QSR1866/1/5/12-13

Depositions of James Cain, publican of Luton. George Dickins, plait brusher of Luton. George James, police constable of Luton. William Rolfe, straw dealer of Totternhoe. Josepg Rolfe, straw dealer of Totternhoe. George Fox, harness maker of Dunstable. In the case of John Andrews and Joseph Mayes accused of stealing a pair of reins, the value of 5 shillings.

4 December 1865

From: 1865 To: 1866

James Cain: he was the keeper of the Queen’s Head public house in Chapel Street, Luton. Mr Joseph Rolfe of Totternhoe came to his house every Monday with a horse and cart. William Rolfe, his son, came to his house about 8am on Monday 27 November with a horse and cart. The horse was put in the stable and the harness was hung in the stable behind the horse. Rolfe came again for the horse about 3pm. He went to put the harness on the horse but could not find the reins. He told Rolfe who said he had buckled them to the saddle when he put the harness up. There was a doorway from the stable to his skittle alley. He was the prisoner, Mayes in the skittle ground that morning. Mayes was there nearly 2 hours setting up pins for the players. He believed the reins were Mr Rolfe’s which had been in the stable that morning. George Dickins: he was a plait brusher lodging at the Garibaldi beer house in Chase Street, Luton kept by the prisoner Andrews. On 28 November Andrews asked him to clean his harness for him. The harness hung on a nail in the wash house. He took it down and cleaned it. There were some reins with it. Whilst he was cleaning the reins PC James came into the block house and said “where did you get those reins from Dickins?” He told the PC they were nothing to do with him. Andrews was there and said they were his and he had them for 2 or 3 months. Andrews said he had bought them down the street from a man who had stood in the market. PC George James: on the morning of 28 November, in the company of PC Lansberry, he went to the Garibaldi beer house kept by the prisoner Andrews. They went to the wash house in the back yard and saw Andrews and Dickins there. Dickins was greasing reins. He asked where he had them from and Dickins said they were nothing to do with him. Andrews said they belonged to him and he had them for 2 or 3 months. Asked who had had them off, Andrews said it was a man who kept a stall on Luton Markey but he did not know his name. He told Andrews a pair of reins had been stolen the day before and the description match the reins being cleaned. Andrews swore they were not the same reins. He took the reins to Totternhoe and showed them to Mr Rolfe’s son William. William Rolfe identified them as his father’s property. He returned to Andrews and told him they were the stolen reins and asked if he could account for them. Andrews said he could as the man he had bought them from was in the tap room. They went to the tap room and Mayes was sat there. Andrews said he had been at Luton market the day before and had been asked by the man to buy the reins. Andrews said he’d give half a crown for them if they were brought to his house that night. Mayes was asked how he came by them and he said he had found them at the bottom of Farley Hill yesterday morning and saw them dropped by a old man in a round smock. He charged Mayes with stealing them and charged Andrews with receiving them knowing them stolen. William Rolfe: a straw dealer working for his father at Totternhoe. On Monday 27 November he went to the Queens Head at Luton with his father’s pony and cart. He put the pony in the stable and hung the harness behind the pony near the door. He buckled the reins to the saddle and left it hanging up. He ordered the pony to be put in the cart at 2.45pm. Mr Cain, the landlord, came to him and asked where the reins were. He told Cain he had left them in the stable and Cain said they were not there. He went out and found them gone. He informed the police. The next day PC James came and showed him some reins which he believed to be the ones he had lost. They had been freshly greased since he had lost them. Joseph Rolfe: a straw dealer of Totternhoe. The reins produced were his property. He knew them by a cross cut join. George Fox: he was a harness maker of Dunstable. On December 1863 he made a set of harness for Mr Rolfe of Totternhoe. The reins produced are his make. They were extra strong ones and worth 5 shillings. Statements of the accused: John Andrews – he met Mayes in the street about 2pm last Monday. Mayes asked if he would buy a pair of reins which he had found. He told Mayes he would give him half a crown for them if he would bring them up to where he lived. Mayes brought them up after he had got home. Joseph Mayes – nothing.

item

Mayes, Joseph,
Andrews, John,
Cain, Joseph,
Dickins, George,
James, George,
Rolfe, William,
Rolfe, Joseph,
Fox, George

LUTON, DUNSTABLE, TOTTERNHOE, stealing, harness, straw worker, publican, Luton Queens Head, straw dealer, harness maker, skittles, beer houses