QSR1843/3/5/16

Depositions and examination - Lydia Wacket

31 May 1843

From: 1843 To: 1843

Mary Crawley of Luton, singlewoman - she is servant to Mr Webster. Lydia Wacket is also his servant. On Saturday 20 May between dinner and tea Lydia Wacket brought some tapioca in her apron downstairs into the kitchen and put it in a china slop basin. She said she had been taking it out of the cupboard and was going to send it to Edward Bassil. She said she had unlocked the cupboard and taken it out. Her mistress always gives her the tapioca out of the cupboard. She is cook. On Sunday morning in Church time she saw Lydia Wacket put the tapioca in a paper. She went out of the kitchen while Wacket was packing it up. Just before they came out of Church two little boys came to the scullery door. She was in the kitchen and they asked for the other servant. They told her to tell her that Mrs Bassil was was very much obliged to her for sending it. She told them to wait until Lydia Wacket came down. There was 3 parts of the slop basin full. The first night master went out to dinner about 3 months ago Lydia Wacket fetched up a bottle of wine and it was drunk in the kitchen. Edward Bassil, Charles Jones, Mary Willis, herself, and Lydia Wacket were there and helped to drink the wine. On a Sunday about a month or 6 weeks ago she brought a bottle of wine out of the cellar and she saw it packed up in a basket with some hay. Lydia Wacket asked her to take it to the Leathern Bottle to go by the omnibus on Monday. It had a direction on it. She did not read the direction. Lydia Wacket then said she would take it herself. She saw her go out of the door with it and saw her come back without it. Edward Bassil the younger - he has drunk wine in Mr Webster's kitchen. He did not know it was his wine. Charles Jones, Mary Willis, Lydia Wacket and mary Crawley were present. He thinks it was about 6 weeks ago. He had drunk wine in the house once or twice since. Martha Fairchild - she lives as servant with Mr Wood at the Leather Bottle. On Sunday night some weeks ago she recollects Lydia Wacket bringing a basket to her master's house. She said it was to go by the omnibus on Monday morning. She saw her mistress give it to Mr Finch who drives the omnibus on Monday morning. Elizabeth Bassil - she keeps a little shop at New Mill End. On Sunday 21 May while the people were at church 2 little boys came and knocked at her door. She was upstairs. When she got down they stood just inside the door. They said they had got a little parcel for her from Mr Webster's. They laid it on the table. She went out at the back door and when she came back they were gone. She sent no message back. She found it contained tapioca. There was a great deal more paper than was necessary. She does not know the boys. They were strangers to her. Lydia Wacket - her fellow servant is equally as bad as herself.

item

Wacket, Lydia,
Crawley, Mary,
Webster, Edward Bullock,
Bassil, Edward,
Jones, Charles,
Willis, Mary,
Fairchild, Martha,
Bassil, Elizabeth

LUTON, New Mill End, stealing, food, wine, servant, cook, East Hyde Leather Bottle