Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1881/2/5/1a
  • Title
    Depositions of Thomas Cottam, Millwright of Biggleswade, Susan Cotham, wife of Thomas and Charles Busby, police constable of Biggleswade. In the case of William Wilkinson accused of obtaining a black pilot overcoat by false pretences.
  • Date free text
    19 January 1881
  • Production date
    From: 1881 To: 1881
  • Scope and Content
    Thomas Cottam: a millwright residing at Biggleswade. At the Fox beer house on 17 January he met the prisoner, who he had seen once before about a fortnight previous. On their previous meeting Wilkinson had told him that his father was head man at Clayton & Shuttleworth Works in Lincoln and that he knew his father. On this occasion he asked the prisoner if he had just got back and the prisoner said he had been to Boston and Lincoln and that his father was getting an old man and was no longer working for the firm. Believing that the prisoner knew his father and that he was out of work, he bought him some beer and took hi for supper at his home. He let the prisoner stay the night and bought him more beer in the morning. They parted at 11.30am with the prisoner saying he was going to see Mr Shuttleworth at Warden to see if he would give him some assistance. The prisoner said he had been to Russia 3 times to work for him. The coat produced was his and he had not authorised the prisoner to request it from his wife. Susan Cottam: wife of Thomas. On 18 January she found the prisoner in a chair in the downstairs of her house. From what her husband told her, she made him breakfast and the prisoner and her husband left together. The prisoner returned about 11.30am and told her husband had said he was to have use of one of his coats. She told the prisoner her husband had 2 good coats and she could not let him have one without hearing further. The prisoner retuned about 10 minutes later and said that her husband said he should have the bigger of the two and the more respectable he went to Mr Shuttleworth, the more he would get. Believing his statement, she gave him her husband’s coat. Charles Busby: a police constable of Biggleswade. He went in search of the prisoner and found him at the Ship public house in St Neots. He charged him with obtaining the coat by false pretences. The prisoner said it was a mistake and he had not been to Biggleswade and had come from Hitchin. Whilst in custody he confessed he was the right man. Statement of the accused: nothing to say
  • Level of description
    item
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