Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1842/1/5/34-36/a
  • Title
    Depositions and examinations - William Millard, Thomas Maddams and William Rust (robbery with violence)
  • Date free text
    14 December 1841
  • Production date
    From: 1841 To: 1842
  • Scope and Content
    John Chambers of Houghton Conquest, labourer - on Saturday night at about 8.30pm he set off home from Hawnes. About 10 minutes later he passed Mr Armstrong's. A minute or two later going along London Lane he saw three men coming toward him. One of them (Millard) took hold of his collar and hit him on the head with a pistol like the one now produced. It was "star lightish". The blow knocked him to the ground. When he was down Millard hit him on the head again with the pistol - the blow cut his head open. The other two men laid on top of him. Millard picked his pocket. Millard asked if he had a watch. He said "no Sir". Millard swore, said he knew he had and felt for one. He did not have one. From his left hand breeches pocket Millard took a half sovereign, 2 half crowns and a shilling. From his right hand pocket he took 3d of half pence. The other two were still on top of him. Millard then began to strip him. Millard took his coat off, then told him to pull his shirt off. He began to do so and Millard pulled it off violently and put it in his pocket. The other two asked him what money he had got. Millard said "half a sovereign". He spoke up and said "you've 16 shillings and 3 pence". Maddams and Rust said to Millard "don't interrupt him any more as you've got his money". Millard said to them "if you don't take and pull his shoes off his feet I'll blow your brains out as soon as I would his". All this time he saw a pistol in Millard's hand. Maddams and Rust took his shoes off, then let him get up. He thought every moment would be his last. He drew back a little and then ran down the road. They did not come after him. He heard them laugh as he was running. Maddams and Rust each had sticks. He had never seen the men before, nor since until that morning at the public house at Ampthill in custody. He knew them immediately and picked them out from the many people in the room. He was walking with the large stick now produced on that night and one of the men took it from him. The knife is also his and was taken from him that night, and the cotton handkerchief was taken from his neck by one of the men. James Bates, superintendent of police - yesterday he went to Newport in pursuit of the 3 prisoners whom he suspected to be the men who had robbed Chambers and committed a burglary at Cranfield. He found them all in custody at a public house at Newport. He saw the pistol and other things in the room where he found them. On the road to Ampthill Millard said "it's a good thing perhaps this has happened. I never would have surrendered myself and it's very likely I should commit murder". Millard also said "if that man hadn't shewn his staff I should have shot him today with my pistol". The pistol is loaded heavily with powder and shot. He found the stick and the other property with the prisoners at Newport. Charles Smith, constable of Newport Pagnel - he had charge of the 3 prisoners yesterday at Newport. The large stick which Chambers says is his was brought in with the other goods Millard claimed as his. The knife Chambers says is his was given to him by Millard. Edmund Day - he keeps a public house at Houghton. On Saturday 3 men - two he knows to be Millard and Rust, and the other looked like Maddams - came to his house. They had some dinner and beer and stopped until past 7. They all left together. Mary Anne King - her father keeps a beer shop at Hawnes West End. She lives with him. She knew Rust and thinks she knew Maddams before Saturday. On Saturday all three of them came in together between 12 and 1pm. They stopped about 20 minutes and went away together towards Houghton. She had her eye on them all the time they were in the house. Thomas Vear, police constable - he had charge of the three prisoners that morning. Chambers came into the room - Millard said to Maddams "Here comes the old B---r - we shall be thrown". George Coleman, shopkeeper at Cranfield - his house was broken into last Sunday night. He found the cotton handkerchief left behind in his shop by the thieves. William Millard - "I know nothing of it. That's all I have to say. What Vear has said is quite false." Thomas Maddams - "I say he's swore false against me. He never see me have a stick." Wiliam Rust - "I know nothing about it, that's all."
  • Level of description
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