QSR1842/3/5/17-19/a

Depositions of James Hart and William Coombs - Ruth Newell, Sarah Houghton and Martha Houghton, charged with stealing shoes from James Hart of St Cuthbert, Bedford

30 April 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

James Hart of St Cuthbert Street, St Cuthbert, Bedford, shoemaker - he does not know the prisoners. He keeps a stall in Bedford market for the sale of shoes. He did not miss any shoes until he saw a crowd in the market just behind his stall. He went into the crowd and Mr Coombs the chief constable showed him a pair of boots. He knew them by the lasting and making to be the property of himself and his partner Joseph Hart. They were on his stall 2 minutes before. He believes all 3 prisoners - he can swear to Newell and Sarah Houghton - were at his stall at that time asking for articles he had not got. He has not missed anything else. The boots produced are a pair of new woman's lasting boots worh 5s. They are the same boots shown to him by Mr Coombs. The prisoners looked at some shoes at his stall. He turned his back on them to serve another customer and was punching holes in a little pair of shoes. When he turned round the prisoners were gone. His stall was in the market near St Paul's church. The boots are his brother's make. William Coombs chief constable of Bedford - between 1 and 2 o'clock today he went with Mr Goddard in search of 2 women he suspected of having stolen a pair of shoes from his shop in Silver Street. They went to the stall of James Hart and found Martha Houghton and Sarah Houghton. Martha Houghton was carrying the large basket [produced]. He asked her in Goddard's hearing if she had been to his shop. She said she had. He then asked her to let him look in her basket. The daughter Sarah Houghton said "that is not your basket - the girl [pointing to Ruth Newell, who was then on the other side of Hart's stall going up the market] has got your basket". He then followed Ruth Newell who seemed to be in a great hurry and saw the other smaller basket [produced] in her hand. He perceived a rustling under her cloak and then she came opposite another shoemaker's stall in another part of the market and he saw the pair of lasting boots [produced] drop from under her cloak. He took her into custody and searched her basket but there were no other shoes in it. When he took her into custody she said the boots had dropped from off the stall (Rumsey's) against which she then was. He is positive he saw them drop from under her cloak. Rumsey came and looked at the boots and said they were not his. He then took Newell back to Hart's stall to look for the other two prisoners but they were gone. Hart then identified the boots as his property. He has since searched all 3 of the prisoners but can find no more shoes on them. Martha Houghton owns the large basket produced and Newell who had the smaller basket which Sarah Houghton said was her mother's owns that.

item

Newell, Ruth,
Houghton, Sarah,
Houghton, Martha,
Hart, James,
Hart, Joseph,
Coombs, William,
Goddard, John,
Rumsey

Bedford St.Cuthbert, Bedford St Cuthbert's Street, stealing, shoes, boots, shoemaker