QSR1854/1/5/37

Depositions of William Thackray, carrier of Toddington, his apprentice, Joseph Bligh and Edward Sinfield, shoemaker of Toddington. In the case of John Wingrove accused of stealing 6 pieces of leather.

23 December 1853

From: 1853 To: 1854

William Thackray: a currier residing at Toddington. He recalled that on 29 November he had 6 pieces of leather in pairs among other leather. On 1 December in consequence of what he had been told, he missed the pieces of leather. He went to the house of a man by the name of Sinfield at Toddington and examined some pieces of leather there and found the 6 pieces he had missed. The value of the leather was 7 shillings. Edward Sinfield: a shoemaker residing at Toddington. On 30 November about 10am the prisoner came to his house and asked if he would buy some leather belonging to his father. He told the prisoner he would call and see his father. The prisoner went away but returned 10 minutes later with 3 pairs of leather asking 6 shillings for them. He told the prisoner he would not pay for them and would see the prisoner’s father that night. The prisoner again went away but returned after 10 minutes and said his father was ill and he wanted a shilling to buy some meat. He gave the prisoner a shilling and sixpence and said he would pay his father the remainder the next morning. He went with that purpose the next morning and gave 4s 6d to a child of about 10 years there to take to her father who was ill in bed upstairs. The father shouted down he would come and see Sinfield. On his way home, Sinfield stopped at the prosecutors and told him he had bought 3 pairs of leather of Joseph Wingrove. Thackray came back to his house to see the leather and identified it as his own, stolen from his shop. The same morning he returned to the prisoner’s father’s house and was given back the 4s 6d by Mrs Wingrove. Joseph Bligh: an apprentice to William Thackray and on 29 November, about 2pm, he saw the prisoner in his master shop. The prisoner remained there until 7pm, when he went out several times and can back in again. The prisoner was lying down in the shop and had no business there. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Wingrove, John,
Thackray, William,
Bligh, Joseph,
Sinfield, Edward

TODDINGTON, apprenticeship, shoemaker, currier, stealing, leather