QSR1855/1/5/9-10

Depositions of Humphrey Tompkins, labourer of Dunstable, Louisa Tompkins, his wife, George Impey, labourer of Dunstable and Charles Dale, police constable of Dunstable. In the case of Nathaniel Dyer and Willaim Parkins of Dunstable, accused of stealing a silk handkerchief.

6 November 1854

From: 1854 To: 1855

Louisa Tompkins: wife of Humphrey Tompkins. On Friday 3 November she hung to dry a silk handkerchief on a line at the back of her house. A little after 7pm she missed it from the line. She had put in there between 4 and 5pm and had seen it there at 7pm. She told her husband when he came home. Humphrey Tompkins: in consequence of what his wife had told him he went in search of the prisoners and found them at the Britannia public house in Dunstable. He called Dyer out and asked him for the handkerchief. Dyer said he did not have it. The other prisoner came out whilst they were talking and Tompkins asked if he was his mate. He said he was and so Tompkins asked him for the handkerchief. The prisoner said he did not have it. He told them he knew they had it and meant to have it from them. Dyer said “Parkins has got your handkerchief. He took it off the line whilst I was at Mr Impey’s door selling blackberries”. Dyer then said to Parkins to go and fetch it. Parkins went for a few minutes and brought back a handkerchief and gave it to him. He did not recollect saying he would give a charge against him and the police were close by, if they did not give it back. Parkins never spoke at all when he gave it to him. He went away and spoke to the PC on Saturday morning. George Impey: he lived next door to Tompkins. On Friday he had been in his yard between 7pm and 8pm. He saw Dyer at his house selling blackberries. His yard and Tompkins were open to each other. He did not see Parkins there and was backwards and forwards to the stable. Parkins may have been in the yard without him seeing. PC Charles Dale: he took the prisoners into custody. He took Parkins first and told him he was charged with stealing a handkerchief. Parkins said he knew nothing of the handkerchief but afterwards said he had given it up to Tompkins and that he had found it in the street. He said he had not gone into the yard at all. He afterwards took Dyer into custody and he said he knew nothing about the handkerchief and Parkins had come into the yard with him to Mr Impey’s back door with a measure for him to sell blackberries. Statement of the accused: Nathaniel Dyer – after they had measured the blackberries at Mr Impey’s house he went down the street and sold the others. When he got up the street Parkins said he had found a handkerchief. Tompkins came and asked for the handkerchief. He was going in after Parkins when Parkins came out. Tompkins said to Parkins that if he gave him the handkerchief he would say nothing about it. Parkins fetched the handkerchief and asked Tompkins if it was his. Parkins gave it to Tompkins and Tompkins said he would say no more of it. William Parkins – he was walking down the street and trod on a handkerchief. He picked it up. He went down as far as Mrs Dillroy’s and asked if she wanted any blackberries and she said yes. He then went and met Dyer with a measure to measure them and they went home. Mr Tompkins came and fetched Dyer out and he followed directly afterwards. Tompkins asked if he had his handkerchief and he replied no. Tompkins said he knew he had and he would send for a policeman. Tompkins said if he fetched the handkerchief he would say no more of it. He fetched the handkerchief and asked Tompkins if it was his. Tompkins said it was and he would say no more of it. They said Good Night and parted.

item

Dyer, Nathaniel,
Parkins, William,
Tompkins, Humphrey,
Tompkins, Louisa,
Impey, George,
Dale, Charles

DUNSTABLE, stealing, handkerchief, blackberries