Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1853/3/5/3-6/a
  • Title
    Depositions of Samuel Thrussell, labourer of Luton, William Pedder, gardener of Luton, Robert Paybody, innkeeper of Luton, John Bellett, Salesman of Leadenhall Market, Edward Funnell, police constable of London, George Poulter, labourer of Luton, Norman Snoxall, police constable of Luton, Edward Godfrey Superintendent of Police of Luton, Alfred Atherton Murfin, police constable of Luton, William Latchford, Grocer of Hemel Hempstead, John Gregory, on behalf of Mary Ann Chance, a minor, Charles Thorogood, on behalf of Emma Thorogood, a minor. In the case of John Worton & Henry Hull, accused of stealing 3 live swans and James Knowles & John Barrett accused of receiving 3 live swans.
  • Date free text
    25 April 1853
  • Production date
    From: 1853 To: 1853
  • Scope and Content
    Samuel Thrussell: employed by Richard Marks Brown who kept 4 swans. Thrussell was in the habit of feeding them. On 13 April he missed them having seen them the previous day. Mr Brown had bred them all and they were all pinioned. He could identify them. William Pedder: worked at the vicarage and was in the habit of seeing Mr Brown's swans come there. On 12 April he saw 2 live swans in the river. He missed them the next morning. One had a broken bill and one of the recovered birds also had a broken bill. Robert Paybody: occupied a garden on the opposite side of the river to the vicarage. He had been in the habit of seeing Mr Brown's swans there and they used to come into his garden. One had a broken beak. John Bellett: a salesman at Leadenhall Market. James Knowles came to him about the swans on 15 April. Knowles said he had seen Mr Franks, Bellett's brother-in-law, about a week before and Mr Franks had told him he would give him 12 shillings a piece for them if they were sound. Knowles said he would bring the swans in a cart. 2 of the swans were in a sort of hamper and the other in a sack. One was a little lame and one had a broken beak. He paid Knowles 12 shillings a piece. Knowles also produced 3 eggs asking a shilling a piece. He gave him 2 shillings for them. He made out a bill for £1.18. Knowles put his mark on it as he could not write. On 21 April Mr Funnell, of the detective police, came to the shop to enquire of the swans. They were for sale in the shop. The swans were left in his care. The entry in the cash book was dated 15 April, the day he bought them, but the bill was marked 14 April in error. Bellett managed the business with his brother in law Mr Franks of No.4 Ship Tavern Passage, Leadenhall Market. He also carried out business at No.6. Edward Funnell: he went to Leadenhall market on 21 April and saw 3 swans in the front of Mr Franks shop for sale. Mr Bellett said they were his swans, which he had purchased a few days before at about 8 o'clock in the morning. Bellett said the seller gave his name as John Knowles of Hemel Hempstead and showed him the receipt. Bellett said he thought he would know the man again. The swans answered the description which he had been advised had been stolen. He asked Bellett to put them to one side and not part with them. Funnell then wrote to the Superintendent of Luton to request him to come to London to identify the swans. He traced Knowles to a bar near Flamsted where he was taken into custody and brought back to Luton. The prisoner told him he had bought the swans from a person called Potts at the Compasses at Luton. He said he did not know if this was his name or nickname. It was a man called Hull who asked him to buy the swans, which he gave half a crown each for. That night Bellett slept at Hull's, and Hull then drove him to Gadsden in his horse and cart and he paid him 2 shillings. George Poulter: on 11 April he saw John Worton, James Knowles and Henry Hull in the street opposite the Plough yard at Luton. Knowles asked Worton whether he would get him 2 or 3 swans. Worton asked what he would give him for them. Knowles said 6 bob a piece. Worton said it was not worth it at that price. Knowles said he couldn't give more for and would not want them until Wednesday or Thursday. Hull said that he could bring them to his house and leave them there, or he could put them in his cart and take them to Knowles house. Norman Snoxall: took John Worton into custody on 22 April. Worton denied knowing anything about 3 swans. He took him to the station and Knowles was there. Knowles said that he was the man he had bought the swans from. He said that he had bought them at the Compasses on 13 April and had paid 18 shillings for 3. He said that Hull was there with Worton and asked him if he would buy swans. Worton asked what he would give for them and he said 6 shillings each, and Knowles paid the money to Potts, which was a nickname for Worton. Knowles said he gave 2 shillings to Hull to take them up to his house and that he had Hull went home together and slept all night with the swans in sacks. Knowles said he took them away in the morning. Edward Funnell: he was present at the police station at Luton when Worton and Knowles were in custody. He heard what the last witness Snoxall had sworn to, and it was correct. Edward Godfrey: on 23 April he took Henry Hull into custody. Hull said he had not seen the swans. He asked Hull if he had a man called Knowles sleep at his house and he said he had. At the station, he said that Potts came up to him at the Waggon & Horses in Hitchin Road and had asked him to carry something out for him. He went with him to New Town Street and Potts fetched something out of Barrett's house, and put it into Hull's cart. They both went to the Compasses and saw Knowles who gave him 2 shillings to take them home, but he did not say what. He and Knowles went to his house at Woodside and Knowles slept there and next morning he drove Knowles to Gadesden Row. Alfred Atherton Murfin: he took John Barrett into custody on 23 April and told him of the charge. He said he knew nothing about the swans. Asked if he had been at the Compasses on 15 April he said he had been in the afternoon. He saw Potts there. He later said it was later than 3 o'clock. On 24 April he gave Barrett and Hull water to wash with. Whilst washing, he heard Barrett say to Hull that they would get transported for this. Hull said he did not know what they were to be transported for. Barrett said that should one of them be transported then they all should be. Hull said that if he had been sober he would have had nothing to do with them and all he had was 2 shillings for carrying them. Mary Ann Chance: lived at the back of New Town Street in Luton and the back of the yard opened into Barrett's yard. On 13 April she had been coming home from work about 11 o'clock at night. One of the prisoners, she believed to be John Worton, had walked down the street behind her and turned into Barrett's yard. He turned into Barrett's barn and shut the door quickly. She was taken to the station and picked the man out from 2 others. Emma Thorogood: he father kept the Compasses in Luton. John Worton came to the house about 6 o'clock on the evening of 13 April and asked if Knowles had been there. He went away and came back about 8 o'clock and waited until Knowles came. Hull came soon after and then Barrett. They talked in low whispering voices together. There were no others in the house at the time. They were all gone by 11 o'clock., she knew as her mother fell ill that night. They asked her mother for change for a sovereign. William Latchford: a greengrocer and fishmonger of Hemel Hempstead. On 14 April he went up to London with Knowles. Knowles took 3 bags with something in them and a hamper. He did not know what was in them until they got to London. Knowles left the swans in Latchford possession and when he came back said he must must go to Leadenhall Market. Latchford went away for a short time and when he return Knowles put he empty bags in the cart. Alfred Atherton Murfin: he had been coming down the corridor in the Police Station when Worton called to him and said he wanted to speak to the Inspector. He told Mr Godfrey and took Worton to him. Worton stated they were not swans but 2 pheasants which he gave to Hull at Barrett's house. Hull said he had never bought a pheasant from Worton in his life.
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