QSR1851/4/5/9/a

Depositions of Edward Thomas Bainbridge, of Chicksands, Ann Hanham, spinster of Chicksands, William Mather, menial servant, Chicksands, John Ayrton Moore, police constable, and Reuben Pepper, police constable of Shefford. In the case of Sarah Williams, of Chicksands, accused of stealing 4 table cloths, 3 pillowcases, a towel, 2lbs of tea and other articles.

6 October 1851

From: 1851 To: 1851

Edward Thomas Bainbridge: lived at Chicksands Priory. Sarah Williams was employed as a cook and housekeeper. On 1 October she was discharged from service. On 2 October, he found she had gone but left behind her boxes. In consequence of his suspicions, he resolved to detain the boxes until they had been searched. He later met her in Shefford and told her she should not try to get her cases until they had been searched. On returning to the priory he heard she was in her room and on going up her found her sitting on one of her boxes. They were booth corded and had some wrapping around them. He went to breakfast but before he had taken it he was asked to go upstairs again. He burst open her door and found the smell of burning. He found her kneeling, both her trucks were open and the contents were on the floor. He asked her what she had been doing and she said she had been burning newspapers as she had a right to do. He sent for a policeman and Constable Reuben Pepper attended. Pepper searched her boxes and afterwards took her away on the charge of assaulting a fellow servant. Ann Hanham: lived at Chicksands as a lesser housemaid. On 1 October she went into Sarah Williams’s room and took notice that her cupboard was open and all the linen gone. In the course of the afternoon Williams frequently went in and out of her room, locking the door behind her each time. This was not her normal practice. The next morning she went away and she was told by Mather that her boxes were to be searched. Hanham found the key and went into the room with her mistress and found 2 large boxes ready packed for going away. The closet door was ajar and there was nothing in it. About 9 o'clock she saw Williams come and try the door and finding it locked she went downstairs. She came back again and burst open the door, went in and bolted it behind her. Hanham went to the door with the butler and on pushing the door it yielded. Sarah Williams was unpacking a deal box. 10 Minutes later she saw her going from her room to the water closet with a footbath, covered in a towel. William Mather tried to stop her and in a scuffle the contents of footbath were thrown on the floor. Williams went back to her room, but soon came back and began collecting the item from the floor. However, Williams was forced back to her room, and soon after they perceived a light in the room and the room was full of smoke. When Pepper came he picked up the items which had fallen from the footbath. There was about 2 pounds of tea, 2 pounds of butter and 3 squares of soap. When Williams was gone she found 4 table cloths and 3 pillowcases in the closet in her room. Hanham recognised them as the property of her master. William Mather: was stationed in the gallery to ensure Williams did not take anything from her room. Williams brought out a footbath covered with a towel. She was going towards the water closet. He prevented her, she struggled hard and the content so the footbath were thrown on the floor. Later, Pepper took these items away. Reuben Pepper: a police constable stationed in Shefford. Went to Chicksands Priory on 2 October and went upstairs with Mr Bainbridge. He picked up from the floor the butter, soap and towel. There was also a confused mess of tea, butter, soap, raisins and cake. They went to Sarah Williams's room, and on the stove found a burst mass of linen, saturated in water. John Ayrton Moore: a member of the Metropolitan Police force. He was at the Great Northern Railway Station in Kings Cross and was told by one of their officers to watch Sarah Williams. She asked him to show her a Whitechapel omnibus. He offered to go with her and she said she would ask his advice. She told him she had been in service in Bedfordshire She asked him if anything was found that they did not see her take, could they charge her for it. He told her no. She also said she had been taken into custody been before a magistrate but discharged. He told her if they had something against her they would not let her come away. She told him she had some tea, sugar, soap and sponge cake which she attempted to thrown down the water closet. She firstly told him she came by the items by saving what was given to her, but then said she had bought the tea and taken it with her on joining Bainbridge's service. She afterwards asked that if they found items placed anywhere after she had gone could they charge her for it, if they did not see her place it there. He told her no. She said she wanted to know if she could make Bainbridge give her character, as she had been charged with stealing, but then discharged. She said that she had bought the soap in Sailsbury. Moore later apprehended her and brought her back down. She told her what she was likely to be charged with and she said it was probably about a bundle of old linen which had been in her closet since June.

item

Williams, Sarah,
Bainbridge, Edward Thomas,
Hanham, Ann,
Mather, William,
Moore, John Ayrton,
Pepper, Reuben

CHICKSANDS, Chicksands Priory, SHEFFORD, stealing, household goods, servant, tea, cook, housekeeper, Kings Cross Station, Metropolitan Police