoner as a servant of all work on Thursday the 12th of October, she came to be hired in the morning about ten o'clock; she told me a story of her distress, that she came from Essex; that it would put her to great inconvenience and expense to send her back again; upon this representation I took her without a character; she staid with me till dinner was over; after dinner she took the tankard and eight spoons which had been used at dinner into the wash-house to clean; having done so she found some opportunity of slipping out of the house and left her bonnet behind; I immediately missed the tankard and the spoons; on Friday, which was the next day, one Henley, a pawnbroker, brought home five of the spoons.
HENLEY STATEMENT
. I am a pawnbroker; these five spoons (producing them,) were pawned in the name of Mary Carpenter, on the 12th of October, but I was not present at the time; on the 20th, after I had found who the spoons belonged to, and carried them home, the prisoner came for half a guinea more upon the spoons; she described them to be the spoons pledged at such a time in the name of Mary Carpenter; I followed her and had her secured; she said if she was brought to my house she would confess the whole; she was prevailed upon to confess by my telling her that if she told the whole truth, it was likely the court would be more favourable to her.
Court. You must not give in evidence any thing she said after such a promise as that being made to her.
George Whitby another pawnbroker produced two spoons, and deposed they were pledged at his shop by the prisoner herself, on the very day these were stolen. - Worthy produced a tankard under the same circumstance. Another pawnbroker produced another spoon, all of which they deposed were pawned by the prisoner at their different shops, on the very day they were stolen. All the spoons so produced were proved by Mrs.Hebden, to be the property of her husband.
PRISONER's DEFENCE
I leave myself to the mercy of the court; I am seven months gone with child.
Verdict & sentence : GUILTY. Imprisonment for 12 Months.
Tried by the London Jury before Mr. RECORDER.

1790
Trial of Alexander King. Theft and simple grand Larceny, 26th May 1790.
ALEXANDER KING was indicted for stealing, on the 20th of May, one wooden cask, called a half hogshead, value 3 s. 6 d. and twenty-eight gallons of vinegar, value 20 s. the property of William Smith and Co.
JOHN BACON’s STATEMENT
I am a master lighterman. On the 12th of May, between three and four in the afternoon, I was in Thames-street; and I saw the prisoner rolling a half hogshead of vinegar; I saw him rolling it up Dunstan's-hill; I saw the mark on the cask; and I went up and took hold of him; he said he was going to roll it into Tower-street; and afterwards he said to Westminster. I have the property in a warehouse of mine.
JOHN HAMMETT’S STATEMENT
I am a hair-dresser: I saw him roll it up the Custom-house gateway: I am a constable; I took it from the prisoner, and put it into Mr. Bacon's warehouse.
WILLIAM SMITH’S STATEMENT
I am a cheesemonger. Agreeable to a note I have, this vinegar was sent to go by a vessel, to Hull, of which I am part owner; I have seen the vinegar at Mr. Bacon's warehouse.
(The note handed to the Court.)
Court. Who is LEONARD HEBDEN? - The person who sent it to be shipped.
Where did you get this note? - From the Quays.
Do you know the cask? - No.
Court. As Mr. HEBDEN is not here, the prisoner must be ACQUITTED.
Tried by the London Jury before Mr. RECORDER

1793 RICHARD WOOD was indicted for stealing, on the 21st of April 1793, three muslin neckcloths, value 3 s. the goods of JOHN HEBDEN, privately in his shop.
WILLIAM HEBDEN sworn.
I am a brother to JOHN HEBDEN. The prisoner on the 21st of last month, at No. 49, Oxford-street, on Monday, in the year of our lord 1793, in the month of April, he asked to look at some silk handkerchiefs; I had not got any that would suit him; then he asked to look at some neckcloths, which I showed him; he bought one which cost him four shillings, which he paid for; as I was going to wish him good night our young man came in and had a suspicion that he had got something inside of his hat, and he stopped him as he was going to the door, and he pulled off the prisoner's hat, and took the neckcloths out, and asked me if I could swear to the mark on them? I told him I could not.
Mr. Const. Are you sure that this happened on Monday? - Yes, it did.
Q. Not on Saturday, because Monday is the 22d? - It was Monday.
JOHN MANTLE sworn.
I came in on Monday as I had been out, and I saw Richard Wood in the shop, I had some suspicion of his having some neckcloths in his hat, from which I asked to look inside of his hat, and there I found a neckcloth, which appears to be ours from the mark; I cannot say whose marking it is, because we have two shops, one in Holborn, but it is the same as ours; he had bought one and this appears of the same writing with that he had bought; I sent for a constable and had him taken up, and he was committed from the office.
Q. Did you ever ascertain whose mark it was at either shop? - I never did; I have not had it since the constable took it.
Mr. Const. You went before the justice? - I did.
Q. You know nothing of the mark yourself, and you applied to your master and asked him if he could swear to it? - I did not; I asked BENJAMIN HEBDEN, he said it was our mark.
Q. So if this man had bought it at the other shop it must have exactly the same mark? - It must.
CHARLES HITCHCOCK sworn.
I know nothing further than being sent for as an officer; the things were taken from the prisoner before I came to the shop, and they were delivered into my custody, and this is the property delivered to me,
Prisoner. They are my property; I bought them.
Verdict :NOT GUILTY.
Tried by the first Middlesex Jury before Mr. Justice ASHURST.

