QSR1840/1/5/34-35/c

Depositions of Gaius Clarabut, son of Anne Clarabut, aged 12 years, and Thomas Curtis of Russell Street, St Paul's, Bedford - William Holmes, Henry Fowles and William Fowles charged with receiving stolen goods

21 December 1839

From: 1839 To: 1840

Gaius Clarabut - he has known William Holmes, Henry Fowles and William Fowles for about a year. Holmes works for his mother as a shoemaker. About a month ago he took the spectacles out of a drawer in his mother's room. He went to Henry Fowles' house with them. He showed them to John Fowles first and asked what he would give for them. When asked what he wanted for them he said 2s. Fowles took them to show to his father upstairs. John Fowles returned with the spectacles and said his father would give him 18d. He agreed and sold the specatacles. He did not see Fowles' father. After that, one Sunday he took the watch from the same drawer in his mother's room. He was going towards Fowles' house and saw William Fowles, who signed for him to come in. Fowles went upstairs to dress and when he came down they went together into another room - nobody else was in that room, but his father, mother, and one of his brothers adn sisters were in the room he first entered. William Fowles asked "what have you got to sell today?". He said a watch. Fowles told him to whisper so that his mother would not hear. They went out together into the street and when out of sight of his mother round by Mr Francis the bricklayer's Fowles asked what he wanted for the watch. When asked what he would give Fowles offered a shilling. They agreed on a shilling and another 3d later. Fowles gave the shillng and put the watchin his coat pocket and said no one should ever see it. Fowles later gave him the 3d. Before he took the spectacles, William Fowles and Holmes when they were both at work together (Curtis was not there) asked whether he could get anything from his house without his mother knowing and said they would give him the price he asked if he took them anything. Fowles then asked if he could get any books and said he wanted a History of Greece - that was another time. The day after Fowles asked for the History of Greece he took it and the History of England from his mother's house to Fowles in the work room. He and Holmes were both there together. He gave teh History of Greece to William Fowles and the History of England to Holmes. They each offered him 6d. Fowles paid him the 6d on Sunday - when he did so Fowles asked if he could get any more books and he said no. He had the snuff box in his pocket and had taken it that day from another of his mother's drawers. He sold Fowles the snuff box for 3d. After that Fowles asked him one night when he had been to Holmes's shop whether his mother ever found out about the things. He said she had never said anything about them. Fowles said "I'll keep everything safe no one shall ever see them". Holmes also asked if his mother ever missed the things and promised to keep them safe in a box. Response to Henry Fowles - he only spoke to him once and that was to wish him good morning. He did not say when he took the spectacles to Fowles house that he picked them up on the Goldington Road and Mr Coble's apprentice saw him, but did say he found them on the Clapham Road. Response to William Holmes - he does not recollect that he took the spectacles first to Holmes. He thought he took them first to Fowles' father and told William Fowles he found them on the Clapham Road. William Fowles told him to be sure not to show them to Holmes as he would tell his mother. Holmes did as him to bring things to him for sale, after he brought the books. He took a silver chain and a pair of blue glassed spectacles belonging to his mother to Holmes who told him to take them back again, but only after he had had them for a day or two and when he asked for them back. Holmes told him to put them back if he could without his mother knowing. Response to William Fowles - Fowles asked if the watch was his. He said the watch was his then. Fowles never asked if he might sell it. Thomas Curtis - he works with William Holmes. He has often seen Gaius Clarabut at Holmes's workshop. He does not remember Clarabut bringing anything while he was there. He has seen articles up in Holmes's shop and heard both Holmes and William Fowles say they came from young Clarabut. He heard Holmes say he thought it could not go on long without being found out. Fowles said the same. From what they said they meant they knew the things were not come by honestly. He saw a silver chain in Holmes's possession - Holmes said he bought it from young Clarabut for 2d. He remembers young Clarabut coming to the first landing of the stairs and calling Holmes. He heard them whispering together. They came into the room - Holmes said he had returned the chain because Clarabut was afraid it would be found out. Young Clarabut also asked for the blue spectacles to be returned, and Fowles gave them up. He had heard Fowles say he bought them he thinks for 9d. Clarabut told Holmes and William Fowles that his mother had missed the spectacles. Note that Joseph Curtis of Russell St St Pauls Bedford, tea hawker was bound in £20.

item

Holmes, William,
Fowles, Henry,
Fowles, William,
Fowles, John,
Clarabut, Gaius,
Clarabut, Anne,
Curtis, Thomas,
Curtis, Joseph

Bedford St.Paul, Bedford Goldington Road, Bedford Clapham Road, Bedford Russell Street, receiving stolen goods, watches, books