QSR1868/1/5/16

Depositions of Thomas Turvey, farmer of Totternhoe. George Snoxall, dealer of Totternhoe. William Sharp Page, pawnbroker of Leighton Buzzard. Wallace Gurney, cast steel worker of Eaton Bray. William Charles Neville, police sergeant of Houghton Regis. In the case of William Adams accused of stealing a gun, valued at £3 3s 0d.

23 December 1867

From: 1867 To: 1868

Thomas Turvey: in the month of March 1867 he had a gun which he lent to George Snoxall of Totternhoe, a dealer. The prisoner’s boy had been keeping crows for him and the prisoner came to him on 31 March and said that there were so many crows that young George was struggling to keep them off the oats. The prisoner said that if Turvey gave him his gun, powder, shot and caps he would go and shoot the crows. He told the prisoner that his gun was with George Snoxall. He gave the prisoner some powder and caps and said he would satisfy him for going and he was to bring back the gun either that night or the next morning. The prisoner had the gun from Snoxall but had not brought it back. He had asked the prisoner for it several times and the prisoner told him he had lent it to a man names Foxen at Slapton and he would go and fetch it. It was worth £3 3s 0d. He had since seen the gun at Messrs Page & Dumpleton pawnbrokers in Leighton. He had not sold the prisoner the gun for £3 and had not asked the prisoner to sell it for him. He had promised the prisoner 1s 6d to come off his rent. He told the prisoner he would proceed against him if he did not have the gun back and the prisoner did not say he would do so when he had the sacks. George Snoxall: he was a dealer in Totternhoe. In the month of March 1867 he was lent a gun by Thomas Turvey. It was the same gun which was produced. The prisoner came for the gun on 31 March and he told the prisoner he might have it. He saw the prisoner go down the yard with it. William Sharp Page: he was a pawnbroker at Leighton Buzzard in the firm of Page & Dumpleton. He produced a gun he received from a man on 9 April 1867. The man who bought it gave the name of William Adams of Totternhoe. He couldn’t say if the person was the man who bought it. He was able to produce the duplicate of the ticket he had given to the man. On 7 December 1867 Police Sergeant Neville came and stopped the gun. It was afterwards applied for the same day and he refused to give it up. Wallace Gurney: he was a cast steel worked and lived at Eaton Bray. He produced a pawn ticket from page & Dumpleton of Middle Row, Leighton. He bought the ticket from the prisoner on 7 December 1867 and gave 13 shillings for it. When the prisoner sold him the ticket he said he had it in a deal from Frederick Young. He applied on the afternoon of the same day for the gun and was stopped by the pawnbroker. William Charles Neville: he was a police sergeant at Houghton Regis. In August or September 1867 he received information from Turvey about the gun. On 7 December he saw Turvey and from what he said he went to Page & Co pawnbrokers at Leighton and found the gun there. On 10 December he had a warrant against the prisoner but he was away. On 14 December the prisoner was brought to him by the Ampthill police. He then charged him on the warrant of fraudulently converting the gun to the use of his own property. The prisoner said it had not bee fraudulently as he had intended to get it out but Neville told the prisoner he would have been unable to as he had sold the ticket. The prisoner replied that it he got 3 months for it there was no use in fretting. Statement of the accused: not guilty.

item

Adams, William,
Turvey, Thomas,
Snoxall, George,
Page, William Sharp,
Gurney, Wallace,
Neville, William Charles

TOTTERNHOE, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, EATON BRAY, HOUGHTON REGIS, stealing, guns, dealers, farmers, pawnbroker