QSR1876/4/5/5/a

Depositions and examination - Betsy Jane Hammett, charged with stealing one bed gown or night dress, one child's frock, one towel, one damask table cloth and one ladies stuff jacket, total value 9s 8d, from Mary Dunham at Luton between the end of January 1876 and 29 July 1876

14 August 1876

From: 1876 To: 1876

Samuel Bransom of Luton, police sergeant – on 2 August about 4.30pm he went to Hammett’s house in Windsor Street. At this time Hammett was out on bail for a charge of stealing a night dress. She admitted she had been down in the town and had fetched a table cloth out of pawn. He followed her upstairs into the bedroom. Hammett pulled the cloth produced in pieces from under the corner of a bed. He then sent for Mrs Dunham. On her arrival he searched the house. He found the jacket produced under the staircase. Mrs Dunham identified the cloth as hers. From information received he went to Mr Butcher’s and he showed him the articles produced – a night dress, a child’s frock and a towel. Mary Dunham of Luton – she is a widow and keeps a second hand clothes shop at 198 Chapel Street, Luton. The table cloth in pieces is hers. She knows it by the darn. She values it at 4s 6d The jacket produced is also hers. The night dress is hers, value 2s. The child’s dress is worth 8d and the towel 6d. She never sold either of them to Hammett. She is not quite sure as to the child’s frock. At about the end of January she missed the table cloth, which she bought in November. She missed the jacket a fortnight ago. The things she saw at Mr Butcher’s are hers. She can’t say exactly when she missed them. William Joseph Butcher of Luton, pawnbroker’s assistant – he is the son of Mr Joseph Butcher of Bute Street Luton, pawnbroker. Hammett has often been to his shop. On 31st January she pledged a table cloth in the name of Betsey King. On 2nd August she came and redeemed it. On 1st May she came and pledged a night dress, child’s frock and towel in the same name. He produced these articles to Mrs Dunham. The table cloth was pledged for 1s 3d and the other articles for 1s 6d. When the table cloth was taken out of pledge it was entire. Betsy Jane Hammett – she is not guilty.

item

Hammett, Betsy Jane,
Dunham, Mary,
Bransom, Samuel,
Butcher, William Joseph,
Butcher, Joseph

LUTON, Luton Windsor Street, Luton Chapel Street, Luton Bute Street, stealing, clothing, household goods, police sergeant, pawnbroker, dealer in second hand clothes