QSR1842/1/5/38-41/a

Depositions - John Field, Walter Godfrey, William Scales and Thomas Peck

15 December 1841

From: 1841 To: 1842

Joseph Keeling of Luton, dealer in hardware - James Manton came to him on Friday morning and told him his windows were broken. He found 2 panes broken. His wife missed 8 knives. Hearing that Field was in custody he told the policeman to let him know if he found any knives. On Sunday afternoon Smalley the policeman came to him and showed him some knives. He believed them to be his, though he could not swear to them. On Monday morning Smalley showed him 2 more knives which he is positive are his. Henry Smalley, police constable at Luton - from information received he went to William Scales and asked if he knew John Field. Scales said he did. He asked if Scales was with Field when he took the knives from Mr Keeling's. He said he was. He cautioned Scales. Scales said he had a knife. He went to Scales house with him and Scales produced it - it was one of the 4 now produced with bone handles. Scales said Field gave him one directly they took it out of the window. He met Robert Biggs in the street who said he had a knife he had bought from Field for 4d. Biggs went home and brought him the knife, one of those with bone handles. One of the two with horn handles he received from James Brown who said he had bought it from William Taylor. The other he received from George Terry who said he had bought it from Walter Godfrey. The 4 prisoners were all present and he cautioned them in the presence of Peck's mother. They all said that Field took the knives out and gave the others 3 one each, keeping 5 himself. Godfrey said they had lost one almost opposite Keeling's Field said he took out the knives and gave the others one each. Robert Biggs - the knife he gave to Smalley he had from John Field. The previous Saturday he was going to his grandfather's to fetch a side of mutton. He met Field in the street. Field said "look here Bob, what I have just been and bought". Field showed him a knife and said he would sell it for 4d. Field owed him 4d and gave him the knife for it. William Taylor - one of the knives with a horn handle he bought from John Field last Saturday. He met Field under the Market House. Field wanted 6d for it. He gave Field a whip and 3d for it. George Terry - he had one of the knives with a horn handle from Godfrey. He thinks it was last Thursday or Friday. He swapped it with Godfrey for a little spying glass, a black lead pencil and a penny. He knows the knife because he broke the point off. William Fensom - one of the knives now produced he had from Thomas Peck. He met him in the street and gave him 6d for it. Peck did not tell him where he got it from.

item

Godfrey, Walter,
Field, John,
Scales, William,
Peck, Thomas,
Keeling, Joseph,
Smalley, Henry,
Manton, James,
Biggs, Robert,
Brown, James (d),
Taylor, William,
Terry, George,
Fensom, William

LUTON, stealing, cutlery, dealer in hardware, police constable