Does anyone know what a "Spence under the stairs" might have been? West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser QUARTER SESSIONS, 4 JULY 1851 - part 3 WEDNESDAY, JULY 2 JOHN GIDLEY, 34, was charged with stealing on the 1st of May, at Truro, a pick, the property of SAMUEL DATE. Mr. J. B. COLLINS conducted the prosecution; Mr. STOKES the defence. The prosecutor, who works on the roads as a labourer for the Truro Union, stated that on the 15th of March, he delivered his pick to DREW, a smith at Truro, for the purpose of being altered, and left it in his possession. About the 14th of May, Drew informed him that he had lost his pick about the beginning of that month. The prosecutor, on the 24th of May, obtained a warrant from the Mayor of Truro, and went to Gidley's house with a constable, WARD, who found the pick in a Spence, under the stairs. Witness knew the pick to be his by a mark on the hilt, and an eye on the handle. -ROBERT DREW, smith, stated that he altered the pick as desired by prosecutor; and had seen the prisoner, who had tools of his own there, handling this pick. Prisoner had a similar two-point pick there, but with quite a different eye, - one being oval, the other a diamond. Witness left the shop about a quarter of an hour, and shortly after his return, missed the prosecutor's pick. -JAMES LONG, smith, in the employ of Mr. JEFFERY, about twelve months since, made five or six similar picks for Date; the pick now produced was one of those he so made; he knew it by the eye. MR. STOKES, opening the defence, said the question for consideration was as to the identity of the property. It was admitted that the prisoner did take the pick from Drew's shop; but it would be proved that the pick was his own property, and Drew himself had admitted that prisoner had at his shop, at the time referred to, a pick similar to that of the prosecutor's. If therefore, the proof should fail as to the pick being the prisoner's property, still the circumstances would not warrant a verdict that the prisoner took the pick with felonious intent. -ROBERT DREW, recalled by the Chairman, stated that the prisoner's pick was taken away from his shop about the same time as prosecutor's; it was not left there after prosecutor's pick was taken away, and he (Drew) allowed prisoner 1.6d. for it, in account. -JOHN BLACKMORE, a labourer on the Kenwyn parish roads, had during the last three years worked with prisoner, and occasionally used prisoner's tools. About three years ago, the prisoner's father-in-law, named RICHARD SOBEY, the foreman of the roads, brought the pick in question to him (Blackmore), and stated that it was Gidley's. (Witness looked at the pick and hilt and from several marks which he pointed out to the jury, positively swore that the pick belonged to the prisoner.) Had often carried the pick to smiths' shops to be repaired. The last time he carried the pick for repairs was about March twelve months. The last time he worked with that pick was about ten or twelve months since, but had seen it several times since. Witness and prisoner were in the habit of using each other's tools. -RICHARD BEHENNA, a foreman at REED's smith's shop, Truro, had been there three years. Prisoner and his partner repeatedly brought tools there to be repaired. In March, 1850, the prisoner brought him this pick, and he (witness) laid it at both ends, and then noticed in the interior of the eye a notch in the iron - a flaw in the working. The witness removed the pick from the handle, and pointed out the mark to the jury. The Chairman in summing up, spoke of the unimpeachable character of the witnesses on both sides, observing that the conflict of testimony showed that there was some singular mistake as to the property. The only circumstance which appeared of a suspicious nature, as against the prisoner, was the fact of his having been allowed 1s.6d. for his own pick; if his own pick had been left at the shop, the notion of "mistake" would have been more obvious. Still, with such testimony as had been adduced as to the property, he thought they could not convict of felonious intent. The jury, however, after rather long consultation, returned a verdict of Guilty. One Fortnight to hard labour. ......... ELIZABETH TREWOLA, 45, was charged with stealing on the 14th of June, a pound weight of butter, the property of FRANCIS GUNDRY, of the Queen's Head, Truro. -ELIZABETH GUNDRY, daughter of prosecutor, bought of MRS. WILLIAMS at the market, a pound and two half-pounds of butter , and afterwards saw it in the dairy. On the following day, WOOLCOCK, a policeman, went to prisoner's house and there found in a glass cupboard, a pound of butter, which she said she had purchased about half-past eight at the market. He took charge of the butter, and apprehended the prisoner; and, on the following Wednesday, it was produced before the magistrates where it was identified by E. Gundry and by Mrs. Williams. Mrs. Williams testified she sold 5 lbs. of butter, all to private individuals. She had a unique butter-print. On being apprehended, prisoner said she had never been in the Queen's Head. -FRANCIS MARY STEVENS, a servant of Mr. Gundry, who had known prisoner for four years, saw her in the passage-way, between the tap and the bar-door, at the Queen's Head. She asked for a glass of porter. Witness went to the bar for the porter, leaving the prisoner alone in the passage, the dairy door being open. At that time, prisoner had nothing with her; she remained about a quarter of an hour. When witness came out with the porter, prisoner had something under her left arm. -WILLIAM NICHOLLS, constable of Redruth, on Sunday morning the 15th of June, saw the prisoner at Truro prison. She said "This is a bad job; I did it through drink; can't it be settled?" Verdict, Guilty. Two Months' hard labour. ......... RICHARD TREMBRATH, 21, was charged with stealing, on the 10th of June, at the parish of St. Buryan, a basket containing a shilling, two sixpences, fivepence-halfpenny, and a pair of gloves, the property of ELIZABETH BOASE. The prosecutrix stated that on the 11th of June, she was at OATES's public house with a MRS. WARREN. While they were there, prisoner came in, and in his presence prosecutrix counted her money into her basket, and also put her gloves in. The prisoner immediately afterwards snatched the basket out of her hand and ran away. She ran after him but could not catch him. Afterwards she went to a Mrs. WALLIS's, where the basket was shown her. She then informed a constable, and prisoner was brought to Mrs. Wallis's, where, in the presence of witness, he took three half pence out of his pocket and said to Mrs. Wallis "there's the money I had from you for the basket." MRS. WALLIS stated that she lived at Buryan about a quarter of a mile from Oates's beer-shop. On the 11th of June, prisoner came to her house and offered the basket for sale, and she gave him three halfpence for it. Afterwards he was brought by the constable, and paid her back the three halfpence; and she gave up the basket to the prosecutrix. At the time of the transaction, the prisoner was not "true drunk" but had been drinking. Verdict, Guilty. Four Months' hard labour. ........... CATHERINE MORRIS, 31, was charged with having on the 19th of April, at Redruth, stolen from the person of JOHN OLIVER, one sovereign, two half-crowns, and two shillings, the property of the said John Oliver. The prosecutor, a miner living at Gwennap, on the 19th of April, was at the King's Arms, in Redruth, having the money named in a bag. Prisoner was in the room when he paid for a pint of beer. He was standing with his back towards her, when she put her hand into his right hand pocket and ran off. He then missed his bag and money, and ran after the prisoner into the street, and apprehended her, and gave her in charge. Knew the bag and money were in his pocket about ten minutes before. -WILLIAM BARNETT, a lad employed at the yard of the King's Arms on the day in question, saw the prisoner pass down through the court with a bag in one hand, and a finger and thumb of the other hand in the bag. Afterwards saw constable Tredinnick pick up the bag about thirty or forty yards from the place; he believed that bag to be the same he had seen in prisoner's hands. -JOHN TREDINNICK, constable, apprehended prisoner and was present when she was searched; there was found on her two half-crowns and three shillings in a housewife, but no bag. In consequence of information given by the last witness, witness went down the back-yard of the inn, and at about ten or fifteen paces from where Barnett told him the prisoner had passed, he found a bag on the ground. This witness produced the bag, which was identified by the prosecutor and his wife. CHARLES TREGONING, constable of Redruth, stated that, after he had the prisoner in custody, she at first denied all knowledge of the robbery; but the next day she said if there was any sovereign among the silver, she must have lost it in the crowd. Verdict, Guilty of stealing from the person. Four Months' hard labour. ............ JOHN DAVIS, 19, charged with stealing, on the 28th of April, from the boiler-house at Drakewalls mine, in the parish of Calstock, a pair of shoes and a pair of stockings, the property of HENRY WILLIAMS, miner. Guilty. Four Months' hard labour.

