QSR1841/4/5/22/b

Deposition of Joseph Douglas of St Albans (Herts), superintendent of police - Daniel William Browning charged with obtaining money under false pretences

13 August 1841

From: 1841 To: 1841

From information he received on August 7th he went to the Little Red Lion public house at St Albans and saw Browning standing at the bar having beer obtained on account of his stating that a girl of the town had robbed him of £31. Two written papers were shown to him by John Ivory the landlord which he now produces. They are begging petitions stating the sufferer to be Thomas Ward. One describes him to be of Cranfield, and the other of Lilley (Herts). He took Browning into custody, telling him he considered him to be an imposter. On the way to the station he voluntarily stated he knew he had done wrong and supposed he must suffer for it. Browning hoped he would treat him civilly for he had been well brought up. Browning stated he had been in the habit of travelling with carpets and rugs, and that the person who was travelling with him and who was at the Christopher public house had persuaded him to "have off carrying that load of luggage", that he could give him a certain way of getting a living and had given him the petitions. He also stated he was a dealer in strawplait and that he should not carry on this business much longer. When he got a little more money he would go into a small way of business for himself.

item

Browning, Daniel William,
Goude, Henry,
Ivory, John

false pretences, hawker, straw plait dealer, St Albans Little Red Lion, St Albans, CRANFIELD, Lilley