QSR1862/3/5/8-9

Depositions of Fanny Dowdeswell, wife of Edward, innkeeper of Maulden. Eliza Carter, wife of James, labourer of Maulden. John Clark, innkeeper of Ampthill. Jane Brinkler, wife of George, innkeeper of Flitwick. Elizabeth Dunham, wife of John, retail beer seller of Clophill. Matthew Cook, ostler of Ampthill. William Bright, labourer of Steppingley. James Barfoot, labouer of Ampthill. William Stanton, silversmith of Ampthill. John Flint, baker of Maulden. Samuel Odell, labourer of Flitwick. William Hillyard, Thomas Worsley and Edward Scott, all police constables. Martha Bright, widow and inn keeper of Ampthill. Mary Ward, widow and common lodging house keeper of Ampthill. Bridget White, widow and servant of Ampthill. In the case of William Barton and John Simpson accused of passing counterfeit coins.

8 May 1862

From: 1862 To: 1862

Fanny Dowdeswell: wife of Edward an innkeeper at Maulden. Both prisoners were strangers to him. On 25 April between 12 and 1pm the prisoner William Barton came to her house and asked for a pint of beer. He gave her a crown which she put in a box with the other silver but there was no other crown piece. She gave him change and whilst he was drinking his beer John Simpson came in and had some beer. They took no notice of each other and no conversation passed between them. She could not say if the prisoners left together. The next day she paid the same 5 shilling piece to Mrs Carter, her neighbour. Eliza Carter: on 25 April she went for change of a sovereign to Fanny Dowdeswell. Among the change was a 5 shilling piece. The same evening she paid the same 5 shilling piece to James Flint. John Flint: on the evening of Saturday 26 April he received a 5 shilling piece from Eliza Carter. The following Monday PC Hillyard came he gave the same 5 shilling piece to him. He marked the piece before giving it to the PC. John Clark: on the morning of 26 April the prisoner Barton, a stranger, came into his house and asked for a pint of beer, he served him and Barton threw down a crown piece. He examined it and found it to be bad and refused it. The prisoner said it was a good one and he wised he had a hundred of them. The prisoner said that if he wouldn’t take the coin he could only take half a pint as he only had a penny and a half penny besides the crown. The prisoner said he had taken the crown at Leighton and he told the prisoner not to offer it to anyone else as it was bad. Jane Brinklow: wife of George an innkeeper at Flitwick. On 28 April William Barton came to the house and asked for a pint of beer. He put down a 5 shilling piece and asked for change. She gave him the change and he drank his beer and left. She put the 5 shilling piece among the other silver. There were no other 5 shilling pieces. Soon after PC Hillyard came and wanted to look at the coin and she gave it to him. The coin was marked in her presence by her husband. Martha Bright: a widow and keeper of the Kings Head Inn. On 25 April a man came into the passage for a pint of beer. Her ostler, Matthew Cook, bought a 5 shilling piece to her and she gave him the change. She put the 5 shilling piece in the till with her other money. There were no other 5 shilling pieces in there. On 26 April she paid then same Crown piece to Matthew Cook in his wages. Matthew Cook: he was employed by Martha Bright. On 26 April, William Barton came into the passage of the Kings Head and had a pint of beer. Barton gave him a 5 shilling piece which Cook took to his mistress and gave the change to the prisoner. The following night he received his wages and among it was a 5 shilling piece. He put it in his pocket and gave it to PC Hillyard the following day. William Bright: On the night of 27 April he saw PC Hillyard in his mother’s house at Ampthill. He received a 5 shilling piece from his mother, Martha Bright and marked it. Matthew Cook was present at the time. He gave it to PC Hillyard. PC William Hillyard: on 28 April he went to the house of George Brinkler, an innkeeper at Flitwick. Brinkler’s wife produced a 5 shilling piece which she had received from a man who had just left the house. It was marked in his presence. On 27 April he went to the house of Martha Bright and saw Matthew Cook. Cook produced a 5 shilling piece which William bright marked in his presence. On 28 April he went to the house of John Flint, a baker at Maulden, and asked if he had a 5 shilling piece from Mrs Carter. Flint marked the coin in his presence. PC Thomas Worsley: stationed at Clophill. On the morning of 28 April he saw the 2 prisoners together at Clophill. They were walking towards Ampthill and