QSR1851/2/5/6b/a

Depositions George Field, labourer, of Luton, John Millard, police constable, of Luton, and Joseph Mantua, watchmaker & jeweller, of Luton. In the case of William Eves accused of stealing a silver watch

24 March 1851

From: 1851 To: 1851

Joseph Mantua: the prisoner had been in his employment for 10 or 11 years, attending to the repair of watches and jewellery. He had taken a watch in exchange from a Mr John Hunt, who he had first sold the silver watch to in 1848. The sale did not work out and the watch was returned in December 1849 and exchanged it for another, He then prisoner to regulate it. He later missed the watch in March 1850. Mr Hunt had come in to settle a balance and asked after the original silver watch. Mantua asked the prisoner about it and he said he did not know its whereabouts and pretended to look for it. In consequence of information received he went to see George Field, and he was able to swear the watch in George field's possession was the missing silver watch. The watch was the joint property of Joseph Mantua and his Uncle Peter. The prisoner was discharged from their employment about a month previous to the charge and Eves had on previous occasion had money advance to him to enable him to pay his rent. Mantua knew Eves to have a bugle. George Field: bought the watch from the prisoner in December 1850. Field had a keyed bugle and the prisoner wanted to exchange the watch for the bugle. Field gave Eves a pound, 5 shillings and the bugle in exchange for the watch. John Millard: on 18 March he went to London with a warrant for the prisoner. He saw the prisoner walking up Oxford Street. He advanced him that he had a warrant for the change of stealing a watch. Eves told him the watch had been his own and he had had it for 2 years.

item

Eves, William,
Field, George,
Millard, John,
Mantua, Joseph,
Hunt, John

LUTON, stealing, watches, jeweller, watchmaker, Oxford Street, bugle