QSR1857/3/5/7

Depositions of Mary Reeve, wife of Charles, victualler of Leighton Buzzard. William Rawson, labourer of Leighton Buzzard. Joseph Butcher, shoemaker of Leighton Buzzard. Susanna Dumpleton, singlewoman of Leighton Buzzard. William Sharp Page, assistant pawnbroker of Leighton Buzzard. William Clough, superintendent of police in Leighton Buzzard. In the case Mary Bignell accused of stealing a linen sheet and a calico sheet.

26 May 1857

From: 1857 To: 1857

Mary Reeves: wife of Charles Reeves, a victualler. The prisoner had occasionally been employed as a charwoman at the house for the past 4 years. It was generally on a Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon each week. On a Wednesday, about 2 months ago, she missed a calico sheet marked CR. Bignall had been washing for her on that day. She asked Bignall about the sheet and she said she knew nothing of it. She spoke to Bignall about it again on the following Monday. Bignall said she had 2 of Reeves’s sheet in pawn and would bring them back if Reeves would not tell her husband. She returned them next morning. A week ago she had missed 5 silver teaspoons and informed her husband of the loss and told him how the prisoner had previously taken sheets. They went with Superintendent Clough to Messrs Page and Dumpletons, pawn brokers at Leighton. There she saw 2 sheets, a linen one and a calico one, both with distinctive marks. She had previously lost 8 sheets, some calico and some linen. William Lawson: he knew Mary Bignall and she lived next door but one to his father. She had sent him a good many times to Mr Dumpletons, the pawnbroker. She did things up in a parcel and he did not know what they were. She told him to ask upon them and he went about once a year. He recalled going about Midsummer but did not recollect what money he had bought back. He did not recall what name he had given but it was possibly his own. Joseph Butcher: a shoemaker living at Leighton Buzzard. He knew Bignall as she lived next door to him. He had been for her to the pawnbrokers 2 or 3 times but did not know what he had taken. It had been done up. Bignall told him what to ask for. He recollected going to Page & Dumpletons in January or February with something to pawn for her. He did not recollect what money he had. He put the pawn in his own name. He believed he pawned something white, either linen or calico. Susanna Dumpleton: she was a single woman and her father a pawnbroker in partnership with Mr Page. The ticket produced dated 25 July 1856 had been issued by her. She did not know who had pawned the sheet except as she saw the name of William Lawson on the ticket in her handwriting. She knew Lawson and had seen in the shop 2 or 3 times. She advanced 8d on the sheet. William Sharp Page: an assistant Pawnbroker in Leighton. He knew the witness Joseph Butcher and did not recollect him coming into the shop on 9 February. The ticket was in his handwriting and he had no doubt he received the sheet from Butcher and gave him 2d on it. He gave Inspector Clough the sheet mentioned on the ticket. It was linen. He also gave him a sheet mentioned on a ticket dated 25 July 1856. Inspector William Clough: he received information from the prosecutor and the accused was taken into custody. He told Bignall the charge against her and she said she had not stolen the sheets. She had taken them back again and Mrs Reeve had forgiven her. He searched the prisoner’s house. She was a married woman. Her husband was William Bignall. He found in the house 33 pawnbrokers duplicates. 13 related to sheets. Statement of the accused: Mrs Reeve kept a bad house and a great many bad girls there get tipsy and are put to bed. They encourage bad carryings on. She had nothing more to say.

item

Bignell, Mary,
Reeve, Mary,
Reeve, Charles,
Rawson, William,
Butcher, Joseph,
Dumpleton, Susannah,
Page, William Sharp,
Clough, William

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, stealing, linen, shoemaker, pawnbroker, victualler, charwoman