QSR1850/1/5/30-33/a

Depositions of Elizabeth Franklin, wife of John a victualler, Deborah Souster, wife of Joseph, of Hougton Regis, Joseph Janes, blacksmith of Eddlesborough and Edmund Rollins, victualler of Totternhoe, Martha Morgan, and Jabez Thorn, victualler of Eaton Bray, Harriot Johnson, of Houghton Regis, William Turvey, grocer of Totternhoe, Ann Turvey, his wife, Benjamin Neal, a minor, Cornelius Sharpe of Dunstable and John Thorogood of Eaton Bray, police constables. - In the case of Thomas Morris, John Cunningham, John Deeley, John Atkins - accused of passing counterfeit coins

20 December 1849

From: 1849 To: 1850

Cornelius Sharpe: had seen the 4 prisoners together on the road from Dunstable towards Hockcliffe. Later that day he was given custody of the same men by John Thorogood. John Thorogood: saw the 4 prisoner come into Eaton Bray together from the direction of Totternhoe. Deeley went into the Chequers public house, and the other 3 continued towards Eddlesborough. Morris then went into Mr Neal's shop and the other 2 continued. Harriot Johnson: lived in Beal Street, Houghton Regis with her brother, who ran the grocer shop. On 13 December, Thomas Morris, came in and asked for half an ounce of tobacco. He paid with half a crown which she put in the drawer. It was the only half a crown there. Cornelius Sharpe: 14 December he took receipt of the bad half a crown from Harriot Johnson. Elizabeth Franklin: her husband keeps the White Horse public house in Dunstable. The accused John Cunningham came and asked for a half pint of beer. He paid with half a crown, which she put in her pocket. Police Constable Sharpe asked her the following day for the half a crown as it was bad. Cornelius Sharpe: went to the White Horse and asked if they had taken any half crowns from railway labourers the previous day. he took receipt of a bad half a crown from Elizabeth Franklin. Deborah Souter: her husband Joseph keeps the Wheat Sheaf beer shop in Houghton Regis. John Cunningham came in on the afternoon of the 13 December and asked for some gin. She told him they didn't sell gin, so he took a half pint of beer and paid with half a crown. Next day constable Sharpe, asked if they had taken any half crowns from railway labourers the previous day. He took receipt of a bad half a crown. Cornelius Sharpe: took receipt of the bad half a crown from Deborah Souter at the Wheatsheaf. Depositions of James Sinfield, Joseph Bowers, Charles Massey, William Bayldon, Langley, Frederick Higgs have all been crossed out. Mathew Morgan: keeps a shop in Totternhoe. On 13 December Deeley came into the shop and asked for an ounce of tobacco, and paid with half a crown. Later constable Thorogood came and asked about the half crown. John Thorgood: having taking the prisoner Morris to custody, he went to Mathew Morgan and asked if a railway labourer had given him half a crown. Ann Turvey: her husband kept the grocer shop at Totternhoe. On 13 December, Morris came to the shop and bought some tobacco with a half crown. She later heard that some men were passing bad half crowns and checked her half crown, finding it to be bad. She later went with constable Thorogood to the Bell public house and identified Morris as the man who can given the coin to her. William Turvey: on being told of the bad half a crown, by his wife. He passed the half crown to constable Thorogood. John Thorogood: was told by Ann Turvey that the half crown had been given to her by a railway labourer. He went with her to the Bell public house, where she identified Thomas Morris. Joseph Janes: was in the Bell public house in Totternhoe run by Edmund Rollins. John Cunningham came in and asked for half a pint of beer. He paid for it with half a crown. Receiving the change, he left the house. He checked the half a crown and found it to be bad. Edmund Rollins agreed. He saw Cunningham in the company of 3 other men and they were dressed as railway workers. He went on to Eaton Bray, where he stopped at the Chequers, and told Jabez Thorn's wife of the men and not to take their money. He later saw Deeley go to Thorn's house, and he went in asked Mrs Thorn if the prisoner had given her half a crown. She showed him the half a crown which was bad. Edmund Rollins: was shown by his wife half a crown she had received from a railway labourer. He idenitfied it as bad. Janes was there at the time, and they agreed he would follow the man, whilst Rollins informed the police. He later went with constable Thorogood to detain Cunningham & Atkins. Caroline Thorn: her husband kept the Chequers at Eaton Bray. Jospeh Janes came to her and told her Mr Rollins had been passed a bad half crown, and that if the same men were to offer her money, she should take it. John Deeley came in soon after and asked her for gin, of which she had none. He asked instead for ale and paid with half a crown. Janes came in and examined the half crown and detained Deeley until constable Thorogood arrived. John Thorogood: the prisoner Deeley was given into his custody and Mrs Thorn gave him the bad half crown. Benjamin Neal: worked for his uncle at a grocer shop in Eaton Bray. Thomas Morris came into the shop and asked him for half an ounce of tobacco. He paid with half a crown. Constable Thorogood came in directly and asked how Morris had paid and told him to keep the half a crown in his hand. John Thorogood: He saw Morris go into Mr Neal's shop. When he came out, Thorogood went in and asked Benjamin Neal and told him to keep the half crown in his hand. The accused were detained and searched.

item

Morris, Thomas,
Cunningham, John,
Deeley, John,
Atkins, John,
Sharpe, Cornelius,
Thorogood, John,
Johnson, Harriot,
Souter, Deborah,
Franklin, Elizabeth,
Morgan, Mathew,
Turvey, Ann,
Turvey, William,
Janes, Joseph,
Rollins, Edmund,
Thorn, Caroline,
Neal, Benjamin,
Rollins, Edmund

TOTTERNHOE, EATON BRAY, Eddlesborough, HOUGHTON REGIS, Dunstable Chequers, Eaton Bray Chequers, Dunstable White Horse, Church Street, Totternhoe Bell, passing counterfeit coin, Public House, grocer, railway worker, beer seller, gin, tobacco