Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1852/3/5/36-37/a
  • Title
    Depositions of Mary Huckle, a widow of Wyboston, Isaac Pratt, a labourer of Eaton Socon, Joseph Murfin, labourer of Eaton Socon, Charles Dale, police constable of Eaton Socon and William Beach, police sergeant of Great Barford. In the case of Joseph Phelps & William Sims accused of breaking & entering the dwelling of Mary Huckle and stealing 2 aprons, a table cloth, a handkerchief and 10 yards of cord.
  • Date free text
    30 June 1852
  • Production date
    From: 1852 To: 1852
  • Scope and Content
    Mary Huckle: she left home about 25 minutes past 1 o’clock on Sunday 27 June to go to a meeting. Before she left the parlour door was pinned with a poker and the outer door locked. Her linen box was in the parlour. On returning about 3 hours later she found the back window had been pulled out and the linen was shattered across the parlour. The poker had been taken from the door and laid under the bed. There had been butter in the box, which had gone. A loaf of bread wrapped in a table cloth was also missed. From the linen box she missed 2 aprons and a handkerchief. The following night Sergeant Beach brought to her a piece of cord which had been in a room upstairs. Isaac Pratt: he was going to Chawston about 2 o'clock on the 27 June and met the 2 accused between Wyboston and Chawston, about 300 yards from Mary Huckle's cottage. He saw the taller of the men was carrying a carpet bag. Joseph Murfin: he passed the prosecutors house about ten minutes to 3 o'clock on 27 June. It began to rain and he took shelter in the hedge of Mary Huckle's garden. Whilst there he saw 2 men about 3 yards from the front door. He was about 60 yards from the door. The men later passed him as he sat in the ditch. Phelps had a carpet bag and the other had a small bundle tied up in a dark apron. Charles Dale: a police constable of Eaton Socon. He went in pursuit of the prisoners and apprehended them at St Joe's on 28 June. He charged them with break & entering a house at Wyboston. They did not deny the charge. In his presence, Sergeant Beach took a piece of cord out of Phelp's pocket. William beach: he accompanied Constable Dale to St Joe's on 28 June and apprehended the prisoners and told them the charge. He asked the prisoner where they had come from and they said Bedford. They had stayed on the main road from Bedford to Eaton Socon, not turning off at any point. On searching Phelps he found a piece of cord in his pocket. Asked where the cord came from Phelps said he had picked it up on the road. Mary Huckle's house was about a mile from the main road between Bedford and Eaton Socon.
  • Reference
  • Level of description
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