QSR1835/1/5/11

Depositions – Levi Caves charged with stealing a calico shirt from John Facer at Houghton Conquest

20 November 1834

From: 1834 To: 1835

John Facer of Houghton Conquest, labourer – he sleeps at a house at Chapel End in the parish of Houghton Conquest in which his daughter [lives?], but he has his maintenance in the workhouse and his washing is done for him there. On the Monday before the last Quarter Sessions at Bedford he took a shirt to the workhouse to be washed. He laid it on the dresser. He saw Charlotte Kitchener, who lives in the workhouse, take it up. He did not see the shirt again until Monday 10 November when Samuel Smith, the Master of the Workhouse, brought it to him. He recognises it by the wristbands. Catherine Thorogood, wife of James Thorogood of Houghton Conquest – about a fortnight ago she was called to by Widow Golding, the mother of Levi Caves. She showed her the shirt now produced and asked her to cut down the collar and put a bit in to make it bigger. She agreed to do so and took the shirt home for thepurpose. She cut the collar and put the new piece in. Widow Golding paid her one penny for it. She did not say who it belonged to, and she did not ask. Elizabeth Golding of Houghton Conquest, widow – she is the mother of Levi Caves by her first husband. Live Caves lives in the workhouse of Houghton. She lives in an almshouse in the parish. She knows the shirt now produced. The piece in the collar was put in by Catherine Thorogood by her directions. She paid her 1d for it. Levi Caves brought it to her about a month ago and said his Master gave him the shirt. It was dirty when he brought it. She has washed it. She measured the collar with his other shirt and found it too small so had it made larger. He generally brought her his shirts to have the collars starched. After it had been altered her son fetched the shirt from her. That was about a week ago. Samuel Smith of Houghton Conquest – he is Master of the Workhouse. John Facer is maintained and washed for in the workhouse but his clothes are his own property. After he came back from the last Quarter Sessions at Bedford he was told a shirt of Facer’s brought to be washed was missing. On 8 November he was informed that Mrs Thorogood had a shirt of Levi Caves’ to alter. He asked Caves, who lived in the workhouse, how many shirts he had. He said two. He asked where Caves got the secondhand shirt he had sent to Mrs Thorogood to alter. Caves denied that he had. Later he said that was a shirt he wore on a Sunday and that with that shirt he had got three. He asked Caves to fetch it and he brought the shirt now produced. He sent for John Facer who owned it. Levi Caves – he would not have done it if his own shirts were not worn out. It lay in the dresser when he took it away.

item

Caves, Levi,
Facer, John,
Thorogood, Catherine,
Kitchener, Charlotte,
Smith, Samuel,
Thorogood, James,
Golding, Elizabeth

HOUGHTON CONQUEST, stealing, clothing, shirt, Parish Workhouses, Master of the workhouse, POVERTY