JOHN THOMAS was indicted for stealing, on the 26th of September, forty-one yards of fustian, called thickset, value 5 l. sixteen yards of cotton velveteen, value 2 l. twenty yards of velveret for waistcoats, value 2 l. 10 s. fifty yards of woollen cloth, value 18 l. twelve yards of printed dimity, value 24 s. the goods of Richard Roberts and WALTER HEBDEN, in the dwelling house of Walter Hebden
. (The case opened by Mr. Knapp.)
WALTER HEBDEN sworn.
My partner's name is Richard Roberts; we are warehousemen and ironmongers. the prisoner was a porter of ours about three years.
Q. I believe you had occasion to send him out on Friday the 27th of September; I believe that was the day that he did not come home after he performed the errand? - He did not.
Q. In consequence of this had you any suspicion that you had lost any of your property? - Yes.
Q. Did you obtain a warrant of the Lord Mayor? - I did, we sent the warrant down to Liverpool, and the prisoner was taken there; the box with the property was brought along with him by the constable from Liverpool.
Q. Now about this dwelling house where this property was, is it your own dwelling house? - The warehouse forms a part of the house, it is the ground floor.
Q. Pray does the partnership account contribute to pay the rent of the dwelling house? - I allow to the trade for the upper part of the house.
Q. I believe you had a search warrant to search a person of the name of Rose? - We did, he lives in Brick-lane, Old-street; we found there two pieces of pillow fustian that is not in the indictment.
Q. When you was before the Lord Mayor was the box produced? - It was.
Q. Was you present at the time the prisoner was before the Lord Mayor? - I was.
THOMAS LAWRENCE sworn.
I was present before the Lord Mayor when the prisoner was examined; the box and prisoner were delivered to me at the same time, the prosecutor has had the box ever since, Mr. Hebden.
Q. Did you hear any confession made by the prisoner at the bar? - Yes.
Q. Was it taken in writing? - It was.
Q. Look at this and see if it is the Lord Mayor's hand writing? - It is, and I witnessed it; there was no promise made to him whatever, he voluntarily confessed.
(The confession read.)
The voluntary examination and confession of John Thomas, charged with felony, taken before Sir James Sanderson, Mayor, on the 21st of October 1793, who confesseth, and says,
"That the box, now produced by Richard Howard, is his, the examinant's property, and that the piece of thickset and all other goods therein, are the property of Mr. Walter Hebden and Richard Roberts, except the wearing apparel therein, with whom this examinant lived as a porter, and was stolen by this examinant from their warehouse in Ironmonger-lane, at different times, whilst he was in their service; that he, the said examinant, wrote the direction on the box, Charles Marshall, Liverpool, to be left there till called for, and his intent was to take the said box and goods therein to Ireland, and to dispose of them there." Taken and acknowledged before me, at the Mansion house, London, James Sanderson, Mayor.
A further examination on the 23d of October of the aforesaid John Thomas, who voluntarily faith;
"That about two months ago he sold to one John Nightingale, two yards and a quarter of velveteen, at the house of Mrs. Rose, in Brick-lane, Old-street, and that she was present when he so did it. Taken before me, James Sanderson, Mayor.
(The box and goods produced.
) Hebden: One piece in particular has got our name and number on it.
Prisoner. I leave it to your lordship, and my master's mercy.
GUILTY.
Of stealing, but not in the dwelling house. (Aged 27.)
Transported for seven years.
Tried by the London Jury before Mr. Baron HOTHAM.

