History: An Andover scandal from November 1860 remembered

The following saga took place, not just in Andover but also in Usk, Monmouthshire, and ended in the subsequent conviction of two rather ingenious fraudsters.

Locally, the story begins in early November 1860 when an elderly man of ‘respectable appearance’ going by the name of Mr Hedges, took possession of a baker’s shop in Winchester Street.

The shop was newly built and included a bakehouse, owned by John Holloway senior of Penton Mewsey.

The baker’s shop around 1900, when run by Wilfred Ponting (Image: F Pearce) Tithe survey information of 1848 shows John Holloway owned two sets of tenements between the present Salvation Army building and today’s Southampton Arms and it seems likely that this was where the baker’s shop would be; indeed, a former baker’s shop still existed there in 1967, then run by electrical retailer F H Dixon.

When, in 1860, Hedges took on the Winchester Street premises, he also contracted to rent a house and shop at Chute, again owned by John Holloway.

This second shop was supposed to be a branch of the same business and was going to be managed by Hedges’ nephew, whose arrival was expected any day.

Hedges temporarily stayed at the New Inn (later the New Railway Inn) in Bridge Street while he made his preparations to open the shop and to fit up the house for his occupancy.

He ordered and obtained goods from various shopkeepers in Andover, acquiring ten bags of flour, a large quantity of coal, groceries, gin, bitter ale, furniture, ironmongery and other provisions, all on the usual credit terms, saying he would open his shop on Friday, November 30.

The same shop in Winchester Street, in 1967, then run by F H Dixon (Image: Charles Wardell)

All was going to plan until he was recognised by a Mr Aylward who was on a chance visit to Andover from Usk in Monmouthshire.

Aylward’s father-in-law had been swindled by the so-called Hedges at Usk some months before and he knew that the same man was wanted at Pontypool; indeed, there were two rewards being offered for his capture.

Aylward lost no time in contacting Inspector Edwards of the Monmouthshire Constabulary, who soon came down by train on the new network and arrested Hedges at his new residence in Winchester Street.

When the policeman arrived, the wanted man is said to have been taking it easy smoking a pipe with an opened bottle of spirits beside him and a meal cooking on the fire.

Only a few yards away was the new Andover police station, and Hedges was taken there by the inspector and searched.

Winchester Street police station in 1967 (Image: Charles Wardell) He had but a few pence on him but there was also a letter from his supposed nephew announcing his intention to visit his uncle on the following day from London, coming down on the 10.45 train.

The next day, at the appropriate time, a police sergeant stationed at Andover - PS Reeves - waited near the house and shop in Winchester Street for the appearance of a young man who was looking for his uncle’s new premises.

Sure enough, a likely suspect made his appearance and he was promptly escorted to the police station and searched.

Nothing incriminating was found on him but there was a receipt for a hamper left at Andover railway station and when that was retrieved it was found to contain a quantity of empty sacks, jars and articles that could be used to remove goods purloined from Andover.

On Monday, December 3, Inspector Edwards took the pair back to Usk, where both there and at Pontypool, the two suspects had successfully carried out their well-rehearsed practices under the name of Osborne.

A few days later they appeared before the Monmouth magistrates where they were remanded to appear before a judge.

Three weeks later, the pair came up at Usk Town Hall where their case was heard.

A number of witness testimonies traced the events that took place between March and the end of November.

The elder man, named as William Osborne, had variously used the names Kinner and Hedges, while the younger ‘nephew’, Henry Tanner, had used Spencer and Osborne.

It all started in Camden Town when William Stephens, an agent or acquaintance of Mary Williams who lived in Usk and owned a house and shop to rent there, formalised an agreement whereby William Osborne would take the Usk premises in order to set up his nephew in business.

Supposedly, Osborne had done rather well in the seed trade and all his children were well off, his son working at the Bank of England.

His nephew meanwhile was a very steady young man but needed a helping hand and this was his purpose in taking the shop.

Osborne went off to Usk and the first thing he did was engage journeyman baker James Cutler to work in the shop baking biscuits.

His new boss meanwhile set about ordering flour from the various millers around the area and this was delivered to the bakery.

Osborne told him to pack the flour into half-sacks some of these went off in Osborne’s cart and some went to Usk railway station.

This went on for a little while before Osborne finally left on July 6, being replaced by his nephew Tanner who carried on the same practice of sending sacks of flour to the station until he also left on July 15.

Cutler said that he never saw either Osborne or Tanner again and he returned the few goods left in the shop that he could see had never been paid for.

Tailor William Thomas and boot maker Charles Stockham both told the court how Osborne and Tanner had ordered clothes and shoes from them, promising that the account would be settled quickly but soon after the various commissions had been completed and delivered, the two customers disappeared.

Altogether, Stockham had made two pairs of high-class gents’ shoes and three pairs of ladies’ shoes, apparently for Osborne’s niece in London who was about to be married.

Each time, elaborate stories were spun by the two accused as to why the money was not quite available right then, while all the time hints were dropped of well-to-do relatives and influential connections to mollify the poor traders who were being systematically defrauded.

When Inspector Edwards was called to the witness stand, he related the events at Andover, adding that when he asked the nephew his name and address, he replied ‘Spencer, coffee house, London.

He refused to say more but the inspector soon ascertained the correct address in St Anne’s Road, London, and when he went there he found a metal box that was unlocked by a key found on Tanner at Andover.

Inside were several pawn tickets for clothes and shoes that were unredeemed, the pawn money being pocketed and the goods left with their respective pawnbrokers.

Furthermore, Inspector Edwards told how he had visited London again on December 8 and met up with a man called Davies who had regularly bought flour from a man named Kinner for the last 20 or 30 years, the last time being in July which was sent in sacks with the names of Usk millers upon them.

Letters came from various places around the country – Northampton, Brighton and Shoreham included – which told of similar swindling incidents that fitted an identical pattern going back over 20 years.

It was always the same tale of a wealthy uncle trying to do his best for an impecunious nephew or niece or both.

The evidence was overwhelming and both William Osborne and Henry Tanner (related or not), after yet more evidence was heard from other witnesses given during the Monmouth quarter sessions at the beginning of January 1861, were found guilty.

William Osborne (79) was sentenced to 12 months while the younger accomplice Henry Tanner (45) received 18 months, both with hard labour, at Monmouth gaol.

If you are interested in local history, why not join Andover History and Archaeology Society? Details can be found at www.andoverlocalhistoryarchaeology.uk