Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1840/4/5/20/a
  • Title
    Depositions and examination - Robert Roe
  • Date free text
    14 September 1840
  • Production date
    From: 1840 To: 1840
  • Scope and Content
    Mary Johnson of Billington in parish of Leighton Buzzard - she was 11 years old last 14 March. On 27 August about 4pm she came out of school. She went to her mother's and she was not at home. She went down Billington Great Green to look for her - she was leasing [gleaning]. She saw Robert Roe breaking stones by the roadside. Her little sister Suky aged about 4 was with her. They went into the field but could not find her mother. As they came back towards home Robert Roe was sitting in a ditch near the place where he had been breaking stones. As they passed he took hold of her frock and pulled her into the ditch and put her on his knee [...description of assault ...] He then let her go. Her sister was standing by. She did not tell her mother because she did not like. When he let her go she went home. As she went along she saw George Potts and Willliam Pain in the road a little way from where Roe held her. George Potts of Billington, labourer - on that day he was going home from work about 4pm when he saw Robert Roe take Mary Johnson out of the ditch by her arm. Roe said come on my ducky. Roe then went with him towards Billington and Mary Johnson walked behind. He did not take notice of her. When he first saw them he was about 30 yards away. William Pain was with him. Thomas Parker of Woburn, surgeon - on 4 September he examined Mary Johnson. He found her private parts swollen and contused as if some violence had been used but no penetration had taken place as far as he could judge. Robert Roe - he went into the ditch to hide his tools. Mary Johnson and her little sister followed him. He did catch hold of her as he had a couple of pints of beer in the afternoon or else no such thing would have been. He is very sorry anything happened of the kind. She never said oh nor tried to get away from him. He owns himself in a fault.
  • Level of description
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