QSR1886/2/5/3b,4b

Depositions of Thomas Church, confectioner of Bridge Street, Leighton Buzzard, Annie Church, singlewoman of Bridge Street, Leighton Buzzard, William Henry Currell, police constable of Luton and Edwin Halford, jeweller of Leighton Buzzard. In the case of John Groom & William Baldock accused of uttering false coin at Leighton Buzzard.

13 February 1886

From: 1886 To: 1886

Annie Church: daughter of Thomas Church residing at Bridge Street, Leighton Buzzard. She was unmarried and her father a confectioner. On 8 February the defendant, Groom, came into the shop and asked her to change a sovereign for him. He produced a coin she believed to be a sovereign. She sent her little brother to her father who was in the warehouse. He brought back a sovereign worth of silver which she gave to Groom. She did not see the other boy and there were several boys outside the shop. Thomas Church: about 1pm on 8 February he was in his warehouse. His son Willie, about 7 years old, brought him a coin which he took for a sovereign. In consequence of what was said he gave him a sovereign’s worth of silver. He put the coin in his pocket and afterwards he took out the coin and found it to be bad. He gave it to Sergeant Olden. Abraham Radford: a 12 year old living with his mother in Leighton Buzzard. On 8 February he was passing Mr Purrett’s shop and saw the 2 defendants together. The smaller, Baldock, went into the shop and bought 2 pairs of bones. They then went together to Mr Church’s and he saw Baldock go in the shop. Groom remained outside. Baldock came out of the shop, went up to groom and emptied something into his purse. He could not see but heard money jingle. He then walked with the men to the Canal Bridge and at their request directed them to the railway station. He had been taking his brothers dinner to him near the canal bridge. John Olden: a police sergeant stationed at Leighton Buzzard. About 2.45pm on 8 February he received the coin from Thomas Church. He had since shown it to Mr Halford, a jeweller. William Henry Currell: he apprehended the 2 defendant on 8 February on another charge at Luton. On searching them he found groom to have 18 shillings and sixpence in silver. The prisoners were committed for trial for attempting to pass another coin and he had received another 13 coins of the same description from the defendant Groom’s mother. Edwin Halford: a jeweller in Leighton Buzzard. The coin was not coin but brass. Statements of the accussed: nothing to say.

7 pages

item

Groom, John,
Baldock, William,
Church, Thomas,
Church, Annie,
Currell, William Henry,
Halford, Edwin

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, passing counterfeit coin, jeweller, Leighton Buzzard Bridge Street