coming from the direction of Shefford. Just before they came to the beer shop kept by Dunham at Clophill, he noticed Barton walk on first. Barton went into the beer shop and the prisoner Simpson followed about a minute later. They both remained in for a few minutes until Simpson came out first with Barton following directly. They joined each other and went off towards Ampthill. Elizabeth Dunham: wife of John a beer shop keeper in Clophill. On the morning of 25 April the prisoner Barton came into the house and had a pint of beer. Barton gave a 5 shilling coin to him and he gave Barton change. Immediately after Simpson came in. He noticed Simpson was lame and had a black bag on his shoulder. Simpson had a pint and paid in coppers. Whilst he was in the cellar he heard the prisoners conversing. Their conversation ceased when he entered the room. Simpson left the house and Barton immediately followed. Superintendent James Bates: on the morning of 26 April he was informed that some parties were passing bad money. He came across the prisoner Barton at Flitwick and took him into custody. On being told the charge, Barton said that he knew nothing about bad money and a mistake had been made. Barton said he had not been in a public house that morning and had come from Hitchin the day before. He found 4s 11 ½d in good money on Barton. On 27 April he was with Barton in the guard room at the lock up in Ampthill. Barton said he had met a man at The Travellers Rest in Shefford on Thursday night who said he was on the besting [?] system and he might go with him. Barton said then went to Ampthill the following day and the man gave him a counterfeit crown which he changed at a public house. He had given the man the change and the man gave him another crown which he changed at another public house for a pint of beer and again gave the man the change. They then went to a lodging house and had supper and went to bed. On Saturday Barton said the man gave him another crown and he attempted to change it at a public house but the landlord bit it and said it was bad. The man gave Barton another crown and a penny and told him to go over the hill and he would catch him up. Barton waited for the man at the running water and then went into a public house in Flitwick and changed the crown. Barton could not see the man to change to give the change to. They had planned to go to Toddington together. They had changed a crown piece at a lone public house between Shefford and Ampthill. Barton expected the man to be found at the lodging house at Toddington but it was no use taking the man in a house as he always hid the bad money before he went in. Barton described the man as tall, lame with a black bag. Samuel Odell: on 26 April he saw the prisoner Barton go into the Blackbird public house at Flitwick kept by George Brinkler. A minute later Simpson passed by the public house with a black bag on his shoulder. Simpson passed him and appeared to be waiting about and was walking slowly. Shortly after, he saw Barton leave the public house and go in the direction Simpson had gone. Barton asked him if he had seen a man with a bag on his shoulder and he told him he had been gone but a minute before him. Simpson appeared to walk lame. PC Edward Scott: on 28 April he went to Toddington and remained there until 30 April. He was watching the movements of John Simpson. He apprehended Simpson at a lodging house there. He found Simpson upstairs making a waistcoat. On being told the charge Simpson said he knew nothing about any bad money and he was a tailor by trade. Simpson said he lodged in London at a model house in Smith Street, Westminster. Simpson said he had left on 19 April and gone to Shefford for a week. He then went on to Ampthill by himself. He had taken a pint of beer on the road to Ampthill and had stopped at Ward’s lodging house at Ampthill. He had not seen the other men until he had been at Wards. If the other man said they had come from Shefford together it was lies. On searching Simpson, Scott found £5 19s and a black bag. James Barfoot: on the night of 25 April he saw the prisoner Barton come out of the Abbler’s beer shop in Ampthill. Directly after that, the prisoner Simpson joined him and they stood together for 2 or 3 minutes and then walked off together in the direction of Ward’s lodging house. Mary Ward: keeper of a lodging house at Ampthill. Barton came to the house on the morning of 25 April and asked for a bed for himself. She said he could have one. About 2 hours later Simpson came and asked for a bed and he said he would like a bed to himself. She said he could have one. The