QSR1857/3/5/1

Depositions of Richard Barnby Tebbutt of Clifton, PC Reuben Pepper of Shefford, PC Richard Todd of Biggleswade and Martha Day, wife of James of Hitchin. In the case of James Crowsley accused of breaking and entering a dwelling house and therein stealing a ring and certain monies.

18 April 1857

From: 1857 To: 1857

Richard Barnby Tebbutt: on 13 April he and his wife left home for a few days to stay at the house of a friend in the neighbourhood. No person was left in charge of the house during their absence. The following morning at about 8am he and his wife went to the house. On going into the parlour he found his writing desk had been broken open and he missed a gold ring from it and about a shillings worth of silver. He discovered a further 6 or 7 shillings missing. He was present when PC Pepper compared the shoes produced with the impressions left around the house. He observed they compared exactly. Richard Todd: on 20 April the prisoner was bought to the lock-up at Biggleswade. Soon after he had been bought he there, Pepper went to his cell and the prisoner said that if he could get out of the mess he would not get into another. It had been hunger that made him do it. Asked what he had done with the ring the prisoner said that if he went to a little room upstairs in the house where he lived he would find the ring. The prisoner said he had dropped the ring through boards near the window. The prisoner said he had bought a pair of shoes at Hitchin with part of the money he had taken. Martha Day: her husband was James Day, a marine store dealer and keeper of a shop in Hitchin. On 14 April the prisoner came to the shop and bought a pair of second hand shoes, which he put on and walked off in. The prisoner left his old shoes behind. On the following Thursday the policeman came to the shop and she gave the shoes to him. PC Reuben Pepper: on 14 April he received information regarding the break in at Mr Tebbutt house. He examined the premises and saw the glass of the kitchen window had been broken. The window of one of the bedroom was open. On examining the ground around the house he observed footmarks. He covered the footmarks as well as he could. He received information and on 16 April went to a shop in Hitchin and obtained some shoes from Mrs Day. He took the shoes to Clifton and compared them with the footmarks. Accompanied by another Constable, he apprehended the prisoner. In consequence of further information he went to the prisoner’s house and found one of the floor boards loose. He took it up and they found the ring. Statement of the accused: he did not wish to say anything.

item

Crowsley, James,
Tebbutt, Richard Barnby,
Pepper, Reuben,
Todd, Richard,
Day, Martha,
Day, James

CLIFTON, SHEFFORD, BIGGLESWADE, Hitchin, breaking & entering, rings, marine stores dealer