QSR1845/2/5/4&8

Depositions and examination - Thomas Allen and Charles Betts, charged with stealing gloves belonging to Peter Scrivener

24 March 1845

From: 1845 To: 1845

Peter Scrivener of Luton, brickmaker – on 28 February he left a pair of gloves ina place where they keep their tools at Mr Williams’ brick kiln in Luton. He missed them the next morning. The place was not locked. The gloves produced are his. He recognizes them by a mark on one and hole in the thumb of the other. John Millard of Luton, police constable – on Friday 21 March he took the prisoner [not named] into custody for stealing turnips. On searching him he found the gloves produced in the pocket of his frock. He had heard before that Scrivener had lost some gloves, took the gloves to him and he identified them as his which he had lost the night the fireworks were at Luton, which was 28 February. John Ellis, a prisoner in the House of Correction at Bedford – on Monday 3 March he was in company with Allen and Betts at a beer shop in Luton kept by William Barber He and Allen were talking about the robbery at Mr Harrison’s shop. Allen said “It was me and two or three more that broke in don’t you never say a word about”. Allen said he took about 19s 6d and some silk handkerchiefs. Allen also said that he and Betts got into Mr Blundell’s yard over the wall and stole his fowls and took them in a bag to the Crow public house at Dunstable, and that a man called Roomey (or some such name) took them to Leighton and sold a them for a shilling each while Allen and Betts waited at the Crow until he returned. Allen also told him that he and 3 others broke into Swain’s shop but they never took anything away because they could not get at the guns. Allen said he was sorry he did not take Swain’s books and burn them. On 28 February he was at Barber’s beer shop in Luton when Allen and Betts came in. They sat there until about midnight. He, Allen and Betts then went to William’s brick kiln. Allen took a pair of gloves out of the mess house and put them into his pocket. They went to Daniel Davis’s in Church Street Luton. Allen broke the padlock on the gate. Allen and Betts then went back to fetch a ladder. When they brought it they went into Davis’s yard and took one pigeon. Thomas Allen – he knows about the gloves. Ellis removed the bar fromt eh door and struck 2 or 3 lucifers [matches]. He [Allen] then took the gloves. It was Ellis who broke the door open at Davis’s with Betts’ knife. Charles Betts – he never carried the ladder into Davis’s yard. Ellis and Allen carried it.

item

Allen, Thomas,
Betts, Charles,
Scrivener, Peter,
Millard, John,
Ellis, John,
Barber, William,
Davis, Daniel,
Williams,
Harrison,
Blundell,
Swain

LUTON, DUNSTABLE, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, Luton Church Street, stealing, gloves, brickmaker, kilns, turnips, fireworks, police constables, imprisonment, House of Correction, beer houses, money, handkerchiefs, fowl, Dunstable Crow, guns, pigeons