Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1840/4/5/32-33/a
  • Title
    Depositions of Frederick Blagg Hampton and Thomas Paxton against Samuel Tompkins and James Tompkins
  • Date free text
    20 May 1840
  • Production date
    From: 1840 To: 1840
  • Scope and Content
    Frederick Blagg Hampton, superintendent of the Bedfordshire Rural Police - the previous afternoon he was at Leighton Buzzard in the execution of his duty. He saw a crowd collecting near the Market House. He watched and saw two men preparing to fight - Samuel Tompkins was one of them. The other was a Jew. He went through the crowd to the men. He was wearing a cloak over his uniform, but threw it back so that his uniform was plainly seen. Someone called out "stand back leave them alone". He said "I am the Superintendent of Police". He separated the two men. The Jew ceased to fight. Samuel Tompkins tried to attack him again. He took him by the shoulder to keep him away and in so doing threw him down. Tompkins attacked the Jew again. He thinks the Jew did not return the blows. He took Tompkins by the collar into custody. Tompkins seized him by the collar. The crowd pressed on and he was struck from behind. He turned round and was struck on the chest, he believes by the prisoner Samuel. He struck Samuel Tompkins on the head with his stick. They struggled and James Tompkins came up and tried to get him away. James thrust himself between him [Hampton] and Samuel and in doing so threw himself on him. He seized James Tompkins by the collar. James wrested himself away, seized hold of his stick and tried to get it away, and at the same time struck him several times with his fist. Mr Paxton came to his assistance. He then lost sight of James. Smith and Walsh, police constables, came up and he gave Samuel into their charge. He saw and seized James again - James struck him repeatedly, aiming at his head. This lasted for 2 or 3 minutes until two persons came to his assistance and forced James into the Peacock Public House. He again went after Samuel. He saw him leaning against a post, his head bleeding, in the charge of Constable Smith. The mob closed round them and would not let them remove Samuel. Violent language was used. He took the other side of Samuel's collar and they got him into a tradesman's house. During the first time he had hold of Samuel Tompkins he struck him several times, scratched his neck and tore the collar off his shirt. His neck bled. He received a severe kick on the leg from somebody in the crowd. He is stiff from the blows to his side. Thomas Paxton of Potsgrove, farmer - he was at Leighton the previous afternoon and saw Samuel Tompkins and another man quarrelling. He saw Mr Hampton on the watch as if expecting a disturbance. He saw blows exchanged. He saw Mr Hampton throw open his cloak and saw his uniform clearly. He saw him rush into the crowd and separate the men. He saw him struck by several persons, he can't say whom. After a time he went to help Hampton. He saw Samuel trying to get away from Hampton and James assisting him by throwing himself between them. Hampton was struck he can't say by whom. He saw James forcing Hampton's stick from him. He received a blow on his face, he thinks from James with the stick - he struck James in self-defence and threw him over a stall. Next he saw Hampton had hold of James again and James was striking him on the arm. He also saw Samuel striking Hampton repeatedly. He never saw anyone exercise more forbearance - Hampton was "grossly insulted and struck" but only seemed to try to keep charge of the men and put an end to the row.
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