QSR1851/3/5/9

Depositions of William Clay, police constable of Aspley Guise, and Robert Wynter, shopman of Woburn. In the case of Mary Bentley, accused of stealing a ham.

10 May 1851

From: 1851 To: 1851

William Clay: on 9 May the prisoner came into the police station and asked for a glass of water. He was instructed by the wife of the superintendent to take her some water, and when he did, she said "oh you are a policeman, I'll give myself up to you". He asked her what for and replied she had stolen a ham. She produced this from under her shawl. She said that she had taken it from a double fronted in the town. It had hung at the door. She said that she had taken a wrong turn as she wanted to go to Northampton. He took her into custody. Clay enquired at Woburn about the ham. Robert Wynter, a shopman at Mr Freeman's grocer’s identified the ham. Robert Wynter: was asked by William Clay if he had missed a ham. He went to the station and identified the ham as that of his master. He had previously rubbed oatmeal into the ham, and the oatmeal was still there.Statement of the accused: Nothing to say

item

Bentley, Mary,
Clay, William,
Wynter, Robert

WOBURN, ASPLEY GUISE, stealing, ham