QSR1861/4/5/9

Depositions of Charles Louis Kelly, provision dealer of Woolwich, Kent. William Smart, police constable of Markyate Street, Hertfordshire. William Charles Neville, police constable of Markyate Street, Hertfordshire. In the case of Joseph Bellingham accused of stealing a horse and van.

14 October 1861

From: 1861 To: 1861

Charles Louis Kelly: the prisoner was in his employment up to Saturday 5 October. He left his work as usual on Saturday. Next morning he missed a horse and van, a set of harnesses, a nose bag, a whip and some corn. He had since seen the horse, van and harness and identified them as his property. PC William Smart: a constable in the Herts Police Force. On 6 October, from information received, he went to the Swan Inn at Markyate Street. He found the prisoner there with a horse, van, a set of silver plated harness, a nosebag and a whip. He asked the prisoner if they were his own and the prisoner said that they were his father’s. He detained the prisoner and handed him over to PC Neville from the Beds Police Force. He took the horse, van and harness to Luton and gave them to the police there. PC William Charles Neville: a constable in the Beds Police. On 6 October PC Smart brought the prisoner to his house and stated he had detained him with a horse and van at the Swan Inn. He asked the prisoner his name and was told Joseph Bellingham. He asked him who the horse and van belonged to and he replied his father. The prisoner said his father had been killed the Friday before in London when he was thrown from a horse and buried the same night. The prisoner said he was going back to Derby where he came from, to take the hose and van home. Asked what he had been doing in London the prisoner replied his father was a greengrocer and they had been up with a load of vegetables and they would take them from Derby to London every week. He took the prisoner into custody as he believed this to be untrue. The prisoner began to cry and said he had 2 men with him and he stolen it from Mr Kelly artillery place in Woolwich. He took the van, horse and harness into his possession. These were identified by Mr Kelly. Statement of the accused: he was very sorry he took it from Mr Kelly and put him to all the trouble. If Mr Kelly would forgive him he would “never touch the weight of a pin no more”.

item

Bellingham, Joseph,
Kelly, Charles Louis,
Smart, William,
Neville, William Charles

Woolwich, Markyate Street, stealing, horse theft, provision dealer