QSR1848/1/5/6/c

Depositions - William Swan charged with uttering counterfeit coin

1 November 1847

From: 1847 To: 1848

Sarah White of Luton, single woman – she is servant to Mrs Sophia Ellerd of the Vine Public House in Luton. On Friday 29 Oct Swan came into the Vine from 5.20 to 5.30pm and asked for 1/22 pint of beer. He told her to be quick. She fetched it and he gave her a shilling. She gave it to her mistress to change. It was a new looking shilling. She left it with her mistress. Sophia Ellerd of Luton, widow – she keep the Vine. Last Friday her servant Sarah White brought her a shilling to change and take for ½ pint of beer. She gave Swan the change and kept the shilling in her hand. She looked at it and thought it was not good and said so to White. PC Millard came in directly. He took it from her, bit it and put it in his pocket. He then took Swan into custody. John Millard of Luton, police constable – due to information he had received he followed Swan for some time until he went into the Vine. He saw Swan in the passage standing up against the door, then sitting in the tap room with ½ pint of beer. He went into a back room and saw Mrs Ellerd the landlady looking at a shilling. He asked if she had received it from Swan. She said she had and that she thought it was not a good one. He looked at it, found it was bad and put it into his pocket. He went into the tap room and searched Swan. He found another bad shilling in Swan’s left hand and another in his left shoe. On Swan’s person were 14 good sixpences, 5 four penny pieces and 3s 9½d in copper. Swan said he had not changed a shilling in Luton. He took Swan into custody.

item

Swan, William,
White, Sarah,
Ellerd, Sophia,
Millard, John

LUTON, passing counterfeit coin, Luton Vine, Landlady, police constable