Babes in the Wood

(Elizabeth between Bathurst & Wellington?)
York & Wellington Streets

1837-38 George Williams, Babes in the Wood
1838 Thomas Garrard, Babes in the Wood, York & Wellington Streets

George Williams, of the Babes in the Wood, appeared to answer the complaint of District Constable Peel, for harbouring Christiana Johnson, a prisoner in the service of Mr. Lang. Constable Allsworth deposed, that on Sunday the 18th inst., about halfpast 11 at night, he was on duly with constable Warby, in Elizabeth-street, and hearing a noise in Mr. William’s house, they demanded and obtained admittance; they found the woman Johnson in a back room, where there were two or three men ; on asking her who she was, she at once admitted she was a prisoner, when they took her into custody ; did not hear Mr. Williams accuse her of having represented herself to him as a free woman ; Johnson did not say to deponent, “you know me Johnny. — I have done it.— You have no business with me.”

Constable Warby sworn— accompanied the last Witness on the occasion referred to ; remembers the woman said, addressing herself to him, — “You have no business with me, Johnny, you know I have done it.” The woman was now called in and examined, she corroborated the evidence of Allsworth, and denied using the words imputed to her by Warby, but, two free men named Jones and Welsh contradicted her statement on oath, and maintained that she did ; they represented themselves to be lodgers in the house of Mr. Williams, and recollected their landlady asking the woman when she first came to the house in company with a man, whether she was free, when she replied she was ; they remembered also the words of the woman. Williams offered to call further evidence, but the Bench decided that it was his duty to have insisted on seeing her certificate when the woman said she had done it, and sentenced him to pay a fine of £2 and costs.

It is perfectly clear that constable Allsworth perjured himself in this case, and the Magistrates will do well to be careful how they receive his evidence in future.— ED.
Cornwall Chronicle, 31 March 1838


Hobart Town Courier, 24 May 1839

This might be relevant:

An information against Thomas Garrard, publican, was withdrawn, being informal
Cornwall Chronicle, 25 May 1839

Rising Sun (1) – Barley Sheaf

182930 John Knight, Rising Sun, George Street
1831-82 Thomas Adams, Barley Sheaf, George Street
1834-35 Thomas Dudley, Rising Sun, George Street


Independent, 15 June 1833


Independent, 27 July 1833

By May 1834, this is no longer licensed premises.

Launceston Advertiser, 15 May 1834
Launceston Advertiser, 15 May 1834

In 1860 this appears, which might or might not be the same place:

The Rising Sun.
Mr John Bedford applied for a license to a house in George-street above Dr. Maddox’s buildings, which had been formerly licensed by the name of the “Rising Sun.” The Superintendent of police said the premises had been occupied for some time by the lowest class in the community, and were not in a fit state for occupation as licensed premises. In reply to Mr Bartley, he said he believed that a license to the premises would be an evil in the neighbourhood, and there was no necessity for the license, as there were five other licensed houses in that immediate vicinity. Mr Knight, the landlord of the premises, addressed the Bench, and said the house had formerly been kept respectably until the person who kept it look out a brewer’s license and left it ; since which it had become dilapidated, but he had repaired and improved it to make it suitable for a licensed house. He could have let it as a board and lodging house, but kept it vacant expecting to get the license back to it. Application refused on the grounds of the premises being unsuitable, — no necessity for a public house in the neighbourhood and on general grounds.

Cornwall Chronicle, 8 February 1860