QSR1842/1/5/26

Depositions and examination - Rebecca Townsend

4 December 1841

From: 1841 To: 1842

John Henry Elliott of Eaton Socon - he keeps a school with about 60 boys. By his permission the broth made from the meat etc. [baked?] for the dinner is given away by his servants to the poor, and if application is made to him or Mrs Elliott the servants have permission to put off dinners for the poor. He had seen Townsend and Smith frequently for broth and for dinners. On Sunday 21 November between 10 and 11pm he noticed 3 or 4 table spoons on the scullery table in the back kitchen. Four had been used at dinner that day. [He produced two spoons] These were two of the spoons used on the 21st. [He looked at the two pieces]. The pieces are of the same pattern and similar in appearance and he believes them to be parts of the two spoons he lost on the 22 November. The two pieces of spoon are worth about 10s in their broken state. When the spoons were whole they were worth about £2 or thereabouts. William Moore, assistant to Mr Paxton the silversmith and watchmaker at St Neots (Hunts) - he is assistant to Mr Paxton. It is part of his business to buy old silver. On Tuesday between 2 and 4pm Rebecca Townsend and Sarah Smith came to his master's shop. Mr Paxton was not in the shop at the time - he called him to come. Mr Paxton is in such a state of health he considers it would have been impossible to attend before the Justice that day. He was in the shop at the time and heard all that passed, so Mr Paxton desired him to attend. Smith showed part of a spoon to Mr Paxton and asked him whether it was silver. It was the broken spoon now produced. Mr Paxton asked how she came by it. Smith said she found it in Eaton field, in one of Mr Walker's fields. Townsend confirmed this. Mr Paxton said it was silver. He weighed it and gave them 6s 6d. Elizabeth Lightstone, wife of Julius Isidore Lightstone of St Neots (Hunts) - her husband is a silversmith and watchmaker at St Neots. On Tuesday afternoon Sarah Smith and Rebecca Townsend came into his shop. Smith said she had an old silver spoon. One of them asked whether her husband was at home. She said he was not and they went away. About 1/2 hour later they came in again. Smith produced part of a spoon. They said they had found it in Southoe fields and wanted to sell it. She said her husband was not home and offered to keep it and show it to him. They left the spoon and when her husband came in she gave it to him. Julius Isidore Lightstone of St Neots (Hunts), silversmith and watchmaker - on Tuesday morning he saw Rebecca Townsend and Sarah Smith coming out of Mr Paxton's shop. On Thursday morning. Rebecca Townsend called at his shop and asked for money for a silver spoon she had left with his wife on the previous Tuesday. The spoon produced is the part of a spoon his wife gave to him. Townsend said she had found it in Southoe field 4 or 5 weeks before. He had doubts about the spoon and told her to come again for the money. The broken spoon appears to be part of the same set as the whole spoons. Edward Catchpole, servant to Mr Elliott the schoolmaster at Eaton Socon - he lays the cloth and puts the spoons etc. on the table for Mr Elliott's dinner. On Sunday 21 November he put 4 tablespoons on the dinner table. They had initials cut on the upper part. Two spoons produced are those he put on the table, and the others are like them. He took the 4 table spoons off the table and put them on the scullery table in the back kitchen as usual for the cook to wash up. Between 6 and 7 am on Monday Rebecca Townsend came into the kitchen door. There was nobody there. He was in the school adjoining the kitchen. She came up to the door and asked him whether there was any broth. He told her she might go and help herself from the kitchen. He is sure it was Rebecca Townsend. He had candles in the school and he saw her perfectly. There was somebody behind her but he did not know who. Townsend was in the kitchen about 3 or 4 minutes. She came close to the door of the school room going out. Mr Elliott is in the habit of giving away broth to the poor of Eaton. She had been in the constant habit of coming for broth. Mr Elliott often gave her dinners and to the other poor in Eaton. About 12pm when he was going to lay the cloth he went into the pantry and only found 2 tablespoons. He mentioned it to the cook who said she had only washed two that morning. Townsend was also at Mr Elliott's about 1pm. She came for a dinner. On Monday 22 when he came down into the kitchend there was a great quantity of broth in the copper. Almost all of it was taken away. He filled it up with water before the cook came down. Anne Gurney, cook to Mr Elliott the school master at Eaton Socon - there are about 60 scholars at the school. Townsend and Smith are both in the habit of coming for broth that Mr Elliott gives away to the poor and sometimes for dinner. She washes the spoons used at her master's table. Those used on Sunday are laid in the back kitchen until Monday morning. On Monday morning at about 11am when she went to wash the spoons there were only 2. On Sunday night there were 4 in the scullery table. She came downstairs about 7am on Monday morning. Catchpole was up. When she went to bed on Sunday there was a good deal of broth in the copper. It had been taken out and the copper refilled with water. The poor often come in Monday morning for broth before she is down. She thought the two spoons were mislaid and on Wednesday the house was searched. She has no doubt the pieces shown are pieces of Mr Elliott's spoons.

item

Townsend, Rebecca,
Elliott, John Henry,
Smith, Sarah,
Moore, William,
Paxton,
Lightstone, Julius Isidore,
Lightstone, Elizabeth,
Catchpole, Edward,
Gurney, Anne

EATON SOCON, St Neots, Southoe, stealing, cutlery, School, schoolmaster, charity, silversmith, watchmaker, cook