QSR1862/3/5/1/a

Depositions of Joseph Whiteman of Maulden, shoemaker, William Wilsher of Maulden, journeyman shoemaker, Isaac Roberts of Ampthill, shoemaker, Edmund Herbert of Ampthill, shoemaker, John Smith of Maulden, carrier, James Bates, superintendent of police for the Ampthill division, and William Hillyard, police constable stationed at Ampthill. In the case of George Claridge accused of stealing part of a memel calf skin, a pair of shoemaker's lasts, a pair of iron punches and a piece of patent leather, together worth 6s 6d, from Joseph Whiteman.

3 April 1862

From: 1862 To: 1862

Joseph Whiteman: in the night of 3 December his shop was broken into and leather, lasts, punches and knives were stolen. Among the leather was a memel calfskin which he had bought from Edmund Herbert a short time before. On 3 April Superintendent Bates showed him a memel calf skin, which he could swear to as being his property, worth about 4s. Part of it was missing. Later that day he went with PC Hillyard to a house occupied by John Smith where the prisoner lodged. Some boxes there were searched in his presence and in the presence of his journeyman William Wilsher. The 2 lasts, a pair of punches, 2 knives and a piece of patent leather were found in the room. They were all his property except the knives, which belonged to William Wilsher, and were all in his shop on the night of the robbery. Their value was about 2s 6d. Other leather was also stolen. The prisoner was quite a stranger to him. William Wilsher: he lived at Maulden and was employed by Joseph Whiteman. He remembered the shop being broken into on 3 December and a quantity of property stolen. He knew his master had a memel calfskin in the shop before the robbery, similar to the one produced. Last Thursday night he went with PC Hillyard and his master to the house of John Smith at Maulden where the prisoner lodged. In the prisoner's room were found 2 lasts, a pair of punches, 2 knives, and a quantity of patent leather, now produced. All were his master's property except for the 2 knives which he had lost on the night of the robbery. The prisoner was a stranger to him. Isaac Roberts - he lived at Ampthill and was employed by Edmund Herbert. On 24 March the prisoner (whom he had never seen before) called at his lodgings asking him to buy a shoemaker's wheel. He had refused. On 29 March he accidentally met the prisoner in a public house. The prisoner asked him to come to his lodgings at the house of John Smith in Maulden and to buy some leather. He went there on 31 March and bought 11lbs weight of soling leather. He paid 12/- for it, and sold it on to his master for 16/-. On 3 April he went back to the prisoner's lodgings and bought a further 12lbs of soling leather for 15/-. The prisoner also produced a memel calfskin and offered to sell it to him for 18 pence, but he declined. Later the prisoner brought the memel calfskin to his lodgings at Ampthill and asked him to sell it for him. He said he would if he could, and would bring the money to Clarke's at the Old Sun. He took the skin to his master who told him to return in half an hour - when he did so he found the superintendent of police in the house, and told him where he had appointed to meet the prisoner. Edmund Herbert: he was a shoemaker at Ampthill. On 3 April Isaac Roberts brought him the memel calfskin now produced, and offered it for sale. When he looked at it he thought it was a skin he had sold to Joseph Whiteman in late November. He told Isaac Roberts to return in half an hour. In the meantime he communicated with Superintendent Bates. To the best of his knowledge and belief the calfskin is the one he sold to Joseph Whiteman. He also believes the piece of patent leather produced to be a portion of some he sold Joseph Whiteman - it is part of a larger skin than usual and very stout. John Smith: he lived at Maulden and was a carrier. About 7 weeks ago he was employed to bring 2 boxes from Luton to Maulden, to be left till called for. He took them to his house. A few days afterwards he met the prisoner (a stranger to him) in Maulden. The prisoner asked whether he had any boxes, and on being told that he had, enquired how they could be got to Marston Station. The boxes had remained at his house for a fortnight when the prisoner called to inquire about lodgings, saying he was a shoemaker. He rented him a room in the house, where he worked until taken into custody. No other boxes were brought for the prisoner him to his knowledge. The 2 boxes he brought from Luton were the ones taken possession of by the police. James Bates: he was superintendent of police for the Ampthill division. From information received he had the prisoner taken into custody. He said he was George Claridge of Ebenezer Street, Chapel Street, Luton, and had been in Maulden about 3 weeks. When asked to account for the quantity of leather in his possession, the prisoner said that he had bought it from Mr Mardin of Northampton in early March. The lasts were his own, and he bought the punches at a pawnshop. On 7 March he was in the guard room of the lock-up when the prisoner said he wanted to speak to him. The prisoner said that Stringer and young Sawyer should be there, as he had bought the lasts, punches and knives from Stringer and some of the leather from Sawyer at Luton. William Hillyard: he was a police constable stationed at Ampthill. He took the prisoner into custody and charged him with stealing leather from Joseph Wightman [sic] of Maulden. Prisoner said he had bought the leather from Mr Mardin of Northampton. He went to the prisoner’s lodgings, and found the 2 lasts, pair of punches, 2 knives and a piece of patent leather, also some soling leather. He went to visit the prisoner in the lock-up, and heard him say that he had bought part of the leather from Stringer and part from Sawyer. George Claridge: he bought the punches, the lasts and the knives from John Stringer of Luton a week before Christmas. Stringer had since come to him at Maulden and told him not to offer the items for sale as they were stolen. He did not know what to do and offered them for sale directly as he wanted to be shot of them. Mr Whiteman was a perfect stranger to him.

item

Claridge, George,
Whiteman, Joseph,
Wilsher, William,
Roberts, Isaac,
Herbert, Edmund,
Smith, John,
Bates, James,
Hillyard, William,
Mardin,
Stringer,
Sawyer

MAULDEN, LUTON, AMPTHILL, Ampthill Old Sun, stealing, leather, tools, shoemaker, carrier