QSR1853/1/5/30

Depositions of Patience Faunch, wife of Daniel, of Leighton Buzzard, Mary Staples, singlewoman of Leighton Buzzard, Esther Faunch, singlewoman of Leighton Buzzard and Joseph Farley, police constable of Heath & Reach. In the case of Thomas Faunch accused of stealing a washing tray and sundry pawnbroker's duplicates.

30 December 1852

From: 1852 To: 1853

Patience Faunch: the prisoner was the brother of her husband, Daniel. Sarah and Esther Faunch, the prisoners sisters, had given her a wooden tea chest and a pair of pewter salt cellars to take care of for them, as well as several items of furniture. She had put the tea chest on a table and the salt cellars on a shelf. On 29 December she missed them. She had not seen the prisoner at her husband’s house. The prisoner lived about a mile away and was not in the habit of visiting. He had not been seen in the house for the last 3 months, and she had not seen him since he came out of prison. She told the prisoners sisters of the missing items and went with them to the police at Heath & Reach. Mary Staples: a single woman living at Leighton Buzzard and sister of Patience Faunch. She knew the prisoner well. On the 28 December she saw him enter the house of Daniel Faunch. Esther Faunch: sister of the prisoner. 5 weeks previous she gave Patience Faunch a wooden tea chest and salt cellars to take care of. She saw living with her at the time, but after giving her the chest, left almost immediately. The salt cellars belonged to the prisoner. She bought the tea chest from her mother for a shilling. The chest contained 7 pawnbrokers duplicates, 5 belonging to her and 2 to her sister Sarah. The previous Saturday the prisoner came to where she was living and told her he would have the things belonging to them, bed and all. He said he would go to Mrs. Faunch's and have them, as his mother bought them and he would enjoy them. She told him they had been left to her and her sister, when their mother had died, and that they should keep them. She told him that if he took them, she would have him taken into custody. Informed by Patience Faunch of the loss, she went to Thomas Faunch's lodging s and saw his landlady and asked her if he had bought a tea chest. She said she knew nothing about the chest. She went with Patience Faunch to the police, and went with Constable Farley to the prisoner’s house. She saw the salt cellars. Joseph Farley: went to the prisoner’s house with Esther Faunch and found the salt cellars. He took the prisoner into custody and told him the charge of taking the tea chest and salt cellars. The prisoner replied "oh what my mother gave me before she died". Farley searched the lodgings but did not find the tea chest. When he took the prisoner to his lodgings had had on a pair of handcuffs, but he released one of the prisoner’s hands when they arrived, so the prisoner could help in the search. When Farley went to replace the handcuffs the prisoner was very violent and tired to escape out of the back door. Farley ran after him and there was a scuffle. The Parish Constable came to Farley's assistance and after much trouble, the handcuffs were replaced.Statement of the accused: the salt cellars were his and he knew nothing of the chest.

item

Faunch, Thomas,
Faunch, Patience,
Faunch, Daniel,
Staples, Mary,
Faunch, Esther,
Farley, Joseph

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, HEATH & REACH, stealing, pawnbroker, household goods