QSR1856/3/5/30

Depositions of Thomas Bigg, iron founder of Luton, Thomas Church, dealer in marine stores and George Smith, police sergeant of Luton. In the case of William Flitton accused of stealing a wrought iron shaft and a cast iron spindle.

30 June 1856

From: 1856 To: 1856

Thomas Bigg: keeper of an iron foundry at Luton. On 26 June he looked round the yard and missed a wrought iron shaft and a cast iron spindle belonging to a threshing machine. He had since sent he spindle and shaft in the possession of Sergeant Smith. He compared them with other parts of the machine and found them to match exactly. The value of the items as old iron was about 6s 9d but he could not have replaced them for 30s. Thomas Church: on 19 or 20 June the prisoner came to his house and asked him to buy some old iron. The prisoner said he had bought it from a man at Kennesbourne Green. He gave the prisoner half a crown for it. On 27 June he gave it up to Sergeant Smith. Sergeant George Smith: on 27 June he received the shaft and spindle from Thomas Church and showed it to Bigg who identified it. He took the prisoner into custody on the same day. The prisoner said he had sold some iron to Church but had not stolen it. Flitton said he had found it on the London Road. Statement of the accused: he had been up in the hay country for 2 days before he started from Edgeware that night. He had come through St Albans and Harpenden and was between the Old Bell and Harrow at Kingsbourne Green between 3 and 4am. He met a cart load of iron with 2 horses drawing it. He later found 2 pieces of iron lying in the road he suspected had dropped from the cart. He picked them up and took them to Mr Flint’s house about 5am. He thought maybe the son would buy them. He came down to town and did not go back until 2pm. Mr Flint’s son was not at home and one piece of iron lay on the path against the back way and the other he could not find. Church came somewhere out of the back way and asked him to sell the piece of iron. Flitton said he was not particular who he sold to. Church left him and went through Flint’s yard and then came back and told him to bring the iron to his house. He sold the iron to Church. He did not know where the other piece was. He gave a penny to a boy to go and show him.

item

Flitton, William,
Bigg, Thomas,
Church, Thomas,
Smith, George,
Flint

LUTON, Luton Kingsbourne Green, iron founder, marine store dealer, stealing, iron