QSR1852/3/5/16

Depositions of Charlotte Burton, wife of James, William Ralph Young, superintendent of police of Woburn, John Hutton, farmer of Aspley Guise, and William Clay, police constable of Aspley Guise. In the case of Thomas Cook accused of unlawfully obtaining beer.

21 May 1852

From: 1852 To: 1852

Charlotte Burton: wife of James who kept a retail beer shop in Aspley Guise. On 17 May the prisoner came to the house and asked for 6 quarts of beer. She enquired who the beer was for, and he told her Mr Hutton, the farmer and he was working for Hutton. She hesitated at first but in consequence of the statement that there were 6 men working for Mr Hutton, wheat hoeing and twitching, she let him have the beer and 2 stone bottles to put it in. The prisoner asked for 2 pence worth of tobacco,some Lucifer matches, some pipes and a half pint mug. The prisoner returned 2 hours later and asked for 6 quarts of beer and 2 pence of tobacco. As she was short of tobacco she refused. He was displeased at this and told her the work had been done so well that Mr Hutton had sent him for more beer. She asked why Hutton had not sent a note or someone she knew and he said Hutton had no pencil with him and he sent the prisoner as he was the quickest. He stated his name to be George Stapleton. She let him have the 6 quarts of beer in the 2 stone bottles and he left. About 2 hours later he retuned with a stone bottle and said Mr Hutton had broken the other. The prisoner wanted 2 quarts and she refused him and told him she thought him telling falsehoods. He persisted. Mr. Hutton is the landlord of her husband’s house. She had never seen the prisoner before and it was entirely due to his representations that he worked for Mr Hutton that she let him have the beer. John Hutton: a farmer of Aspley Guise. He knew nothing of Thomas Cook and had never employed him. He had never sent him for beer. William Clay: he took the prisoner into custody and told him the charge. The prisoner said "I know, I fetched it". He asked him where one of the bottles was and Cook replied "What's it to you". He said he had been sent to fetch it and would not say by whom as he would suffer for it. He said that they could give him 7 years and he did not care if it was 14, stating "If they don't transport me for this I'll do something as they shall".Statement of the accused: nothing to say

item

Cook, Thomas,
Burton, Charlotte,
Young, William Ralph,
Clay, William,
Hutton, John

ASPLEY GUISE, stealing, beer, fraud, WOBURN, beer retailer