Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1841/2/5/2-3/e
  • Title
    Depositions and examination - Thomas Page
  • Date free text
    18 March 1841
  • Production date
    From: 1841 To: 1841
  • Scope and Content
    Mary Mann Roffe, singlewoman of Millbrook - about a month earlier she saw 2 boxes of hers which contained a variety of things in a chaise house in the yard of Mrs Croson's house in Millbrook. On the previous Thursday or Friday she was told they were not there. From what she was told she went to Newport Pagnel on Monday and saw the silk handkerchief now produced at the house of Edward Joyce, pawnbroker. She thinks it is hers, but cannot find the mark of the letter C she thinks was on it. One of the boxes also contained 3 brooches - two were common things, one was gilt and had a yellow stone, and the other a gilt ornament in the shape of a branch. The other was a round cornelian stone set in a flat piece of pearl. She also had a gold wedding ring that was too big for her finger. She cannot swear the one produced by Dennis Coles is hers, but she had one a good deal like it. The black silk gown, brown silk cloak, muslin gown and other things produced are hers. They were in the large box. The large box, the fur tippet, silk handkerchief and other things in it were also hers, as were the books and other things in the small box. Denis Coales, watchmaker at Newport Pagnel - the previous Monday a lad similar to Page came into his shop and asked if he bought gold rings. He gave Page 4s for the one now produced. Page also showed a common gilt ornament with a yellow stone, but he did not buy it. Edward Joyce, pawnbroker at Newport Pagnel - on Monday Page came to him and offered to sell the silk handkerchief now produced. It has his private mark on it. He bought it from Page. Page also offered to sell the 3 brooches but he did not buy any of them. Ann Day, singlewoman in the service of Mrs Croson at Millbrook - yesterday week Mary Roffe's 2 boxes were safe in the chaisehouse in her mistress's yard. The boxes were locked and she locked the door. On Friday she missed the boxes. The door was not unlocked. Edward Underwood was working for Mrs Croson on Wednesday. He came to the door and looked into the chaise house at the time she was going to lock the door. She went to Newport with Mary Roffe on Monday. Francis Roberts, constable of the county Rural Police - following a statement made by Page he went to Millbrook Church and in searching the roof found the boxes now produced. They were empty. All the other things, except those in the bundle, he found between the ceiling and roof of the church porch. James Bates, superintendent of police - from information given to him by Page he searched in a potato ground in Millbrook and found the bundle of things now produced. Thomas Page - the night he came home from Newport, his father in law Underwood said he saw a box of young Mrs Croson's clothes in Mrs Croson's chaise house. Underwood called out Jem Sherwood and they all three went to Mrs Croson's yard. Sherwood unlocked the chaisehouse door, he stood against the gate and Underwood went to the corner of the house. It was about 10pm. Underwood brought out the biggest box and Sherwood the least. They took them behind the church and broke them open, took out the things and hid them in small bundles. He fetched a ladder and got up the church door. Underwood and Sherwood gave him the bundles and he put them in between the roof of the porch and the ceiling. He put the boxes on the top of part of the Church. another night he and Underwood took some of the bundles and picked some of the best things out. They put them together and hid the bundle where he told Mr Bates to find it. The gold ring he sold to Mr Coale was given to him by Sherwood as was the silk handkerchief and the brooches. They threw the brooches away as they came back from Newport.
  • Level of description
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