QSR1857/1/5/11

Depositions of Alfred Ing, police constable of Woburn and William Ralph Young, superintendent of police at Woburn. In the case of William Spacey accused of falsely pretending that there was no impediment to him serving as a volunteer in the Bedfordshire militia whilst knowing he had been rejected and discharged from serving in the militia, and so defrauding Alfred Ing of a shilling.

19 December 1856

From: 1856 To: 1857

PC Alfred Ing: William Spacey lived at Milton Bryan and was a labourer. On 11 December he was about Woburn at 9pm and saw the prisoner who he knew well. The prisoner came to him and said he would like to be a soldier and if he saw a militia man he would enlist in the Bedfordshire Militia. He told Spacey he could enlist him if he wished to join the militia. Spacey said he knew of no impediment as to why he should not join the service and he said he was free able and willing to serve. He gave Spacey one shilling and told him to come to Woburn the next morning. He told him to inquire for the policeman’s house and anyone would tell him where it was. He was wearing his uniform at the time. Spacey did not come the next morning. He had told the prisoner that when he called he would take him to the doctor to be examined. He would not have given the shilling unless Spacey had told him he knew of no impediment to his joining the service. William Ralph Young: he knew the prisoner. The prisoner had been in the Bedfordshire Militia and was discharged for some defect which rendered him unfit for service. He thought the prisoner had himself told him he had a crooked toe. Statement of the accused: he was guilty.

item

Spacey, William,
Ing, Alfred,
Young, William Ralph

WOBURN, MILTON BRYAN, Bedfordshire Militia, soldier, fraud, false pretences