QSR1841/4/5/23/d

Depositions against Catherine Elizabeth Boston

3 September 1841

From: 1841 To: 1841

Nathaniel Sturges of St Mary Bedford, draper - one day about 3 weeks ago Boston bought a dress of muslin de laine at his shop for 11s and other articles totalling something under £2 including 10s she owed him before. She paid him with a £5 note of one of the Bedford Banks. Godfrey Levy - the watch chain and keys he now produces are the ones he bought from Catherine Elizabeth Boston. He does not know the person to whom he sold them and from who he received them, but he was from somewhere around Colmworth. William Haines of Bedford, watchmaker - he knows the watch now produced. He repaired it 2 years ago and about a month ago for Levy. After he repaired it the first time he regulated it several times for William Stapleton. Stapleton came to him after the last repair to inquire for the watch, but he had then returned it to Levy. Samuel Osborn, aged 12 years son of George Osborn of Pepper Alley, St John's Bedford, labourer - he knows Catherine Elizabeth Boston. A fortnight ago last Monday (August 16th) she came to him and asked him to write a letter for her. He agreed. She gave him some paper and his sister fetched some ink. He wrote as she dictated to him. The paper produced marked B is the one he wrote. It is only part of the paper - he wrote a whole sheet for her. She folded up the paper in the shape of a letter Before writing the letter he wrote the direction now produced "Catherine Boston at Miss Coal's, Hop Pole Yard, St Mary's, Bedford". He wrote nothing else for her and she did not tell him what the letter was for. She said the direction was to tell them where she was going to send it where she lived. He saw her seal the letter with black wax. She put nothing in the letter. He was not sent out of the room. She paid him a penny for writing the letter. William Stapleton - his eyes are so bad he cannot say whether the watch now produced is his or not. Haines the watchmaker has often repaired it for him. About 2 years ago he took the watch to Levy to be repaired. Ebenezer Parkins - since his former examination he has remembered that the note the prisoner changed at his shop was a £5 of Mr Barnard's Bank. He had 4 other notes of other banks he remembered taking previous to that time - 2 Baldock and Biggleswade notes, and 2 of Trupp and Halfhead's Bedford Bank.

item

Boston, Catherine Elizabeth,
Stapleton, William,
Parkins, Ebenezer,
Levy, Godfrey,
Haines, William,
Sturges, Nathaniel,
Osborn, Samuel,
Osborn, George

Bedford St.Mary, Bedford St.Paul, Bedford Pepper Alley, stealing, watches, bank notes, draper, watchmaker, Baldock & Biggleswade Bank, Barnard's Bank, Bedford Bank