QSR1846/3/5/6-7

Depositions - Julia Cain (alias Mary Douglas) and Elizabeth Smith, charged with stealing one pair of men's Blucher boots and one child's boot from Robert Gardner

22 April 1846

From: 1846 To: 1846

Mary Bull of Luton, singlewoman – she is servant to Mr Robert Gardner of Luton, bootmaker. On Tuesday 21 April between 8 and 9pm she was in a room at the back of her master’s shop in Castle Street in Luton when she saw the 2 prisoners come into the shop together. One was wearing a blue bonnet and the other a straw one. There were some men’s Blucher boots hanging on a wooden pillar close to her master’s desk. She saw the woman in the blue bonnet take a pair of boots of the pillar and put them under her shawl. Mr Gardner and a nurse were in the shop, fitting a pair of boots on the other woman and their backs were turned. She went and told the nurse. The woman with the straw bonnet left directly and the woman with the straw bonnet followed her out. She went with her and the woman told her the other one was named Mary Douglas. She then went for the police. Her master’s shop is lighted by gas and it was lit at the time. John Millard of Luton, police constable – about 12pm on Monday night, or early on Tuesday morning 21 April he saw the two prisoners sitting together in the tap room of the Shoulder of Mutton. About half an hour later he saw them come out and walk down George Street together as far as the weighbridge. About 9am he went into the Shoulder of Mutton and found them together, one holding a glass and the other the measure as if they were drinking gin. In the afternoon he saw them go down the street together. They were drunk and could not walk straight. He did not see them again until they were in custody. William Edward Bayldon of Luton, police superintendent – on Tuesday 21s between 9 and 10pm he apprehended Cain on the Market Hill in Luton, and found in a boot in her possession. He also saw her throw some more boots away. He told George Farmer to pick them up, and he picked up a Blucher boot and a child’s boot. The Blucher boot paired with the one he had taken from her. He asked how she got them and she said she knew nothing about them. He has shown them to Mr Gardner who identified them as his property. He later took Smith into custody and put them in the cage together. One said to the other “a bloody fool you are for not keeping with me, you wouldn’t have been here”. One said “sure of 3 months mind you say nothing about it”. One said “hush, they’re listening”. Not knowing their voices, he does not know which is which. George Farmer of Luton – he was with Mr Bayldon when he took the prisoner Cain into custody. She threw away a Blucher boot and a child’s boot. He picked them up on Mr Bayldon’s instructions. They were new boots. A few minutes before this he saw the two women talking together against Mr Tanner’s show opposite the Post Office. Robert Gardner of Luton, bootmaker – recognises the boots as his own work. The child’s shoe is marked with the letter K. A little after 8pm he went to his father’s house and saw the two women together walking in the street.

item

Cain, Julia,
Douglas, Mary,
Smith, Elizabeth,
Gardner, Robert,
Bull, Mary,
Millard, John,
Bayldon, William Edward,
Farmer, George

LUTON, Luton Castle Street, stealing, boots, bootmaker, police constable, police superintendent, drunkenness, Luton Shoulder of Mutton, parish cages