I think you will find there’s TWO chaps named William HEXTALL, one sentenced to transportation in January 1837 at age 21 arriving Van Diemen's Land 22 October 1837, and one a publican with a wife (Mary Cogan) in court in November 1837.
The Leicester Chronicle 24 September 1836
COUNTY GAOL
Committed Sept 16 by the Rev J Dyke, William Hextall, charged with stealing two cows.
The Leicester Chronicle 22 October, 1836
TRIALS POSTPONED
William HEXTALL, in custody on suspicion of stealing two cows, at Croft, will not be tried until the ensuing sessions or assizes.
The Leicester Chronicle 7 January 1837
The County Sessions
Castle of Leicester ………………..
Tuesday January 3, 1837
……………………….
Analysis of the Calendar
Can Read and Write Well
William Hextall aged 21
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COW STEALING
William HEXTALL, a well-dressed young man, was charged with haven stolen two cows, the property of Mr James Brooks, from a field at Croft, five or six miles from Hickley, in the night of Monday the 12th of September. …………………………. The evidence against the prisoner was to this effect:
From 7 o’clock until nearly 10, on the night of the robbery, he was at the house of Charles Heath, publican, in Croft, ten or eleven miles distant from his place of residence. At 12 o’clock, John Mason, of Hinckley, watchman, met him in that town, driving two cows…. Mason inquired more than once whence he came and whither he was going, but the prisoner gave him no direct answer. On Tuesday morning, at half-past 8, Elizabeth Moore saw him driving two cows towards William Dowse’s slaughter-house, near Nuneaton. On the same day, in the afternoon, as John (the brother of William) Dowse was passing the slaughter-house, with a horse and cart, he saw the prisoner quarter one cow and shoot another. The prisoner asked him to take the hide of the cow he had shot to the tan-yard of Mr Burton at Nuneaton, and he consented. After taking off the hide, the prisoner accompanied Dowse part of the road and stated he had bought the cows of a Mr Vox at Horseley, near Coventry, on Monday Sept 12. Dowse left the hide at Mr Burton’s; and William Miles, servant to Mr Burton, deposed that the prisoner also brought a hide to the tan-yard. These hides had been seen by the shepherd, Cockerill, and he deposed that they were those of the cows stolen from his master’s field. The horns were produced in Court; and one pair was sworn to both by Mr Brooks and the shepherd, and the latter swore also to the second pair. Mr Brooks further deposed, that the prisoner, after his committal, voluntarily confessed to him that ‘he took the cows he found them in the lane’. Mr Burnsby, after addressing the jury in the prisoner’s behalf, called three or four witnesses, who deposed that he had borne a good character for honesty previous to his apprehension on the present charge.
The jury returned a verdict of “Guilty”, accompanied with a recommendation to mercy on the ground of previous good character; but the Chairman said that the recommendation could be of no avail – the penalty was imperatively transportation for life; and this sentence of perpetual banishment was accordingly passed upon the prisoner.
The Leicestershire Mercury Saturday 4 November 1837.
James Warner was charged with Assaulting William HEXTALL, landlord of the Ten Bells, Sanvy-gate, on account of his refusing to supply him with drink when he was intoxicated. The complaintant called his housekeeper, Mary Cogan (alias Mrs Hextell) to corroborate his statement. The defendant denied the charge. …………………. Mr Hextall (who stated that he was only come from Mailstone in March) said that he intended to give up the house ……
JM
