Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1843/3/5/40
  • Title
    Depositions and examination - William Munns of Biggleswade, charged with stealing 2 lock escutcheons from George Morton and James McMinnis
  • Date free text
    24 May 1843
  • Production date
    From: 1843 To: 1843
  • Scope and Content
    Edward Newberry, carpenter - he works at the Biggleswade Union Workhouse. Last Monday evening 22 May as he was leaving the workhouse he met 2 boys at the stairs. They each had a brass lock escutcheon in his hand. They asked him to buy them. He thought they had stolen them and took the escutcheons from them and took them to Mr Birt the Governor of the workhouse. Thomas Birt, yeoman - when he received the escutcheons from Newberry he sent for William Munns due to certain suspicion attaching to him and asked him whose the escutcheons were. He said they were his. He asked Munns where he got them - he said he found them in the London Road. He took Munns down to Mr Morton's the ironmonger at whose house Munns had been on the Saturday before. They met with George McMinnis the clerk who said "I saw that boy [Munns] go up into the end warehouse on Saturday". Munns burst out crying. He went up into the warehouse with Mr James McMinnis and they found a parcel containing 5 escutcheons exactly like these. When they went down they found Munns still crying and begging for mercy. Munns said he had picked the escutcheons up from the floor of the end warehouse. They brought down the parcel of escutcheons from the warehouse and gave them George McMinnis. George McMinnis, ironmonger - last Friday or Saturday he saw Munns go up into the end warehouse where they keep escutcheons. The escutcheons he now produces are those given to him by Birt. They are exactly like the 2 now produced by Birt. They are the property of George Morton and James McMinnis, worth 3 half pence each. William Samway, labourer - he works for Morton and McMinnis. About 3 weeks ago he left a paper containing 7 escutcheons up in the end warehouse. He is not aware of any having been used since. William Munns - "I wish I had never had them pray forgive me this time - I will never do so any more".
  • Reference
  • Level of description
    item
Hierarchy browser