prisoners entered into conversation with each other and seemed as if they knew each other. Both prisoners came in between 9 and 10pm and she did not see them come in. She did not see them in the same bed. They left next morning within a short time of each other. They had a single bed together as there was no room. Bridget White: a widow in the service of Mary Ward. On 25 April the 2 prisoners came there at separate times. There came in between 9 and 10 and she lighted them upstairs together. They both said they wished for separate beds and there were 4 beds in the room. 3 beds were occupied and so she said they must sleep together. William Stanton: he was a silversmith residing at Ampthill. The 3 crown pieces produced by PC Hillyard were all counterfeit and bad. Statement of the accused: William Barton – he met John Simpson at Shefford on Thursday 24 April. After some conversation Simpson said he was on the besting system and he was bested sometimes and he should best others if he could. Simpson asked where he was going and he told him to Leighton and Simpson said he may as well go with him in the morning if he liked. Simpson gave him a crown which he changed at a lone public house and he gave Simpson the change. Simpson gave him another crown and told him which house to go to with it. He went and had a pint of beer and returned to Simpson the change. They went on to another public house and he was given another crown and called for a pint of beer. Simpson followed him in immediately and called for a pint of beer. Whilst the landlord had gone to get the beer they conversed. They left and he gave Simpson the change. Simpson gave him another crown and told him to go to the first public house on the left with a tree before it. He went in and bought a pint of beer and Simpson came in and called for a pint of ale. When they came to Ampthill they had gone to Mrs Ward’s and taken lodgings. Simpson had followed him in and left his bag there. They had their dinner and they sat on a seat until night. Simpson gave him a 5 shilling piece and told him to go to the White Horse. He went in and had a beer and came out and gave Simpson the change. Simpson gave him another coin and went to a beer shop and had a pint of beer. He gave Simpson the change. They went to the lodging house and went to bed together and got up in the morning and took breakfast. Simpson gave him another 5 shilling piece and told him to go to the house with trees before it, which he did. He called for a pint of beer and the landlord detected the coin was bad and bit it. He went back to Simpson at Ward’s with it. Simpson gave him another coin and a penny and told him to go over the hill and he would catch him. He stopped by the running water till Simpson came. They went to the top of the hill and Simpson told him to go to the first public house, he did so and changed it for a pint of beer and when he came out he could not see Simpson. In conversation, on the way from Shefford, Simpson had said he had 5 score crown pieces when he had left London and that he had been at it for 7 or 8 years and had different mates, some for 6 months. The last one he had was for 3 months and he saved £8 and left him. He knew he was guilty of passing the coins. John Simpson - the statement his partner had made was entirely false. He had not had crown pieces in his possession at Ampthill or on the road. Barton had asked he could direct him to the nighest road to Oxford and told him he could not go a better road than Leighton. Barton asked if he was going that way and he told Barton he was going no further than the Red Lion at Toddington. He told Barton he had some work to make up there and would stop some time. He told Barton that by Woburn was a mile or 2 nigher. Barton asked how far it was to Toddington and how many villages were between Ampthill and Toddington. He told him he believed there were 2. Barton then asked how many there were between there and Woburn and he said he did not know. Barton said he thought he should go to Toddington.

item

Barton, William,
Simpson, John,
Dowdeswell, Fanny,
Dowdeswell, Edward,
Carter, Eliza,
Carter, James,
Brinkler, Jane,
Brinkler, George,
Dunham, Elizabeth,
Dunham, John,
Cook, Matthew,
Bright, William,
Barfoot, James,
Stanton, William,
Flint, John,
Odell, Samuel,
Hillyard, William,
Worsley, Thomas,
Scott, Edward,
Bright, Martha,
Ward, Mary,
White, Bridget,
Clark, John

AMPTHILL, MAULDEN, FLITWICK, CLOPHILL, passing counterfeit coin, lodging house keeper, Ampthill Kings Head, Flitwick Blackbirds, Ampthill White Horse, Toddington Red Lion, innkeeper, silversmith, ostler, baker, servant