QSR1843/1/5/36-37

Depositions and examination - Robert Green and George Edwards

22 November 1842

From: 1842 To: 1843

William Henry Meacher - on Friday afternoon he procured from the Bank of Messrs Bassett and Grant five £5 notes. He paid away three on Saturday and put the remaining two into his pocket book in the side pocket of a jacket he was wearing. He wore this jacket until bedtime on Saturday night when he took it into his bedroom. The next morning about 9am he hung the jacket up in the passage leading from the kitchen of his house to his office. He took the jacket off the hook about 4.30pm and about 6pm he found that one of the notes had been taken from his pocket book. He sent to the Leighton Union Workhouse for Robert Green who was an inmate and who was in the habit of being at his house to clean his knives and shoes. Green was in the house at the time he hung up his jacket and he left him in the house when he went away after doing so. When Green came he asked if he had taken any paper out of his pocket book. Green said he had not but admitted he saw him [Meacher] hang up his jacket. Green left, but being nearly confident he must have taken the note he sent for him again. He searched Green's pocket but did not find the note. One of his waistcoat pockets was very greasy and had the smell of butter. Yesterday morning before the Leighton Bank opened he met Benjamin Willmore the clerk of the Bank who gave the notes to him and asked him for the number. The numbers were 9696, 9849, 9880, 10453 and 10583. The first two numbers were in possession of Richard Walker from whom he had received change on Saturday. The third number was the note produced by William Manley. The fourth note was still in his pocket book, and the fifth he cannot account for except that he supposes it must be the note he gave to Mr John Price on Saturday. About 10am yesterday he was informed that the not produced by Mr Manley had been sent into the Bank by him and that he had received it from a boy from the workhouse. He went to Green and said "you rascal you took that note to Mr Manley and have had silver for it". Green said he did not take it but that George Edwards took it. He asked Green whether the note was in his possession when he searched him and Green said it had been in his right hand waistcoat pocket. When asked if it was the pocket the butter was in he said "yes". He sent for Sherwood the Leighton constable and gave Green and Edwards in charge. He did not give a £5 to Green or Edwards to get changed at Manley's or elsewhere. He is relieving officer of the Leighton Buzzard Union and resides at Leighton Buzzard. William Manley of Leighton Buzzard, grocer, being a Quaker declared and affirmed - he received the note produced from George Edwards for which he gave him £5 worth of silver. Edwrads said the silver was for Mr Meacher. About 10 minutes later he sent the note over to the Bank by William Ransom his apprentice. The same note was directly brough back again to him by Mr Willmore the clerk at the Bank. He observed it was very greasy and discoloured. He also noticed the number of the note and is satisfied it is the same one he received from Edwards. Robert Green - does not wish to say anything. George Edwards - has nothing to say.

item

Green, Robert,
Edwards, George,
Meacher, William Henry,
Willmore, Benjamin,
Walker, Richard,
Manley, William,
Price, John,
Ransom, William

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, Poor Law Union Workhouses, relieving officer, bank clerk, Leighton Buzzard Bank, Bassett & Grant, stealing, money, bank notes, Quakers, grocer