QSR1869/1/5/4-5

Depositions of Abraham Warren, ironmonger of Luton. Alfred Green, furniture dealer of Luton. George Brown, beerhouse keeper of Luton. Thomas Whitby, baker of Luton. Emma Kate Barton, bonnet sewer of Luton. Joseph Murphy, marine store dealer of Luton. George Plumb, innkeeper of Luton. John Seymour, pawnbroker's assitant of Luton. David Jaquest, police sergeant of Luton. In the case of Mary Ann Bailey and George Smith, otherwise Sidney Smith, accused of obtaining goods to the value of £3 5s 10d by false pretences.

23 November 1868

From: 1868 To: 1869

Abraham Warren: he was an ironmonger at 22 Bute Street, Luton. On Tuesday 3 November the prisoner, Mary Ann Bailey came to his shop about 11.30am and said she wanted a few things and would pay a deposit of 10 shillings and then 5 shillings a week. He said that he did not want to do business in that wt and would called his wife as she managed the sale shop. After his wife came he asked Bailey “who is your husband and what is he”. The prisoner said her husband was George Smith and he kept the Windsor Castle in Windsor Street. He asked her why she wanted the goods and the prisoner replied that they had 2 young ladies coming form London to occupy apartments in her house and again she stated she would pay the remainder at 5 shillings a week. The good she wanted were; a set of tea trays, 2 tea kettles, a slop pail, a cast iron fender, a frying pan, a galvanized bucket, a set of irons, half a dozen balance knives and forks, a bowl, a pair of bellows, a pair of brass candlesticks, a Britannia metal tea pot, a dust shovel, some tea spoons and a table spoons. She went away and returned with a man with a wheelbarrow and said she was in a hurry and that her lodgers would be there before she got home, so the man would take the good for her in the wheelbarrow. His wife asked if her husband dependent on the public house for his livelihood and the prisoner replied that he also did blocking. His wife asked what warehouse the husband worked for and Bailey replied that her husband worked at home. Bailey and the man put the goods in the wheelbarrow and took them away. About 3pm both Bailey and Smith cam back and returned the fender as it had broken. His wife allowed them another fender and when she returned from fetching it Smith was selecting 10 tea spoons. Smith put the fender in a bag and Bailey said to him to wait and he replied he could not as he had a lot of blocking to do and told her to bring a set of cruets. The prisoners left. Bailey had paid her 10 shillings before she went away the first time. On 4 November Bailey came again wanted to now if she could have some more goods. He let her have another fender and a set of fire irons. The value of the goods on the first day was £2 15s 4d on the afternoon of the day the value was 10s 6d and the next day was 8s 3d. He had parted with them on the trust that Smith, the prisoner’s husband, kept the Windsor Castle and he was a responsible person. He gave her a bill on the first day. Smith had half a dozen and half a dozen tea spoons which Bailey took away. He knew the goods by their general appearance. Alfred Green: a furniture dealer of Park Street West, Luton. On the morning of Wednesday 4 November the prisoner, Smith, sold him a set of tea trays, 2 tea kettles, a frying pan, a fire shovel, a slop pail, a fender and 5 irons. He gave Smith 12s 6d for the articles. He showed them to Mr Warren on 12 November and Warren identified them. He gave them to Sergeant Jaquest. George Brown: he was keeper of the Lamb beer house in Luton. The prisoners came to his house about 7pm on the evening of 3 November. Smith asked him to buy 2 brass candlesticks and a teapot. He bought them for 6s 6d and gave the money to Bailey. He gave the candlesticks and tea pot to Tomas Whitts to pledge for him. They were pledged for 4 shillings. Thomas Whitby: he was a baker and lodged at the Eagle in Wellington Street. On 4 November he had the 2 candlesticks and a tea pot to pledge for Mr Brown. He pledged them at Butcher and Frazers in Bute Street in Mr Brown’s name for 4 shillings. Emma Kate Barton: he lived in New Town, Luton. On Thursday 12 November the prisoner George Smith gave him some knives, forks and spoons to pledge for him. he pledged them at the pawnbrokers in Bute Street. He pawned them for 4 shillings. He gave the ticket to Smith. Joseph Murphy: a marine store dealer at Luton. On 12 November the prisoner, Smith, gave him a fender and 5 irons to pledge for him. He had 1s 6d on the fender and 1s 6d on the irons. He gave the money to Smith. He had 2 tickets and sold them to Mr Plumb, at the Brewery tap for 6d by the order of Smith. George Plumb: he kept the Brewery Tap at Market Hill. On 12 November Joseph Murphy sold him 2 pawn ticket, which he produced, for 6d. He gave them to Sergeant Jaquest on 17 November. John Seymour: assistant to Messrs Butcher and Frazer of Bute Street, Luton. On 3 November the prisoner Bailey pledged 6 knives and forks at the shop. They were black handled. He gave her 3 shillings and the ticket. They were pledged in the name of ‘Ann Smith’. On 4 November Whitby pledged the teapot and candlesticks in the name of John Brown Wellington for 4 shillings. On 12 November Murphy pledged a fender for 1s 6d and 5 irons for 1s 6d. He had the duplicate tickets. On the same day Emma Kate Barton pledged the knives with balance handles, forks and spoons for 4 shillings. He produced the duplicate. They were pledged in the name of Ann Smith. He showed the goods to Warren on 14 November and he identified them all. Sergeant David Jaquest: on 12 November he received the 5 irons, tea trays and other goods from Alfred Green which he now produced. He also had the tickets from Mr Plumb. PC Samuel Brace: he was in charge of the police station at Luton. He received Smith into custody on 12 November about 6pm. He searched Smith and found 6 tea spoons and a duplicate pawn ticket. The ticket was in the name of Ann Smith and was for knives, forks and spoons. The prisoner said “I never mean to pay for them and Mr Warren might have known it when I got them”. William Ransom: he was the keeper of the Windsor Castle public house in Luton. It was transferred to him from Bennett who had been there about 5 months. The prisoner did not keep the house but did lodge there when he took it over. Statement of the accused: not guilty [both]

item

Bailey, Mary Ann,
Smith, George,
Smith, Ann,
Warren, Abraham,
Green, Alfred,
Brown, George,
Whitby, Thomas,
Barton, Emma Kate,
Murphy, Joseph,
Plumb, George,
Seymour, John,
Jaquest, David

LUTON, false pretences, receiving stolen goods, furniture dealer, ironmonger, marine store dealer, innkeeper, pawnbroker's assistant, baker, bonnet sewer, beerhouse keeper, Luton Windsor Castle, Luton Brewery Tap