QSR1851/1/5/35

Depositions William Milligan, straw bonnet manufacturer of Dunstable, Hannah Eames, William Eames, straw plait dealer of Dunstable, Edward Scott, police constable of Westoning and James Bates, police superintendent of Ampthill. In the case of Thomas Taylor accused of stealing 15 pounds in silver.

16 December 1850

From: 1850 To: 1851

William Milligan: on Friday 13 December, he gave 3 five pound notes to his forewoman Hannah Eames, to get changed to pay the bonnet sewers on Saturday. The notes were in a small bag. The prisoner was in the employ of Mr Bottrel a painter and glazier. He was working from his house on the day in question. Hannah Eames: wife of William and employed by Mr Milligan. On the evening of 13 December she received the 3 five pound notes from Mr Milligan. The notes were in a bag. On 14 December she gave them to her husband William, to get them changed for silver at the bank. A little before noon, he husband bought back the same bag, contained what she believed to be silver. She placed the bag in the stock box on one side of the warehouse, and left it there. She went to attend to business, returning 10 minutes later to find it gone. She had seen the prisoner at work there on that day. She made enquiries about the prisoners, after discovering the bag gone, and found he had also gone. William Eames: was given a bag with 3 five pound notes in by his wife. He went to the bank and changed them for silver. He then took it to Mr Milligan's warehouse and gave it to his wife, after he had counted it in the warehouse. Edward Scott: from information received he traced the prisoner to the Falcon Public House in Evershott. He took him into custody. He was the worse for liquor and refused to give his name. On searching him he found the bag. He watched Superintendent Bates count the money inside. James Bates: the prisoner was bought to him by Constable Scott. He asked the prisoner his name and he told him it was Thomas Taylor. He had had a lot to drink. He counted the money in the bag and it contained 13 pounds, 19 shillings and 11 pence halfpenny. When Taylor was sober next morning, Bates told him of the charge. His reply was to say that “I wish I could fall to my knees and beg pardon”. Taylor said that he had been working all week with hardly anything to eat, and that he should not have taken it, and he had not been short of money before. Taylor had a silk handkerchief he believed he had purchased from a man at the Three Horse Shoes public house.Statement of the accused - nothing to say except that "I did it"

item

Taylor, Thomas,
Milligan, William,
Eames, William,
Eames, Hannah,
Scott, Edward,
Bates, James,
Bottrel

DUNSTABLE, WESTONING, AMPTHILL, Eversholt Falcon, glazier, stealing, money, straw hat manufacturer, straw dealer, wages