Catalogue description 1 individual petition (Mary Peberdy, wife) and 1 collective petition (9 people of...

1 individual petition (Mary Peberdy, wife) and 1 collective petition (9 people of Shearsby, Leicestershire) on behalf of John Peberdy convicted at Leicester Summer Assizes 1828 of stealing a lamb. There are also letters from [illegible] and from surgeon John Marriott certifying a history of insanity in the family. Grounds for clemency: prisoner has four small children, stole while temporarily insane and has nervous irritability (mother committed suicide and four members of his family are lunatics), prosecutor had not paid him so he took lamb, threatened suicide and did not recognise his wife, she missed chance to vouch for his good character at the assizes. Initial sentence death commuted to transportation for life. KN31