QSR1840/4/5/15/b

Depositions of Thomas Welch, William Pedder, Isaac Cawdell and Thomas Erskine Austin - John Miles charged with stealing a gold chain

17 August 1840

From: 1840 To: 1840

Thomas Welch of Luton, labourer - last Friday evening about 5pm he received a parcel from John Miles. Miles asked him to take it to the Post and he told Miles he would give it to William Pedder. Miles gave him 6d to pay the postage. He gave it to Pedder to take to the post. Miles said there was a bunch of keys in it which he was going to send to London. William Pedder - he received the parcel from Thomas Welch. It was a brown paper parcel "naled" with 3 black "nals", about the size of a letter. Welch told him to take it to the Post Office. He paid 4d for the postage and delivered it to the lad at the Post Office. He could read that it was directed to Mrs Miles London, but the other part was "scrabbling" writing. Isaac Cawdell - he is employed in the Post Office at Luton. On Friday evening William Pedder brought a parcel - he generally brings Mr Crawley's letters. Pedder paid him 4d. The letter weighed above an ounce. He gave it to Mr Erskine Austin. Thomas Erskine Austin - he is postmaster of Luton. On Friday evening he saw a parcel brought by William Pedder which Isaac Cawdell handed to him. Cawdell set he could not make out the direction. He read it, but it was in very bad writing. It was rather a thick parcel less than the size of a letter and evidently had something in it.

item

Miles, John,
Crawley, Samuel,
Welch, Thomas,
Pedder, William,
Cawdell, Isaac,
Austin, Thomas Erskine

stealing, JEWELLERY, postmaster, post office employee, LUTON