QSR1846/4/5/3

Depositions - William Ellis charged with stealing one piece of pork from Matthew Dancer

28 July 1846

From: 1846 To: 1846

Matthew Dancer of Luton, butcher – on Saturday morning 26 July he was taking out some meat which had been bought, a hand of pork and two pieces of leg pork wrapped up in a cloth. He went into the Travellers Rest public house in Luton, called for a glass of ale and laid his meat down on the table. Joseph Deamer and William Ellis were in the room. He went into the other room and began talking to the landlord James Kitchener and his wife who were at breakfast. After about ¼ hour Kitchener brought in the meat and asked if he had anything to sell. He untied the cloth and missed one of the pieces of pork. He told them not to say anything about it. On Monday 27th he went into his son’s shop and found Joseph Deamer complaining that his son had sold him a stinking hand of pork. His son said he had not had a hand of pork in the market. He told them it was not a hand of pork but the middle of a leg of pork he lost out of his cloth yesterday morning. He saw the constable pass and gave Deamer into custody. Only Deamer and Ellis were in the tap room where his meat was. George Baldrey of Luton, butcher – on Monday 27 July Matthew Dancer gave Joseph Deamer into his custody. As he was taking Deamer to the cage he said he did not steal the pork but Ellis did. When he brought Deamer to the cage he said he had thrown the hand of pork he had bought from Joseph Dancer down the privy. He went and searched the privy but could not find any pork. Joseph Deamer of Luton, labourer – on Sunday morning 26 July he was in the Travellers Rest public house with William Elis. Matthew Dancer came in, laid something tied up in a cloth on the table and went into another room. Ellis went up to the cloth, pulled out a piece of pork, took it into the travelers lodging room and had it cooked. It was not eatable when it was cook. Ellis told him to take it to Dancer’s and try to change it. He went to Dancer’s but no one was at home. On Monday 27th he went to Dancer’s again. Joseph Dancer denied having sold him any pork and his father Matthew Dancer gave him into custody. He threw the pork down the privy on Monday morning.

item

Ellis, William,
Dancer, Matthew,
Deamer, Joseph,
Kitchener, James,
Baldrey, George,
Dancer, Joseph

LUTON, stealing, pork, butcher, Luton Travellers Rest