QSR1837/3/5/32

Depositions - Charles Purser charged wtih stealing a teaspoon form Anne Crooke, widow

31 May 1837

From: 1837 To: 1837

Elizabeth Goss of St Paul Bedford, spinster – she is the servant of Mrs Crooke who lives in Adelaide Place. She looks after and cleans Mrs Crooke’s plate. Last Friday morning she missed a silver teaspoon. It was a small spoon and there was not another in the house like it. It is not a common shape as the spoons are now. She has examined the spoon produced by Wm Coombs and is sure it is the same. She knows Purser who was in the service of Mrs Crooke at the time she missed the spoon and for about a month before that. Purser left her service last Sunday, saying his mother said he was not to come again. John Bull of the High Street, St Paul Bedford, silversmith – he has examined the spoon produced. He bought it last Friday afternoon from a lad but he does not know who. The lad was the same size as the prisoner and resembled him but he cannot swear it is the same person. The lad said the spoon belonged to his father, whose name was Smith and was the person he had bought a piece of silver from the other day. He had bought a piece of silver from Smith, the father in law of Purser, and therefore did not hesitate to buy the spoon. William Coombs, chief constable of Bedford – he went to Mr Bull’s shop with Mrs Crooke and saw her select the spoon he now produced from many others. He went to Smith’s house (the father in law of the prisoner) and in Purser’s presence asked his mother to let him go with him to Mr Bull’s. She said he might but Purser refused, and said he supposed he was wanted about the spoon. He said Crooke identified the spoon and he wanted Purser to go to see if Mr Bull could identify him as the person who sold it. Purser was crying very much and his mother said to him “well, if you are guilty tell me and if you are not who don’t you go readily with Mr Coombs?” Purser admitted he brought a silver spoon from Mrs Crooke’s. Purser’s mother told him to walk quietly away with him [Coombs] or he would be obliged to collar him. He said to Purser that if he was guilty of this then he was afraid there was something else. The mother then said she had seen a piece of old Dutch pipe which had been sold to Mr Bull and added “but I can assure you he [Purser] did not sell that but his brother”. He then took Purser to Mr Bull’s shop. Mr Bull thought he was the lad but could not say. He then said to Purser “I shall be obliged to make a prisoner of your brother”. Purser paused about half a minute and then said “I did sell the spoon here”.

item

Purser, Charles,
Crooke, Anne,
Goss, Elizabeth,
Bull, John,
Coombs, William

BEDFORD, Bedford St.Paul, Bedford Adelaide Place, Bedford High Street, stealing, cutlery, silversmith, Chief Constable