QSR1843/1/5/56

Depositions and examination - Mary Ann Rollins charged with stealing 7 yards of gimp lace value 2s from Thomas Woodman

24 December 1842

From: 1842 To: 1843

Mary Woodman, wife of Thomas Woodman of Luton, dealer in shoes and haberdashery goods - she and her husband are in the habit of attending Eaton Bray market. Her husband keeps a shoe stall and she keeps a stall of linen, drapery and haberdashery goods. Yesterday morning while she was unpacking her goods and placing them on the stall Mary Ann Rollins came up to one end of the stall where lay the card of lace now produced. She went to the other end of her stall to place some goods. When she turned round she saw Rollins walking away. She missed the card of lace and followed Rollins. She told Rollins to come back as she wanted to speak to her. Rollins said she would do so as soon as she had been a little further down the market to speak to a woman. She said she must speak with Rollins immediately as she had lost a piece of lace and believed Rollins had got it. She lifted up the lid of Rollins' basket and found the card of lace. She took it out of the basket. Rollins said she hope she would say no more about it. Mary Watts, wife of Joseph Watts of Edlesborough (Bucks) - yesterday morning she was coming out of Dobson's at Eaton Bray. She met Mrs Woodman and Rollins near the house. She heard Mrs Woodman say "I want to speak to you". She did not hear Rollins answer. Rollins had a basket on her arm. Mrs Woodman put her hand into it and took out a quantity of lace wound round a card. Mary Ann Rollins - she went to Eaton market on Friday to sell her plait. She went to the stall market and went by Mrs Woodman's stall. She came back and stopped at the stall talking to a neighbour. She went away a little distance. She then went back to the stall. She put her basket under the edge of the stall while she went to take her money for her plait. As the money payer had not gone into the house to pay she went back to the stall and took her basket from where she left it and walked away with it to Mrs Dillon's stall. She talked with Mrs Dillon some minutes and was then going to the straw market. She met a neighbour and talked with her. Mrs Woodman came up to her and said she wished to speak to her. She said she would come in a minute. Mrs Woodman then said she must see what she had in her basket. Mrs Woodman put her hand in the basket and took out the lace or edging on a card. Mrs Woodman said "I have found you out". She said "Mrs Woodman I am innocent". She did not know it was there. Mrs Woodman said she stole it. She asked who saw her - Mrs Woodman said no one but she missed the lace.

item

Rollins, Mary Ann,
Woodman, Thomas,
Woodman, Mary,
Watts, Mary,
Watts, Joseph

LUTON, EATON BRAY, Edlesborough, stealing, lace, dealer, haberdasher, markets, Straw Plait