QSR1856/1/5/3

Depositions of Henry Room, servant of Dunstable, Thomas Durrant, bleacher of Dunstable and Jeremiah Cuttriss, police constable of Dunstable and Eliza Smith, wife of Henry Smith, marine store dealer of Dunstable. In the case of John Medcraft, accused of stealing a linen apron.

22 October 1855

From: 1855 To: 1856

Henry Room: a servant to Miss Ann Queenborough at Dunstable. On 5 October he left a linen apron in the privy on Mrs Queenborough’s premises. Next mornifn he missed it. He also missed a leaden spout at the same time. The apron was his property and he had made it himself. He had sown the string on in a rough way with white thread. PC Cuttriss showed him the apron and he identified it as his. Thomas Durrant: he was a bleacher at Dunstable. On 6 October he saw the prisoner who asked him to buy an apron which he said he had found in the street. It was in a very dirty condition. He gave the prisoner 2 pence for it. He sold the apron on 16 October to Mrs Smith for 2 pence halfpenny. PC Cuttriss came to see him and asked about the apron. He told the PC he had sold it to Mrs Smith. The PC came again in the evening with the apron and Durrant identified it. Eliza Smith: wife of Harry Smith of Dunstable, a marine store dealer. On Tuesday 16 October, Thomas Durrant came to her house and asked her to buy an apron. She gave him 2 pence halfpenny for it. On the following Saturday Police Constable Cuttriss called and her to identify the apron. PC Jeremiah Cuttriss: he took the prisoner into custody and charged him. The prisoner said he knew nothing about the apron and had not sold it. He went to Smith’s house; she was not at home but her husband gave him the apron. That evening he called again and the apron was identified by Mrs Smith. Henry Room identified the apron as the one he had missed. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Medcraft, John,
Room, Henry,
Durrant, Thomas,
Cuttriss, Jeremiah,
Smith, Eliza,
Smith, Harry

DUNSTABLE, stealing, apron, bleacher, servant, marine store dealer