QSR1846/1/5/27

Depositions - George Mann charged with breaking and entering the house of William Watson

5 January 1846

From: 1846 To: 1846

William Edward Bayldon of Luton, superintendent of police – between 10 and 11pm the previous night he received information that a robbery had been committed on the property of William Watson. He went there and observed some foot marks and traced them to a privy Mann’s yard in Luton. Mann lives within 3 doors of the house. Millard who was with him got a light, looked down the privy and found the box produced. Watson identified the box as his. He knocked at Mann’s door and told him he wanted to speak to him for breaking into Watson’s house. Mann refused to come downstairs. They pushed the door open and went upstairs. He took Mann’s shoes and compared them with the footmarks. Mann said he might as well look into another person’s house for 40 sovereigns as into his for four. He had not mentioned anything to Mann about sovereigns. The footmarks correspond. He took Mann into custody. There are six houses in the yard and privy is public to all of them. He could not trace the footmarks from the privy any of the 6 houses. There are 2 marks of a knife on the outside of the pane. John Millard of Luton, police constable – he went with Bayldon to Watson’s house. They examined the window and found part of a pane of glass taken out. They then traced some footmarks down the adjoining yard to the privy and found the box. [Evidence as previous witness] He returned to the privy and got a pair of tongs and a hoe and got the box up which Watson identified as his. They compared Mann’s shoes with the footmarks. William Watson of Luton – he lives in Duke Street, Luton. About 8.15pm yesterday he saw the glass in the back window broken. The window had previously been fastened but was open. He went upstairs and missed the box, which contained 4 sovereigns, a 4d piece and some pins. He last saw the box at about 5.45pm. He and his wife went to chapel and left a little girl in the house. He went and told the police. The box was on another box in his bedroom. The box found in the privy is his. All that was left in it was the pins. He charged Mann with the robbery because Mann’s little girl saw his wife take the money upstairs. Elinor Watson, wife of William Watson – last night after they came home from chapel she saw the kitchen window broken. She missed the box. They sent for the police superintendent. Eliza Wilcocks of Luton – she lives with Mrs Watson. Yesterday evening Mr and Mrs Watson went to chapel and left her in the house. She was not well and went upstairs to go to bed. When she got upstairs she heard a rap at the back door. She came down to see who it was but could not see anyone. She put her shawl on and went to chapel about 6.20pm. She was frightened and did not like to stop in the house. She fastened the door and took the key to the next door but one. She went up the passage and saw a man in dark clothes standing there. He said good night. When she got to the top of the field he stood outside the passage door leading into the yard. He was a very tall man. She went to the Primitive Chapel. When she left the chapel she went to the house where she left the key and waited until Mr Watson came home. She told Mrs Watson she had been frightened.

item

Mann, George,
Watson, William,
Bayldon, William Edward,
Millard, John,
Watson, Elinor,
Wilcocks, Eliza

LUTON, Luton Duke Street, breaking & entering, police superintendent, police constable, Methodist individuals, Primitive Methodist