QSR1835/4/5/5

The Examinations of Mary Finnings; the information and complaints of John Oliver, draper of Dunstable; the information of Henry Lockhart, draper of Dunstable; the information and complaints of John Lockhart, draper of Dunstable In the case of Mary Finnings charged with stealing from the shop of Mr John Oliver and stealing a length of white calico the property of Mr John Lockhart

22nd July 1835

From: 1835 To: 1835

The examination of Mary Finnings now in custody on a charge of feloniously stealing and taking away from the shop of John Oliver of Dunstable in the said county Draper who says: I met Mr Oliver out of the town and he had a connexion with me in the field and he told me to come to his shop and he would pay me – He did not pay me so I took the property – I left Aylesbury this morning I came to Dunstable by way of Leighton by carrier cart – we stopped at the Coach and Horses in Leighton – I was set down from the cart at the edge of the town this was about eight o’clock in the morning. The examination of Mary Finnings now in custody on a charge of stealing a length of white calico the property of Mr John Lockhart of Dunstable in the county of Bedford Draper taken on 30th July 1835 who says: I never stole the calico, I bought it of a travelling woman, who has three children – I bought it in the streets of Dunstable, I do not know the person of whom I bought it. The information and complaints of John Oliver of Dunstable in the county of Bedford Draper taken on 29th July 1835 who says: A woman who is now present and says her name is Mary Finings came into my shop this afternoon at half past four and asked to look at some stockings I showed her some but she said they were too dear. She then asked to look at some Handkerchiefs. I showed her some at six shillings a dozen – she offered three shillings, I refused her offer, when she left the shop – immediately after she left my shop I missed two lengths of printed calico, I followed the woman and overtook her coming out of the Crown Public House I said to her “I want you to walk into my shop, she replied I know what you want I have got the property on me – I saw the property in a basket what she carried in her hand. This was within a few yards of my house and I took her into my shop and sent for the Constable, I delivered the basket and its contents to the Constable, the basket contains among other things two lengths of printed calico about twenty two yards and which are of the value of twenty shillings. These two lengths are my property and were upon the counter in my shop at the time the prisoner came in and asked for the stockings and I missed them the moment after she left the shop. The information of Henry Lockhart of Dunstable in the county of Bedford Draper taken on 30th July 1835 who says that he remembers the prisoner who calls herself Mary Finnings coming to the shop of his father Mr John Lockhart situate in Dunstable in the said county yesterday afternoon (about two o’clock) the 29th day of July instant. She asked to see some stockings. He showed her a dozen pairs but the price did not suit. He has examined the length of calico now produced and he knows it to be his father’s property as it had his fathers private marks on – and that he did not sell the calico to any person. The prisoner had a basket in her hand when she came into the shop, he perfectly remembers the calico now produced laying upon the counter in the morning and verily believes that the prisoner Mary Finnings feloniously stole the said calico. The information and complaint of John Lockhart of Dunstable in the county of Bedford Draper taken on 30th July 1835 who says: the length of white calico now produced and which I saw taken from the bag claimed by the prisoner Mary Finnings as her property, and which in contains about nineteen yards and is of the value of eight shillings – I know it to be my property, it has my private marks on it – I do not believe that I ever sold the calico to any person – and the calico was in my possession yesterday morning.

5 pages

item

Finnings, Mary,
Oliver, John,
Lockhart, John,
Lockhart, Henry

DUNSTABLE, draper, calico, stealing