Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1839/1/5/4
  • Title
    Examination and depositions of Jesse Misledine, Elizabeth Summerline, Thomas Fairey, Fanny Smith, Jesse Biggs and James Brown, in case of William Bath of Topsham (Devon), ragman and James Brown of Hemel Hempstead (Herts), labourer, charged with stealing one coloured cotton stocking worth 6d and one coloured worsted stocking worth 6d from James Misledine.
  • Date free text
    20 October 1838
  • Production date
    From: 1838 To: 1839
  • Scope and Content
    Jesse Misledine of Harrold, labourer, son of James Misledine: He is a labourer at Harrold, working for Mr Coleman. He had been digging potatoes but went home for some tea to Mr French's Yard where he lives with his father. He is 16 years old and his father provides him with clothes. He saw the stockings hanging to dry on the dead hedge between the garden and the yard. The two prisoners were then in the yard together. William Bath was weighing some rags and James Brown was holding the bag for him to put them in. Then they left the yard - James Brown left two or three minutes before William Bath. He did not miss the stockings until after something he heard, whenhe went to the George Public House in Harrold and saw the prisoners there. Someone emptied out William Bath's bag - the same one now produced - on the floor of the Public House and he saw the two stockings now produced which belong to his father. Mr Fairey the landlord said "they are the stockings, aren't they". He agreed and went for Mr Biggs the Constable. When he next saw the stockings they were being held by his father's housekeeper. He can swear they were the stockings that came from the bag as the housekeeper turned the pairs to them right side out and these were left the way they were found. Elizabeth Summerline, wife of Samuel Summerline labourer of Harrold: She lives in the same yard as Jesse Misledine where her door opens just oppostie the place where the stockings and other things were hanging on the hedge to dry. She heard talking and opened the door, and saw James Brown take two stockings off the hedge and put them in his pocket. She told Jesse Misledine what she saw and sent him after James Brown who had the bag across his shoulders. He was not in sight of William Bath when he took the stockings. Thomas Fairey of Harrold, publican: William Bath came into his house, the George Public House, alone and asked for a pint of beer. He drank it and went out. He did not have a bag with him. About 10 or 15 minutes later he came back with James Brown, who had the bag. Jesse Misledine came and said he had lost some stockings and "supposed the men were in our house who had got them". He suggested Jesse should go for Mr Biggs the constable. Thomas met Fanny Smith with the fellow stockings to those produced, took them into the house, held them up and identified them as fellows to the missing ones. James Brown offered to have his bag searched, though William Bath objected. The bag was taken and upturned, when a parcel of rags and the two stocking with them fell out. He kept the two stockings he received from Fanny until he gave them to the constable, and swears that the two produced are the two that came from the bag. Fanny Smith, housekeeper to James Misledine: Had been washing some stockings belonging to James Misledine and hun them on the hedge of Friday 19th. She heard two of the stockings had been stolen and took the other two with her. As she went she turned them right side out. She identified the ones at Mr Fairey's as James Misledine's. Jesse Biggs: Was called to Mr Fairey's house and met Mr Fairey with the stocking in his hand. I asked who stole the stockings and two men were pointed out. Jesse Misledine identified the short one, James Brown, as the the man who stole them. William Bath admitted it was his bag. James Brown: Admitted the crime, apologised, and said he was intoxicated at the time.
  • Reference
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