QSR1865/4/5/15

Depositions of Charlotte Smith, wife of Thomas, grocer and basket manufacturer of Pavenham. Samuel Folley, police constable of Pavenham. In the case of George Peart alias George Summer accused of stealing money to the sum of 7 shillings.

3 October 1865

From: 1865 To: 1865

Charlotte Smith: he husband was a grocer and basket manufacturer at Pavenham. The prisoner worked for Robert Peart of Felmersham who made baskets for her husband. They worked on her husband’s premises. On 25 September he went into the shop and missed 8 or 9 shillings from a drawer on the counter. She had left 14 or 15 shillings in the drawers about half an hour earlier. She found 5s 6d in the drawers under some paper. There were 2 half crowns amongst the money taken. The shop could be entered from the yard and the yard could be entered from the street. She believed the shop was entered from the yard and that the prisoner knew where the money was kept. PC Samuel Folley: on Monday 25 September he was told by Thomas Smith of the loss of some money from his shop. That evening he went into Stevington and met the boy, Peart, and spoke to him. Peart when on the road and hid himself in a field where he later found him. He asked the boy what he was doing there. Peart responded but he did not believe him and took a light and examined the ground. He found, under a wall, a purse containing 2 half crowns and a ring. The purse lay between the stones in the wall. The prisoner had previously said he did not have any money. The prisoner was apprehended the following day under a warrant. Whilst in custody the prisoner confessed that part of the money in the purse was taken from Mr Smith’s shop and that he had taken 7s 2d. The prisoner said he had spent the remainder of the money. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Peart, George,
Summer, George,
Smith, Charlotte,
Smith, Thomas,
Folley, Samuel

PAVENHAM, FELMERSHAM, stealing, money, grocer, basketmaker