QSR1860/1/5/1

Depositions of Thomas Hines, pensioner on the recruiting staff of Her Majesty's Army and resident of Leighton Buzzard. Samuel Gilby, labourer of Leighton Buzzard and Edward Lawford, a surgeon in practice at Leighton Buzzard. In the case of George Purratt Smith accused of obtaining a shilling by false pretences.

25 October 1859

From: 1859 To: 1860

Thomas Hines: a pensioner on the recruiting staff of Her Majesty’s army. On 18 October he was at the Bell Inn for the purpose of recruiting. George Smith came to him and asked if he could be enlisted. He had been in his uniform at the time. He asked Smith if he was free able and willing to serve Her Majesty in the Royal Artillery for the term of 12 years. He believed him to be a likely man for service and the prisoner replied yes. He asked the prisoner if he had ever served in the army before and Smith replied he had spent 4 years in the militia. Asked what he was discharged for the prisoner replied he had struck a Corporal and had 6 months in gaol. He asked the prisoner if there was anything the matter with him and Smith replied no. He enlisted the prisoner and gave him a shilling. He took the prisoners name and address and told him to meet him at the Boot Inn at Leighton at 9am the next morning and to being his discharge and go by the doctors. They met next morning and went together to the doctors. He left the prisoner in the Nags Head public house in the company of Samuel Gilby. Gilby afterwards said something to him not in the prisoner’s presence. They went to the doctor and he saw the doctor examine Smith. He saw marks on Smith’s breast were he had been cupped. The doctor rejected him. He had not seen his discharge from the militia. The prisoner said he had lost it. Samuel Gilby: he had served in the Royal Artillery and had been discharged on account of ill health 4 month previous. He had been in the Nags Head public house with Hines and the prisoner. Hines went out of the room and Smith said to him that “there is nothing to prevent me to pass except for this” and the prisoner opened his shirt and showed him his breast which showed marks of him being cupped. He told the prisoner he had better speak to the Corporal before he went to the doctor. The prisoner said he would not and had tricked the Corporal as he knew he would not pass. He saw the prisoner again when he came back from the doctor and tried to persuade him to give back the shilling but he would not. Afterwards the prisoner said he could get the shilling by Sunday and would then give it back. Edward Lawford: a surgeon practicing in Leighton and in the habit of examining recruits. On 19 October the prisoner was to him for examination. He examined him and found him unfit for the service. He found the prisoner to be suffering from disease of the heart which incapacitated him for service in the army. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

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Hines, Thomas,
Gilby, Samuel,
Lawford, Edward,
Smith, George Purratt

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, recruiting officer, surgeon, Leighton Buzzard Bell