QSR1838/3/5/12

Depositions and examination - Henry Findley

17 May 1838

From: 1838 To: 1838

Thomas Newberry of Silsoe - on Monday last a fair was held at Silsoe. He went into the fair about 10pm. There was a row and he stopped to watch. He saw 3 rough looking strangers come round him. Findley came up behind them. Two gypsy men were fighting. One of the strangers put a candle in his hand and asked him to hold it. He did so for a minute then said he would not hold it any longer. One of them took the candle from him and someone pushed him. That made him take his left hand out of his left hand coat pocket. He then felt a hand in his pocket. He turned and saw Findley’s hand come out of his pocket. A purse with 2s in it and some keys belong to his employer, Mr Snow who is gardener to Lord de Grey, were taken from his pocket. He fastened on Findley directly and kept him until he got to the constable. He did not see Findley searched. One of the others struck him on the arm when he seized Findley. Joshua Cockburn of Maulden - he was at Silsoe Fair on Monday night. He saw Findley waking round Newberry for some time. Findley was shoving and pushing about. He saw Findley’s hand close to Newberry’s pocket and saw him draw it away. Newberry then collared Findlay and he said "hold him" He saw Findley’s hand touch the pocket. Newberry said he had lost his purse and keys. He did not see anything in Findley’s hand - they were all pushing about so he could not see. Findley was the only man close enough to Newberry to touch his pocket at the time it was picked. Henry Findley - he denies having done it. There were many people about and others might have done it. They found nothing on him. He sometimes goes chimney sweeping and sometimes gets rags and bones. He lives at Stevenage now and went to Silsoe Fair for pleasure. [Pencil note] "Joseph Allen will give evidence of seeing the prisoner take something from the prosecutor’s pocket and throw down something which Allen picked up and found to be keys, which keys prosecutor identifies".

item

Findley, Henry,
Newberry, Thomas,
Cockburn, Joshua,
Snow

SILSOE, MAULDEN, Stevenage, pickpocket, Gypsies, fairs & markets, gardeners, chimney sweep, rag merchant