A spence is a cupboard or storage space under the stairs. The word was used regularly in my home when I grew up in Cornwall. Lorna ----- Original Message ----- From: <jwmos99@msn.com> To: <cornish-gen@rootsweb.com>; <cornish@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 2:50 AM Subject: [CORNISH-GEN] weekly news, 4 July 1851, Qtr Sessions, part 3 > > Does anyone know what a "Spence under the stairs" might have been? >

Thanks for the info about the spence - now I know where it was that my gt gt grandfather (Joseph Ward, the policeman) found the pick! Regards, Bill -----Original Message----- From: cornish-gen-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:cornish-gen-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Lorna Leadbetter Sent: 27 May 2010 07:53 To: cornish-gen@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [CORNISH-GEN] weekly news, 4 July 1851, Qtr Sessions, part 3 A spence is a cupboard or storage space under the stairs. The word was used regularly in my home when I grew up in Cornwall. Lorna

Hello All, My grandfather, born in Beacon, Camborne, used to tell me when I was young, that if I didn't behave, I would be put in the spence under the stairs. I had to use my imagination for what that might have been like... until the first Harry Potter movie came along and I saw where his aunt and uncle made him stay. It was the imagined spence of my childhood. Doug Nicol -- Norman D. Nicol, Ph.D. Professional Genealogist/Family Historian Specializing in NE Pennsylvania, England, esp. Cornwall, and Scotland ----- Original Message ----- From: jwmos99@msn.com To: cornish-gen@rootsweb.com, cornish@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 9:50:47 PM Subject: [CORNISH-GEN] weekly news, 4 July 1851, Qtr Sessions, part 3 Does anyone know what a "Spence under the stairs" might have been?