QSR1867/1/5/13-14

Depositions of Henry Burley, butcher of Luton and Eliza Burley, his daughter. Sarah Weston, wife of Frederick, packer of Luton. George James, police sergeant of Luton. James Haynes, police constable of Luton. In the case of George Fensom and William Bunnage accused of stealing 2 legs of mutton, the value of 12 shillings.

3 December 1866

From: 1866 To: 1867

Henry Burley: he was a butcher and kept the Carpenter’s Arms public house in New Town Street, Luton. On 22 November the 2 prisoners and another man who he did not know came into the house about 8.30pm. They went into the tap room and had beer together. They stayed until about 10.15pm. There was passage which lead from his front door to the tap room and he had 3 legs of mutton and other joints hanging in the passage. He saw them safe about 5 minutes before the men left. Fensome went out first and Bunnage followed. From something his daughter said he went to the passage and third prisoner was just going out. The man said to him “master there lies a leg of lamb in the dirt” and he gave his the leg of mutton. The prisoner had gone. He them missed another leg of mutton from the passage and informed the police. PC Haynes showed him a leg of mutton which he identified as the one he had missed. He knew it by the snag which he tore in the flank when he had been dressing it. He gave the leg which he had found outside the house to the police sergeant James. He had seen both legs of mutton at the Court House at Luton and identified them as those he had lost. They were worth 12 shillings. Nobody went out of the house before the prisoners. Eliza Burley: daughter of the witness Henry Burley and she lived at the Carpenter’s Arms. She knew the prisoners. On 22 November, they and another man came to the house and stayed until about 10.30pm. The prisoners went away first and the other man followed a little afterwards. There were some legs and other joints of mutton hanging in the passage. As they were going out he saw Bunnage take a leg of mutton off the hook in the passage and go out of the front door with it. She told her father. The third man was in the passage them and picked up a leg of mutton on the step outside and gave it to her father. The prisoners had gone up the street. After they had gone they missed another leg of mutton. She had seen it safe with the others before the men had gone out. Fensome went out before Bunnage. Sarah Weston: she was the wife of Frederick Weston, a packer in a warehouse. They lived in New Town Street, opposite the Carpenter’s Arms. On the night of Thursday 22 November, about 10.30pm she came out of the house and saw a young man come out of the Carpenter’s Arms with a leg of mutton in his hands and he threw it down on the step. The man went up the street rather fast so that she could not see who he was. She did not see anyone else with him. Sergeant George James: on 22 November, from information received, he took the prisoner Fensome into custody. He charged Fensome with stealing 2 legs of mutton. Fensome replied “I never touched it”. Fensome was told he was charged with stealing them in the company of William Bunnage. Fensome reiterated he knew nothing about what the others had not and said he could assure James he had never touched the mutton. He received the leg of mutton from Henry Burley and produced it at the Court House at Luton on 26 November. It was identified by Burley as his property and was given up to him. PC James Haynes: on 22 November he was on duty in Park Street West about 10.30pm and met the prisoner Bunnage. He saw a leg of mutton lying in the doorway of no.25 Park Street West. He picked it up and enquired at the house as to whether it was their property. They knew nothing about it and on looking around he saw the prisoner Bunnage had gone. He suspected the mutton was stolen and from information received, he showed it to Mr Burley. Burley identified it by a snag in the flank. The same night he took Bunnage into custody and charged him with stealing 2 legs of mutton in the company of Fensome. Bunnage said he knew nothing about it. Statement of the accused: George Fensome – he went down Sparrow Corner and down the meeting alley and through the churchyard home. William Bunnage – he had nothing to say.

item

Fensom, George,
Bunnage, William,
Burley, Henry,
Burley, Eliza,
Weston, Sarah,
Weston, Frederick,
James, George,
Haynes, James

LUTON, Luton New Town Street, Luton Carpenters Arms, stealing, mutton, butcher, packer