Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1843/2/5/11/a
  • Title
    Depositions - James Sergeant charged with stealing copper and brass from Messrs Kilpin
  • Date free text
    28 March 1843
  • Production date
    From: 1843 To: 1843
  • Scope and Content
    Thomas Skerman of St Paul Bedford, brazier - he is a brazier employed by Messrs Kilpin and Son of Bedford, ironmongers. They always have a great quantity of unmanufactured copper and other metals about the workshop. There was some copper in the braziers shop about a week ago which he cut out for a musical instrument called a seraphim. Yesterday March 27th Mr William Kilpin brought him some pieces of copper which he knew to be a portion of the copper cut out for the musical instrument. It is the copper now produced by Lamb the constable. William Peirce of St Peter Bedford, ironmonger - he is a shopman employed by Mr Howard of Bedford, ironmonger. Yesterday the prisoner came to their shop and brought a quantity of brass and copper for sale. Some of the copper was quite new and he remarked to Sergeant that is was a pity to sell it for old metal. Sergeant said he had bought it at Bentley's sale. He weighed it and there was about 7 1/2 lbs for which he paid him 3s 6 1/2d. The piece of brass now produced by Lamb he knows to have been part of what he bought from Sergeant. It is the ear of a brass kettle. He kept all the metal together until he gave it to Mr William Kilpin. Sergeant has been to his shop repeatedly with metal for sale. He bought the pieces of copper now produced within the last six weeks - it may have been within the last few days. He knows it to be the same because he noticed at the time it was peculiarly cut and thought it had been cut so for a musical instrument. He should say he has bought from Sergeant 8 or 9 times and the apprentice probably as many. On almost every occasion Sergeant brought metal for sale he brought some piping like that produced by Edward Ward. Edward Ward of St Paul Bedford, whitesmith - he is employed by Messrs Kilpin. About 6 or 7 weeks ago he sold Messrs Kilpin the copper piping now produced which he selected last night from other metal in Mr Howard's bin. Two or three days after he sold it to Mr Kilpin he was in Mr Kilpin's workshop. Sergeant was also there. Sergeant picked up a piece which had a joint in it (now produced) and asked what it was used for. Sergeant has often been in the habit of coming into the shop. Samuel Lamb one of the constables of the borough of Bedford - from information received he took Sergeant into custody on a charge of stealing metal and told him it was for stealing metal from Mr Kilpin. He seemed confused and on coming along Cauldwell Street he said "don't make any bother about it for I am the person that stole it. I wanted some money this morning to buy a board with to go to work.
  • Level of description
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