QSR1851/3/5/12/a

Depositions of Jonathan Mead, labourer of Dunstable, and Cornelius Sharpe, police constable of Dunstable. In the case of Samuel Sinfield, accused of stealing a Banbury Cake

12 May 1851

From: 1851 To: 1851

Jonathan Mead: on 10 May about 11 at night, he was in the street near The Rose and Crown public house in Dunstable. The prisoner and several other boys came up to him and asked if he had any saveloys. He replied that he did and set down his basket by the butcher’s stall. He saw the prisoner put his hand in the basket and when he pulled it out, he had something in his hand, and he then went to the back of the stall. Mead looked in the basket and missed a penny banbury cake. Another boy had put his hand in the basket but was told to take his hand out and he did. There was nothing in his hand. The asked the prisoner to pay for the cake, but he said he did not have it. Mead handed him over to the custody of the police. Cornelius Sharpe: he saw the prisoner and heard Mead accuse him of stealing a cake out of his basket. The prisoner denied having done so and swore at the prosecutor. Mead gave him into Sharpe’s custody. When Sharpe had taken him about 10 yards, Sharpe saw him take his right hand from his smock frock pocket and moved it to his left side and dropped the cake on the ground. Sharpe showed the cake to Mead, who identified it as the stolen one. The prisoner said he had not dropped it and had never had it.

item

Sinfield, Samuel,
Mead, Jonathan,
Sharpe, Cornelius

DUNSTABLE, Dunstable Rose & Crown, stealing, cake