QSR1854/2/5/8

Depositions of Samuel Tutt, shoemaker of Luton, Thomas Church, general dealer, his wife, Sophia, and his daugher Sophia, a minor and Charles Dale, police constable of Luton. In the case of Winifred Young accused of stealing a pair of ladies boots.

3 April 1854

From: 1854 To: 1854

Samuel Tutt: a shoemaker of Luton. On 1 April between 7pm and 8pm he missed a pair of boots from his stall. About 11pm the same evening he saw Thomas Church at the Shoulder of Mutton public house and he had the boots hanging on his arm. Tutt asked him what he was asking for the boot and was told 4 shillings. Tutt then told Church they were his boots which had been stolen from the stall by someone. Tutt took back the boots and said he expected Church to produce the party who he had bought them off. Church said he did not know the party himself but his wife had bought them that evening and she would know. Thomas Church: on Saturday he received a pair of boots from his daughter and showed them at several public houses, among them the Shoulder of Mutton. He saw Tutt there and came and laid hold of the boots and asked what he wanted for them. He told Tutt that he wanted 4 shillings. Tutt then said they were his boots and so he gave them to Tutt. Tutt wanted to know who he had bought them off and Church said he could not tell but his wife could. Sophia Church: wife of Thomas Church. She saw the prisoner a little after 8pm when she came to the house. Young had something in her handkerchief which Church asked her about. Young said it was a pair of shoe which were a misfit and said they had cost her 4s 6d. Church offered her 3 shillings but she did not have the 3 shillings until Wednesday. Young left the boots with her and said she would call for the money on night in the week. Church instructed her daughter to take the boots to her father as it was Saturday night and he was very likely to sell them. Sophia Church: daughter of Thomas Church. On Saturday night her mother gave he a pair of boots to take to her father at the D[?] Head. She took them and gave them to him. PC Charles Dale: received the boots from Samuel Tutt. Statement of the accused: a little before dark on the previous Saturday afternoon she went down to the man’s stall. There was a girl and a man there. The girl was sitting on a box and the man on the other side. She asked the girl where her father was and she said he was not there. She asked the girl for a pair of shoes and the girl said she thought they were 5 shillings and Young said she would give her four shillings and sixpence. She had the shoes and put them in her basket and went directly home. She was home before dark. On the Sunday afternoon she put them on and wore them in the garden. She wore them for about 3 hours and they were too small for her. She thought the stall holder would not take them back as she had worn them and so she called at Thomas Church’s in Luton. She sold them to Mrs Church but she said she could not pay her because the master had gone out and there was no money there.

item

Tutt, Samuel,
Church, Thomas,
Church, Sophia,
Church, Sophia,
Dale, Charles,
Young, Winifred

LUTON, stealing, boots, dealer, shoemaker, Luton Shoulder of Mutton