After his discharge in November 1875, the Register of Returned Convicts for Aberdeen records that James Stewart, who had been sentenced to seven years penal servitude in April 1870 for the theft of a vest, lived at 5 Berry Lane, near Spring Garden, Aberdeen, until at least the expiry of his sentence in April 1877.
Survey date: 1864 to 1867 Publication date: 1869
He was 45 years of age when his photograph was taken and 5 feet 3½ inches tall. What hair he had on his head was described as 'sandy' and he had blue eyes. Among his other distinguishing features were that he "wants upper front tooth, blue spot on right breast, front of body hairy".
The 'Press & Journal' of 4th May 1870 contains a brief report of his trial:
James Stewart, a habit and repute thief, who has been previously convicted of theft, pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing, on the 18th of March, from the person of Robert Forrest, plasterer, a cloth vest, but after evidence had been led, he was convicted and sentenced to Seven Years Penal Servitude. The verdict was received with slight hisses from the back of the court.
From this newspaper report it is evident that Isabella Sievewright, otherwise known as "The Butterfly", who has previously featured in this blog, was tried for one of her many crimes just prior to James Stewart's appearance in court. Unlike Isabella, however, it has not been possible to locate James Stewart on any of the census returns so additional information about him remains scanty.
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