Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1853/2/5/4/b
  • Title
    Depositions of Ann Jepps Gilbert, spinster of Wilshamstead, George Stonebridge, labourer of Wilshamstead, Stephen Sharp, labourer of Wilshamstead, William Clark, Henry Ison Jebbett, Superintendent of Police, James Kitchener, labourer of Wilshamstead and Thomas Childs, labourer of Wilshamstead. In the case of Henry Harris accused of breaking and entering.
  • Date free text
    21 March 1853
  • Production date
    From: 1853 To: 1853
  • Scope and Content
    Ann Jepps Gilbert: a spinster of Wilshamstead, living with her father John Franklin Gilbert. She managed her father's shop for him. On the night of 14 March she brought down some money from upstairs and put it in a drawer in the shop. Next morning she was called downstairs and the outside back door was open and the window broke. The window was a lattice window and the lead work was lying on the floor. The hole in the window was large enough to admit a person's body. James Kitchener had called her. She went to the drawer in the shop and found it gone. About 6 weeks previous the accused had been employed to assist James Kitchener, who worked for her father. The prisoner could have seen where the money drawer was. The nail drawer where the money was missed from was next to the drawer used in the daytime. The back door was left unfastened when she went to bed, for her sister in law and a boy who she had gone out with, to come in. She heard them come in about 3 or 4 o'clock. She heard the clock strike 4 soon after they went to bed. George Stonebridge: a labourer for Mr Gilbert. On going into the gates leading to Mr Gilberts farm yard, about 6 o’clock, on 15 March, he saw a male head peeping round the end of the house. He could not tell if it was a man or boy. He noticed he was short with a cap on. After going to the stable, he went to his master’s back door for the keys to the barn, and saw the back door open. The window was broken. He went inside and picked up a candle and drawer which were lying in the passage. It alarmed him but he wait the arrival of James Kitchener, who he told what he had seen and went with him to the house. He had been making the dough for Mr Crowley of Wilshamstead as his man was ill, prior to arriving that morning. Crowley clock had stuck 6 as he left the bakehouse. Mr Crowley lived between 200 to 300 yards from the gates to Mr Gilberts. There had been a heavy fog that morning. Stephen Sharp: was going to his work about 12 or 13 minutes to 6 o'clock on the 15 March. He looked at the clock on arriving at his masters and it was 10 minutes to 6. He saw the accused come out of Mr Gilbert's yard on his way to work. He noticed the accused and thought it was one of Mr Gilbert's workmen but passed him and saw it was not. The accused was a stranger to him and he did not speak to him. He noticed he had hair on his top lip. Thomas Childs: he arrived at work on 15 March about 10 minutes to 6 o'clock. Stephen Sharp had overtaken him as he passed Mr Cooper's farm and he followed him down to the village. The prisoner caught him as he was going passed Mr Cooper's farm, and he walked with him to the bridge. He saw blood on the prisoners face as if his nose was bleeding. He was a stranger to him. He had not seen the prisoner until he had caught up with him. Henry Ison Jebbett: he proceeded to Wilshamstead to examine the premises of Mr Gilbert. He examined the window and found footmarks. He took their dimensions. There appeared to be 2 different footmarks evidently made by the same person. He traced the prisoner to Luton and he was apprehended at Watford. He was brought into Jebbett's custody at Barton, and from there the prisoner was taken to Bedford. Inconsequence of information given by the mother-in-law of the prisoner, he asked him where the shoes where that he'd worn on 14 March. The prisoner firstly said they were at house and then said he'd left them at St Albans. There were 2 odd boots that he wore, one longer than the other. Harris said he had slept in his father barn on the 14 March and that on 15 March, he had gone on to Hitchin market. He then returned home and slept in a bed that night. On 21 March, Jebbett was advised by Constable Brooker at Barton of a bundle belonging to the prisoner had been found. It contained recently purchased apparel. Asked if he knew of Mr Gilbert's, Harris said he did not, but later said he had worked there about 2 months previous. One of the footmarks outside Mr Gilbert’s window was longer then the other and the same as the prisoners boots. William Clark: lived at Wilstead with Benjamin Gilbert, whose father lived with him. He did not know the father's Christian name. He got to Wilstead with his mistress Anna Gilbert about 10 past three on the morning of 15 March. They went in the back door and it was not locked. They then locked the door. Next morning he noticed the window was broken. It had not been broken when they went to bed. His mistress had gone to bed first. James Kitchener: boarded with John Franklin Gilbert and had employed the accused about 8 weeks previously. He was Mr Gilbert's foreman. The accused had gone into the house to have his dinner on the day he had employed him. When he went into Gilbert’s garden on 15 March he saw the broken window.
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