QSR1859/1/5/6d,9

Depositions of William Goodyear, straw bonnet manufacturer. William Anderson, omnibus driver of Luton, Charles Mees, straw bonnet manufacturer of Luton. Lewis Flint, reg merchant of Luton. Sarah Allen, wife of George, bonnet maker of Luton. Emily Allen, bonnet sewer of Luton. Samuel Pope, superintendent of police of Luton and Susannah Jane Goodyear, wife of William. In the case of Charles Luck accused of stealing 105 straw bonnets and Mary Ann Weston receiving the same good knowing them to be stolen. A letter and envelope addressed to Charles Luck.

10 December 1858

From: 1858 To: 1859

William Goodyear: Charles Luck was in his employment on 26 November and he gave him into custody for stealing bonnets. On 25 November in consequence of having seen a quantity of bonnets in the possession of Charles Mees, he had a conversation with the prisoner. His wife asked Luck some questions about his sister Mrs Morley having been on his premises about 3 weeks previously. Luck denied this and left work immediately. Luck came to work as usual the next morning. He gave Luck into the custody of Mr Pope. Luck denied having taken any bonnets. Luck then said he had taken the bonnets. The prisoner had free access to the warehouse at all times. On 26 November he went to Harpenden Common to the house of Mary Ann Weston with Mr Pope. He gave her into the custody of Mr Pope on the charge of receiving stolen bonnets. Weston said she had sold bonnets to Mr Mees as she had been doing for a long time for her brother. He asked how she had come to change the tickets. She said she took no notice of it as she had done it for so many times. When they first got to the house Mr Pope asked how many bonnets she had and she replied none. She denied having bonnets several times but Mr Pope said he would to go without them. They all went upstairs and found 4 coloured bonnets and Weston said she had been given them by her brother. Mr Pope said that her brother had slept there and she said she had been in bed when he arrived and he had left between 5 and 6 in the morning. She said the bonnets were sent to her by Mr Goodyear and the tickets sent with the bonnets. She said she had paid the money to Luck and that she had brought the money to Goodyear’s premises and paid it to her brother there. William Anderson: he was the driver of the omnibus which ran between Luton and St Albans. He knew the prisoner, Luck and recollected his bring him a parcel of goods on 23 November. He was to take it to Luck’s sister who would meet him at Harpenden Common. The female prisoner met him at Harpenden Common that day. She then came to his omnibus at Luton in the morning with a parcel in a shawl. She returned again that evening about brought him a letter which he gave to Mrs Burge, landlady of the Crown Inn. Mrs Burge delivered it to Mr Pope. He had been in the habit of delivering parcels from Luck to the female prisoner and she was in the habit of meeting him at Harpenden Common. Luck paid the carriage of the parcels. There was no direction on the parcels. Charles Mees: on 24 November Mary Ann Weston brought him 25 white bonnets to his shop. He bought them from her. A few days later he gave them to Mr Pope. He said to her that they were Mr Goodyear’s bonnets, were they not? And she said they were not. Mr Goodyear saw them in his warehouse and recognized them. Lewis Flint: he recollected buying some bonnets from the female prisoner on 24 November. There was 4 dozen and 8 bonnets and he gave her 3s 6d per dozen. On 1 December he gave 3 dozen and 8 bonnets to Mr Pope. He had sold the other dozen. He bought them from the prisoner at the Plough public house. Sarah Allen: a bonnet maker for Mr Goodyear. She knew bonnet no.1 and had finished it herself. Those marked no.2 were made at her house. No.3 was made in her work room by Elizabeth Scott. No.4 was made in her house. No.7 was made by Hannah Allen. They were all made for Mr Goodyear. Emily Allen: daughter of Sarah Allen. She worked for her mother as a bonnet sewer. She made 3 bonnets marked no.2. Superintendent Samuel Pope: the prisoner Charles Luck was in his custody on 26 November. He denied the charge of stealing 45 white bonnets but later said he would tell all about it. Luck said he had given the bonnets to his sister, Sophia Morley at Leverstock Green to sell for him. On the same day he went to the house of Mary Ann Weston at Harpenden. He told her he had come for the bonnets. She said she had none. After some delay she took him upstairs and showed him 4 coloured bonnets. She was charged. She said her brother had given her 45 white bonnets for her to sell for him and he had given her the 4 coloured bonnets for herself. She did not know them stolen. He also produced a letter [attached] in the handwriting of Mary Ann Weston. Letter: “Dear Brother. I have been to Redbourn and there has been nobody there not yet and I told mother what to say if he did come so you besure and send me a letter back tonight be the van.” Susanna Jane Goodyear: wife of William Goodyear. Charles Luck was in her husband’s employment. His job was to generally assist and not to sell goods. She never gave him authority to sell goods. Statement of the accused: Charles Luck - the reason he took the bonnets was because he could not get hi money from his master. He went to him on 30 August and did not have any money until 16 October. That day his pay was £1 15s 8d. He left on 26 November and was owed £2 19 0d. Mary Ann Weston – "I am not guilty"

item

Luck, Charles,
Weston, Mary Ann,
Allen, Sarah,
Allen, Emily,
Allen, George,
Pope, Samuel,
Flint, Lewis,
Mees, Charles

LUTON, Redbourn, stealing, receiving stolen goods, bonnet, straw hat manufacturer, bonnet sewer, rag merchant, driver