QSR1840/1/5/2

Depositions and examination - Thomas Tucker

19 October 1839

From: 1839 To: 1840

Jane Shepherd, wife of John Shepherd of Leighton Buzzard, gardener - last Thursday morning left her husband's house in Mill Road and went to spend the day at her mother's. The upstairs window at the back of her house was left a little open, the back door was bolted from the inside, the front door locked, and the cellar shutter shut but not fastened from the inside as normal as their man Joseph Stevens had to put some potatoes into the cellar that day. At about 9am Joseph Stevens came to her for the house key and returned it about 9.30 - he said he had not been into the house, but had put the potatoes in the cellar window. He came for the key again soon after 5pm to put some potatoes down the cellar steps as there was not room at the window. She returned home about five minutes after and he was carrying potatoes into the house. About 15 minutes later she went upstairs for some money and discovered 3 sovereigns and 2 half sovereigns had been taken from a little box. She noticed the back door had been unbarred and sent for James Sherwood, the constable of Leighton Buzzard. She suspected Joseph Stevens and gave him into the constable's custody. About 10pm she looked over the fireplace in the sitting room for a watch she had hung there for the purpose of winding it up, but it was gone. The watch belonged to Mr Drage the watchmaker, who had lent it to them while he was cleaning her husband's. It was a silver watch with a metal chain, seal and key attached. Her husband was away from the Wednesday morning to the Friday morning. She did not observe any signs of force having been used to break into the house. John Shepherd of Leighton Buzzard, gardener - last Wednesday morning he left home and went to Banbury. When he returned the previous morning he learned from his wife about the stolen property. The previous afternoon from information received he directed the constable to take Thomas Tucker into custody. The constable found him in a privy in Leighton Buzzard belonging to the houses occupied by William Walker and George Cooper. With Joseph Stevens, James Webster and John Stairs assisting him they searched the privy, emptying the soil into tubs in a cart which they took to the side of the river near Chain Bridge. They emptied the soil onto the grass there and searched it with their hands. He saw a bag which Joseph Stevens picked up - 2 sovereigns fell out. The watch, one sovereign, one half sovereign, one penny and one half penny were also in the bag. The watch was the one borrowed by his wife from John Drage. Joseph Stevens of Leighton Buzzard, labourer - Jane Shepherd lent him the key of her house to put some potatoes into the cellar. The lid of the cellar was shut down but not fastened. He put the potatoes down without going into the house and did not unlock the door. In the afternoon he went to put potatoes down the cellar steps and unlocked the door - almost immediately Mrs Shepherd came home. He put the potatoes into the cellar and went away. He did not open the back door or go upstairs. That morning he helped in searching the privy soil, and picked up the bag now produced, from which some money fell out which was picked up by James Webster. John Shepherd took out of the bag a watch and more money. John Tring of Leighton Buzzard, butcher - on Thursday morning he was at work about 20 yds from John Shepherd's house. About 9.30am he saw a chimney sweeper come out of the back door of the house in a hurry. He stooped down as if to avoid being seen and ran round the house very quickly. The prisoner is about the same size, but he did not see his face. James Sherwood, constable of Leighton Buzzard - on Friday hearing that a chimney sweep had been seen coming out of John Shepherd's house he went in search of Thomas Tucker. He went to John Roberts' shop - Roberts said he was there a few minutes ago. Some boys said they saw him run up a passage. He followed Tucker and heard some money rattle in a privy at the top of the passage. He boke the door open and found Tucker there with 2 half crowns in his hand and a fourpenny piece lying on the floor. He denied knowing anything about the sovereigns and the watch. The privy is in Leck End in Leighton Buzzard and belongs to the houses of William Walker and George Cooper. James Webster of Leighton Buzzard, labourer - on Saturday morning 19th October he helped John Shepherd and Joseph Stevens to remove the soil from the privy. Amongst it he found the watch chain, seal and key. He also saw Joseph Stevens pick up the bag containing the watch and money. That morning he saw Tucker in custody at the Cross Keys Public House - Tucker admitted going into the Shepherds' house at the back door. John Drage of Leighton Buzzard, watchmaker - Mrs Shepherd brought him a watch to repair and he lent her one until he could get it done. It was the watch now produced. which he knows by the name of the maker and by the fly-up spring of the case being broken. Thomas Tucker of Leighton Buzzard, chimney sweeper - has nothing to say. List of amounts of recognizances at end.

item

Tucker, Thomas,
Shepherd, Jane,
Shepherd, John,
Stevens, Joseph,
Sherwood, James,
Stairs, John,
Drage, John,
Walker, William,
Cooper, George,
Webster, James,
Tring, John

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, Leighton Buzzard Mill Road, Leighton Buzzard Chain Bridge, Leighton Buzzard Leck End, Leighton Buzzard Cross Keys, gardener, butcher, chimney sweep, watchmaker, stealing, money, watches, privies, potatoes