QSR1848/4/5/6

Depositions, examination and character references - Samuel Sinfield charged with embezzling sums of money received on account of his master Thomas Stratton

14 August 1848

From: 1848 To: 1848

Thomas Stratton of Luton, greengrocer and fruiterer - Samuel Sinfield was in his service last Friday week. Sinfield has never paid him for a quart of plums taken to Mr Edmund Waller’s. He has not received the money from anyone for that quart of plums. Sinfield has never paid him for a pottle of apples sent to Mrs Higgins, and he has not received that money from anyone. Alice Stratton of Luton, wife of Thomas Stratton - last Friday week she sent Samuel Sinfield to Edmund Waller’s with a quart of plums. When he returned Sinfield told her they had not paid him and would pay another day. On the following Monday Mr Waller’s gardener came for another quart of plums and she told him there was a quart owing for. She has not received the money for the first quart. [2nd deposition] A fortnight last Saturday she sent a pottle of apples to Mr Higgins by Sinfield. On the following Friday her husband asked if she had received the money for them. She said she had not. She met Sinfield out that morning with 6 pottles of apples and he brought her home sixpence for 2 that he had sold, but he did not pay her for the apples sent to Mrs Higgins. Sarah Webster of Luton, singlewoman - she is servant to Edmund Waller. Last Friday week Sinfield brought a quart of plums from Stratton's. She paid him for them with 4 pennies and 2 half pence. She went to her mistress who gave her the money and she paid him at the door. Ann Cole of Luton, singlewoman - she is servant to Mrs Ann Higgins. About a week ago, she thinks on Friday, Sinfield came to her mistress’s house and said there was a pottle of apples left from Mr Stratton’s about a week before which had not been paid for. She asked Mrs Higgins for a shilling and gave it to him to get it changed. He gave her 8d change. John Millard of Luton, police constable - when he took Sinfield into custody that morning he said he had received the money for the plums at Edmund Waller’s a week last Friday and gave it to his mistress. He said he had received the money from Mrs Higgins and had paid that to Mrs Stratton as soon as he got home. Samuel Sinfield - “whatever money I took I gave to my mistress and Mrs Stratton cannot say any otherwise”. Character reference from J Bateman of Dunstable, market gardener (21 Sept 1848) - he employed Samuel Sinfield for mroe than 12 months and always found him to be honest and would employ him at any time he wanted a hand. Character reference from Daniel Lathwell of Dunstable, greengrocer and fishmonger - he has employed Sinfield to work for him and always found him honest and punctual. He would employ him to hawk for him tomorrow if he wanted a lad at the present time.

item

Sinfield, Samuel,
Stratton, Thomas,
Waller, Edmund,
Stratton, Alice,
Webster, Sarah,
Higgins, Ann,
Cole, Ann,
Millard, John,
Bateman, J,
Lathwell, Daniel

LUTON, DUNSTABLE, embezzlement, greengrocer, fruiterer, plums, apples, domestic servant, police constable, market gardener, fishmonger