1795

JOHN WATTS was indicted for feloniously stealing two pounds weight of goat's wool, value 10s. the property of Owen Neal, Nov. 20.
JOHN NICHOLLS sworn.
On Friday the 20th of November I went to the quay, to get four bales of wool weighed by the landing waiter; the quays were so blocked up that it was impossible to get it done; I staid from eleven to one, at which time the land waiters go to dinner; I left them in charge of the King's officers; when I came down at three o'clock I found one of the bales cut open, and a quantity taken out; I cannot say how much, there might be two or three pounds weight of goat's wool missing; it was a large hole; they belonged to Mr. Neale, I entered them for him as his broker.
Q. At that time was there any other goat's wool upon the quay? - A. There was not; I was informed that a man was taken into custody, in the act of stealing it; the next day I went before the Lord Mayor, but he was not brought up till the day after.
- RILEY sworn
. On Friday the 20th of November I came down to Wiggin's quay, where these bales were, and I detected this man in the act of putting some sort of goods into his breeches, or trousers; I did not know what the article was till he walked off, seeing that I had detected him, to the water side; and there I saw him throw the goat's wool that he had into the river; I then told one of the king's officers, that he should take charge of that man, which he did; I then went to the bales that I supposed he took them from, and found two bales cut open.
Q. You did not see him take it from the bale? - A. No; I did not; there was a great deal taken from it, as much as to leave room for two hats.
Q. Was this wool ever taken out of the Thames. - A. It was; I believe there is an officer in Court who has it.
Q. (To Nichols). This is described to be Wiggin's quay; was it Wiggin's quay where these bales lay? - A. It was.
WILLIAM HEBDENsworn.
I am a King's officer; I took the prisoner with part of the property upon him; he threw part of it into the River, and I saved the remainder. Mr. Riley gave me the alarm, he had a quantity about him in his trousers; when the constable examined him, he said he had no knife about him, that he could not have cut the bag, but there was one found upon him by the constable. I examined the bales, there was a quantity taken out of two bales; it is a thing that is very light; I cannot say how much there was of it.(The constable deposed that he took charge of the prisoner, that Hebden delivered the property to him which he produced).
Q. (To Nichols). Are you a judge of the value of it? - A. The remainder sold at 7s. a pound; I think there was more than two pounds of it; worth 16 or 17s.
Constable. I examined the prisoner and found the wool in this paper in his trousers, and a knife; I saw him throw some of the wool overboard; the knife is a very sharp one, it is like a razor.
Prisoner's defence. I was coming along and saw the wool lying upon the ground; I turned back and picked it up; I never took a bit out of the bale, nor touched the bale; I have been on board a man of war for 14 years, and was discharged because I was subject to fits.
GUILTY. (Aged 44.) Imprisonment in Newgate
Tried by the London Jury, before Mr. RECORDER.

13th April 1763 John Turner was indicted for stealing one silver tankard, val. 5 l. the property of Mary Ebden, in the dwelling-house of the said Mary, April 4.
MARY EBDEN Statement:. I live at the Bleeding Heart, Cross-street, Hatton-garden. On the 4th of this instant I lost a silver tankard, I advertised it, and it was found in consequence of that. (A parcel of plate seemingly the contents of a tankard cut in pieces produced in court. She takes up the lid, which was only doubled together) This I can swear to, here is my mark plain to be seen on it, I have great reason to believe the rest to belong to it.
George Rankin . I am constable. I brought the prisoner from Barnet, a Broker there had stopped him; when I came to him, he confessed he had taken the tankard out of the prosecutrix's house, and cried, and was very sorry for what he had done. It was then in pieces in the same condition as now.
Thomas Winkley:. I am Mrs. Ebden’s son. I went to Barnet in order to bring the prisoner to town, he there confessed to me and the constable that he took this tankard from our house. It is my mother's property.
Prisoners Defence: I leave it to the mercy of the court.
He called five people to his character, who all said he was a Shoemaker by trade, and worked hard at his business, and behaved by what they ever knew before very honestly.
VERDICT AND SENTENCE: Guilty Death.

SEPT 1750. William Thompson , and Joseph Weeks , were indicted for stealing a gelding, of a sorrel colour, value 3 l. the property of John Riley , August 22. The prosecutor had occasion to dismount, to do a chare for himself, he left his horse at a gate and went into a field. When he returned, his hat, which he had left hanging upon the gate, was gone. He fear'd there might be some persons near at hand, that would make an attempt upon him, turn'd his horse up, knowing he would go home; and he walk'd a nearer way cross the field (this was August the 22d. about nine o'clock at night). He never saw his horse again till September the 10th. ROBERT HEBDEN , a witness, said the prisoners found the horse upon the road, without a rider, so rode him to town.
VERDICT:Both acquitted.