QSR1843/1/5/43/a

Depositions - George Church, charged with breaking and entering the house of Joseph Haynes at Kempston and stealing a quantity of pork

8 December 1842

From: 1842 To: 1843

Elizabeth Haynes, wife of Joseph Haynes of Kempston, blacksmith - when she came downstairs yesterday morning 7 December she noticed a clothes basket which she had set upon a meat pot the night before standing in the middle of the kitchen and the lid of the meat pot standing beside it. She went to the meat pot and found several pieces of pork had been taken. The piece of pork produced by Mr Jebbett is of the same quality and description as part of the pork she lost. The pork was not all from one pig. She was not the first person up yesterday morning. Samuel Johnson who works for her husband and resides in their house was up before her. Sarah Teadon of Kempston, widow - George Church lodges with her. He came home on the evening of 5 December about 6pm and went to bed about 8. She does not know what time he got up yesterday morning but he came home about 6.30am when she was lighting the fire. She asked if he would have gruel for his breakfast. He said "no Sally I shall have a little bit of meat". She asked if he had been up town and he said he had got a bit of meat from his brother Tom. He untied the handkerchief containing a piece of pork and cut two slices from it. Before he went to work he cut off about a quartern more for her to make a dumpling for him. She laid the remainder of the pork on a trencher and put it in her dough tub. Mr Jebbett came to her house about 1pm and she delivered it up to him. Henry Ison Jebbett, superintendent of police - yesterday morning from information he received about a robbery at Mr Haynes' house he went and examined the premises and the garden adjoining. He traced the footsteps of 2 persons leading from the gate from the street towards the house. One of the footmarks appeared as if the person who made them had sacking on his shoes. The other footmark was very plain in several places. He searched several houses in the village including the house where Church lodges. While he was talking to Church's landlady Church came in. He asked how Church spent the previous evening. He said he was in bed soon after 8pm. He asked what time he got up that morning. He said he could not say as they had no clock in the house, but he thought it was soon after 5. He asked what time Church usually went to work. He said he generally had his breakfast first and went about 7 but that he got up earlier that morning to go to his brother Tom's to get some pork. He asked what quantity of pork and whether Church had bought it or borrowed it from his brother. Church said he would either pay him or give him some back. He examined Church's shoes and was convinced the marks in Haynes' garden were made by them. He took Church to Haynes' garden and made him set his foot beside one of the footmarks.The impression made was exactly similar. The nails of the shoe were rather particular. While he was talking with Chruch at his lodgings Mrs Teadon produced the pork now produced. He has compared it with other pork left in Mrs Haynes' meat pot and it is of the same description. Before he left Church's lodgings he found the piece of sacking now produced near the fireplace. He asked Mrs Teadon if she knew anything about it. She said she did not and that she wsa sure it was not in her house the day before but that George (Church) was in the habit of wearing pieces of sacking round his legs in dirty weather. On looking over Haynes' premises he found a piece of sacking made to fit the bottom of a shoe which is the same quality as the piece found at Church's lodgings. On searching Church's coat he found the keys and knife now produced.

item

Church, George,
Haynes, Joseph,
Haynes, Elizabeth,
Teadon, Sarah,
Jebbett, Henry Ison,
Johnson, Samuel,
Church, Thomas

KEMPSTON, breaking & entering, pork, blacksmith