QSR1840/1/5/45

Depositions against Enoch Saunders

5 December 1839

From: 1839 To: 1840

Elizabeth Pilgrim - she is a single woman in the service of Mr William Cook who keeps the Bell Public House at Marston Moretaine. On November 26 her master was out and her mistress ill in bed. About 12 o'clock Enoch Sanders and John Faulkner were in the house and had some beer. She took 4d from Faulkner, went into the parlour and put it in a basin in a cupboard there. Saunders followed her and said "Is that where you put your money?". She said it was not his. There were 3 half crowns, a shilling and a sixpence in another basin in the same cupboard. Sanders then went outdoors. She went to the back kitchen. He came in again and stood talking to her, then went out of the back kitchen. She heard a noise of somebody stepping in the parlour. She saw the parlour door was shut and opened it - she saw Saunders coming just outside the parlour door, going towards the house room door. She followed him into the house room. He was sitting down and Ambrose Sinfield was there. She heard Faulkner challenge Sinfield to toss for a quart of beer. She heard Sinfield say to Saunders "I shan't have your half crown to toss with, I have got a halfpenny in my pocket". About 1/4 hour later Mary French who was nursing her mistress said to her "there gets no more money, take what you will". They looked in the basin and saw one half crown was gone. She then suspected Enoch Saunders. She looked for him but he was gone, and she told her mistress. At her mistress' order she went after him and found him at his house. She accused him of taking half a crown and he said "Did I?". She said she was sure he had it and he admitted taking it out of the basin. She warned him that her mistress said if he did not send it back she would follow the law on him. He said he didn't have it but would make it up later. Ambrose Sinfield - he is a tailor living at Marston. He went into the Bell Public House on 26 November. He saw Enoch Saunders coming from the parlour door and as he went into the house room Enoch Saunders followed him. Faulkner was there and asked him to toss for a quart of beer. He refused. Enoch Saunders said "If you'll toss I'll pay for it" and put half a crown into his hand. He tossed with it and gave it back to him. He took a half penny out of his own pocket to finish the tossing with. William Cook, victualler of Marston - he was informed that Enoch Saunders had taken a half crown as stated by Elizabeth Pilgrim. On 28 November Saunders came to him and said he was a great fool for taking the half crown out of the basin and would give him anything if he would settle it. He refused to listen to Saunders.

item

Saunders, Enoch,
Pilgrim, Elizabeth,
Sinfield, Ambrose,
Faulkner, John,
French, Mary,
Cook, William

MARSTON MORETAINE, stealing, money, Marston Moretaine Bell, nurse, tailor, victualler