QSR1861/3/5/9

Depositions of William Woods Mardlin, labourer of Blunham. Sarah Mardlin, wife of Samuel Mardlin, a victualler of Blunham. William Goodman, yeoman of Blunham. William Hills, police constable of Blunham. Ann, wife of Charles Joy, beershop keeper of Charlton. William Hall, labourer of Muggerhanger. In the case of Samuel Heenan accused of uttering piece of false and counterfeit coin.

19 June 1861

From: 1861 To: 1861

William Woods Mardlin: son of Samuel Mardlin, keeper of the Salvation public house at Blunham. On the night of Saturday 15 June the prisoners came into the house and called for a bottle of ginger beer. He fetched it and Heenan gave him half a crown in payment. He took it to the bar and gave it to this mother who said it was bad and returned it to him. He took the coin back to Heenan and told him it was bad. Heenan took it into his hand and looked at it and said it was not the same coin he had given him. The coin had not passed out of his sight and he had no other. Sarah Mardlin: her husband was blind and she did the business of the house. On Saturday he son brought her a half crown which he had taken in payment for a bottle of ginger beer. She looked at it and discovered it to be bad. She returned it to her son and told him to take it to the man who he had it from. She then went into the tap room where the prisoner was and saw the prisoner abusing her son. She asked the prisoner what the matter was and he said that her son had changed his half crown for a bad one. The prisoner said he had the half crown of a man named William Hall. William Goodman: parish constable for Blunham. On 15 June he went to the Salvation public house and took the prisoner into custody. He took the defendant to PC William Hills and together they returned to the Salvation where Hills search the prisoner in his presence. Hills found half a crown, a sixpence, a fourpence and 2 pennies in the prisoner’s pocket. Besides the half crown, no bad money was found on the prisoner. The prisoner said he had borrowed half a crown from one of his mates and should have to give a good one for it. PC William Hills: on 15 June he took the prisoner into custody and took him into the Salvation and searched him. He found the bad half crown which he marked and handed to Superintendent Blunden. Mr Blunden returned it to him. He also found good money on the prisoner. Ann Joy: wife of Charles and keeper of the Barley Mow at Chalton. On the evening of 15 June the prisoner, who lodged with them, put a half crown in her hand. He did not say anything at the time and did not say it was payment for anything. She examined the coin and believed it to be a bad one. She told the prisoner she thought it was bad and gave it back to him telling him that if he had bad money he should put it away. At the time the prisoner put the money in her hand he owed her more money. Previously that afternoon the prisoner had given her 2 half crowns which she examined and found to be good. William Hall: a labourer working for the Cambridge and Bedford line. He knew the prisoner but had not lent him, at any time, a half crown. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Heenan, Samuel,
Mardlin, William Woods,
Mardlin, Sarah,
Mardlin, Samuel,
Goodman, William,
Hills, William,
Joy, Charles,
Joy, Ann,
Hall, William

BLUNHAM, Moggerhanger, Chalton, passing counterfeit coin, victualler, yeoman, beer shop keeper