QSR1867/4/5/1

Depositions of Charles Johnson, labourer of Riseley. William Peck, watchmaker of Rushden. Samuel Haynes, constable in the Beds Rural Police of Poddington. In the case of Thomas Baker of Riseley accused of breaking and entering the dwelling house of Charles Johnson and stealing a silver watch.

6 August 1867

From: 1867 To: 1867

Charles Johnson: he lived in Back Street, Riseley. The prisoner lived within a short distance from his house. On 30 July he left his house about 5pm to take a walk. He locked the door and hid the key. He returned home a little before 9pm. His housekeeper was in the house having taken the key from the place in which he had placed it. When he went into the house he saw a pane in the window was broken. He examined the back door and found it unbolted and open. He went upstairs and examined his chest to see if his money was all right. His money was in the pocket of his breeches which he kept inside the chest. He did not look for his watch which he kept in the chest. The next morning his housekeeper told him the watch had gone. His watch was out of repair and he had not seen it for many months. On 3 August his watch was brought to him by Mr Carruthers, the superintendent of police. He knew it by the marks on it and it bearing the name of ‘Johnson’ the maker. He valued it at 7 shillings. William Peck: on 2 August between 5pm and 6pm the prisoner, whom he had not seen before, brought him an old silver watch and asked him to buy it. He offered him 5 shillings for it. Only looking at his money he found he only had 4s 3d and offered that for it. The prisoner took the money and went away. As the prisoner was leaving 2 policemen came to the house; one was PC Haynes of the Bedfordshire Police and the other a police constable from Rushden. PC Haynes took away the watch and the prisoner. He had not received his money back. PC Samuel Haynes: on 2 August he was directed by the Superintendent to make enquiries after a stolen watch. Between 6pm and 7pm he went to the house of Mr Peck, a watchmaker of Rushden and found the prisoner there. The prisoner left and soon after he picked up the watch from Mr Peck, which peck said he had bought from the prisoner. The prisoner said the watch was his and he had sold it to Peck for 4s 3d and he took the money from his pocket and laid it on the table. The prisoner said he had the watch since Bletsoe Statute, which had been about Michaelmas. The prisoner said he had won it bowling. The prisoner said he had it from John Harbour of Knotting. He took the prisoner into custody and told him the charge. The prisoner said he had not been at Riseley for 3 weeks and that he had been working in Cambridgeshire and other places. The prisoner later said he had been at Riseley within the past week. Statement of the acuused: “I make no defence”.

item

Baker, Thomas,
Johnson, Charles,
Peck, William,
Haynes, Samuel,
Carruthers

PODINGTON, RISELEY, Rushden, breaking & entering, watchmaker, watches, bowling