Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1877/1/5/6-7
  • Title
    Depositions and examinations - William Bidwell and George Nelson, charged wtih stealing 2 iron lathe casting value 7s from Thomas Kinman at Biggleswade on 1 May 1876.
  • Date free text
    27 December 1876
  • Production date
    From: 1876 To: 1877
  • Scope and Content
    Samuel Stokes of Biggleswade, grocer’s assistant – he is now apprentice to Mr Swift a grocer in Biggleswade. He was formerly a fitter in the Kinman’s Iron Foundry for 6 to 9 months. He left in August 1876. His duty was to assist William Bidwell who was a moulder in the Foundry. In the early part of the summer Bidwell came to him and brought with him two wooden patterns. Bidwell made either one or two castings from each pattern. The iron castings now produced by Supt. Bedlow are the same. Bidwell told him to take them to the Greyhound Beerhouse kept by Mr Fovargue for Mr Nelson. He followed Bidwell to the Greyhound with the castings. He did not see Nelson and left the castings with Bidwell there. A day or two later Bidwell told him to put the patterns on one side. He asked why. Bidwell said he had made castings of them for Nelson. After this when Bidwell was under notice to leave Mr Kinman’s he said “Sam, I’ll have those patterns burnt before I go away”. He forgot all about it and did not burn them. He is not aware of any other lathe patterns in the foundry. He did not see the castings made. Bidwell had no iron in the foundry. Castings were taken once a week. Bidwell left Kinman’s last summer and he left in August. Bidwell went to Ampthill and then to Dunstable. As he left Ampthill Bidwell came to Biggleswade to Mr Fovargue’s (Bidwell’s father-in-law). He saw Bidwell there and the next day drove Bidwell part of the way to Bedford. On the way Bidwell asked if he had burnt the patterns. He said he had forgotten and Bidwell said he should have burnt them. [Cross-examined] He does not know the month the patterns were brought by Bidwell. He breaks up the iron to melt. He did not fetch any iron for these. For all he knows Bidwell may have had iron of his own. He put the patterns in the place where the patterns often are put on a shelf in the pattern room. Anybody employed had access to the room. They were not Mr Kinman’s patterns. He took the castings down Bonds Lane past the Swan Corner to the Greyhound at 5.30pm. It was broad daylight. He only saw Mr Bidwell. He believes Bidwell said they were for Nelson. He did not know till the castings went to the Greyhound that anything was wrong. Bidwell told him then and he did not like to tell Mr Kinman. [Re-examined] Mr Kinman dismissed him a week or so after. It is not unusual to make a casting of two such small pieces alone. They would melt 2lbs of iron for a casting if necessary. Thomas Kinman of Biggleswade, iron founder – Bidwell was employed in his foundry as a moulder at a weekly salary. He gave Bidwell notice last August. He produces the 2 wooden lathe patterns. He first saw them on 23 December. From what he heard he went to Nelson’s house in St Andrews Street, Biggleswade. He saw a lathe there fitted up ready for use. The two castings now produced were part of the lathe. He went to Nelson’s house again with Supt. Bedlow and saw Nelson. The first time he only saw Nelson’s wife. The second time he saw the two castings removed from the lathe and produced from an ash heap. Bidwell’s duty was to “mould” from wooden patterns made under his orders. They never cast single articles by themselves – Stokes’ evidence was incorrect, he does not think Stokes understood the questions. They make the moulds from the patterns and when they have covered the floor with boxes at the end of the week they cast the whole of them together, which would be 10 or 20 cwt at a time. They never cast as little as 2lbs at a time. There are 200 or 300 patterns in the pattern room. No man in his employ has a right to make castings for anyone else. [Cross-examined] He went to the clerk’s office and obtained a search warrant before he returned to Nelson. When they cast there might be dozens of patterns on the floor ready – he could not see the patterns on the floor, he could see the number of boxes. He thinks Bidwell has fetched patterns from Course the wheelwright to cast for him. He does not know that Bidwell fetched patterns from elsewhere. He cannot say he missed any iron. Bidwell’s duty was to enter upon a slate the weight of every casting he made. There might be from 2 to 30 entries on the slate of castings in a week. If it were work done for a customer Bidwell would enter the customer’s name as well. It would be Bidwell’s duty to produce the slate to him or his clerk on Saturday night when he received his money. It would then be the duty of his clerk Edward James Smith to enter the items in his books and the slate would be cleaned. The iron for casting was taken from a heap varying from 1 to 15 tones. The wooden patterns are not his. The castings are worth 5s. Ebenezer Cain of Biggleswade, police constable – on Saturday 23 December he apprehended Bidwell on a warrant at St.Ives (Hunts). At Huntingdon Railway Station on the evening of Sunday 24th Bidwell asked how he would get on over the job. He said he did not know. Bidwell said “I expect I shall not get out of it as I did before. I did make two small castings for Nelson”. William Bedlow of Biggleswade, police superintendent – he went to Nelson’s house with Thomas Kinman and a search warrant. He saw Nelson and told him he had a warrant to search for 2 iron lathe castings. Nelson took him to an outbuilding and took the castings from an ash heap. They were covered over with the ashes. He took Nelson into custody. He said “I hope you won’t Mr Bedlow, you have known me from a child”. Nelson said that his father lived at Eaton Ford and he had bought the castings some time ago from a man named Baker who worked for Mr Phipps of Biggleswade. William Bidwell – he is not guilty. George Nelson – he does not wish to say anything.
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