Reference
HSA1680/W/80
Title
Deposition: Richard Knight, Bedford, lab. 31 August 1679.
Travels with wife Ellis; drove sheep to Leighton market; went to Winslow to buy lace; to Naseby to fetch more sheep to drive to London, but returned instead to Leighton. The Examination of Richard Knight of the towne of Bedford in the County of Bedford labourer, taken before me Wm Durcombe Esqr one of his Majesties Justices of the peace for the sd County at Battlesden this 31th day of Augt 1679 This Examt saith that Ellis Knight as she calls herself, is his lawfull wife & that they were married at Naseby in the County of Northampton, that he together with his sd wife went a little before harvest into Kent, and workt at Rochester, that about three weekes since he & his sd wife came downe to Hockliffe, & lay at the signe of the Unicorne, & then & there left a shirt of his and a smock of his wives to be washed, & from thence went to Naseby aforesd to see his wives friends, from whence he alone went to see his mother liveing at Bedford, on munday the 25th of Augt & about three 3 of the clock he went from Bedford towards Layton, & came to Layton on tuesday the 26th of Augt where he mett his sd wife & a young man a kinsman of hers, who had driven twenty sheep to Layton markett, which his wives father John Smith a miller of Naseby aforesd had left her, and sold them there for seaven pounds, & that there are forty sheep more of hers in her brothers custody, whose name he thinks is John Smith, and being asked how she came by them, he said they were left her either by her father or Uncle he could not justly tell which. And this Examt further saith, that he & his sd wife lay at Layton at the signe of the Chequer, and that the next day in the morning he & his sd wife & one Nedham went together to Winsloe, whether they came about an houre before sun sett, and that they never parted asunder one step of the way, and that he went thither to buy lace, and being asked what they had to doe for Nedham when they went to buy lace, he answered they carryed him to drive the sheep which he was to have from his wives friends (at Naseby) to London, then being asked, when he was at Winsloe, & as he pretended was going to Naseby for sheep, why he held not on his journey to Naseby, but came back to Layton, he answered that his wife being ill she had a mind to stay at Hockliffe two or 3 dayes And he saith the aforesd Nedham left them at Winsloe, but for what reason this Examt knoweth not And further saith that on thursday in the afternoone he & his wife were comeing towards Layton, that about Swanburne she hapned to be sick, & satt downe in the meadows & for that reason they could not reach Stukely before it was dark, & comeing to a furzey common there lost their way, & wandered all that night till the next morning they came to Layton, and from the time he came from Winsloe, till he came to Layton he was not out of his wives company: and being asked whether he drove any sheep that night, or had not told his wife he had drove some sheep, he answered he had not drove any, neither had he told his wife so. And further saith not. Capt coram me W Duncomb
Date free text
1679
Production date
From: 1679 To: 1680
Exent
No. of pieces: 1
Level of description
item