QSR1870/3/5/13

Depositions and examination - John Berrill of Leighton Buzzard, labourer, charged with assaulting Mary Pinnock with intent to ravish and carnally know her on 22 June at Leighton Buzzard

28 June 1870

From: 1870 To: 1870

Mary Pinnock of Leighton Buzzard, singlewoman – she is 18 years old and was in the service of Dr Harris, a surgeon at Leighton as nursery maid. On 22 June about 7.30pm she was sent out by her mistress to take the children for a walk. Her mistress told her not to go beyond the railway gates as it was dangerous. Dr Harris’s house forms part of the building of the Union Workhouse. She took out 4 children – the eldest Annie 9 years old and the youngest a year and a half old. She went into a meadow first. She stopped there a short time, went home and was told she might remain a little longer. She went with the children towards the railway gates. As they were turning back home they were on the Union side of the road. When they got near the Union she saw Berrill about 20 yards away lying in the grass on the opposite side of the road. He got up and met her. She was leading the younger child with her right hand. The other children were following close to her. He asked her to go for a walk with him. She said she would not. He said he would make her and caught hold of her shoulders and pushed her down backwards … [description of assault] …. Joseph Horn passed her about 2 minutes before going towards the railway gates. She told Annie Harris to run and tell her mother. The baby stood by her and cried. Berrill took her away from her before he threw her down. She shouted all the time and resisted. After about 3 minutes Berrill got up and left her. She met a fellow servant named Elizabeth Pinfold coming out of her master’s house to take the baby. She returned home and told her mistress and Pinfold what had taken place. Her hair was all down and her clothes dirty. She had never seen or spoken to Berrill before this happened. He was a perfect stranger to her. [Cross examination] She did not meet Berrill coming through the hand gates by the railway. She saw some boys passing before she saw Horn. They spoke to her. She did not call after Berrill. She did not cough at him. The place is about 20 yards from the side of the workhouse. There are about 20 or 30 windows looking toward the road at the place where it happened. When Pinfold came Berrill left her. She saw John Harris at the railway gate. [Re-examination] – there are 6 windows looking toward the road where it happened. There is a very high and thick hedge between the Union Grounds and the road. She was close to the hedge. If people had been looking through the window she does not think they could have seen her. Matilda Annie Harris, daughter of George Harris of Leighton Buzzard, surgeon – she is 9 years of age. On Wednesday evening she went for a walk with Mary Pinnock and her brothers and sister. When they were returning she saw Berrill come up to Mary. He was lying down on the ground when she first saw him. He came up to her and asked her to go for a walk with him. She had hold of the baby by the hand. Mary said she would not go for a walk. He knocked her down backwards. Mary called and cried out. Mary told her to go and call Mamma. She went and told her. They only went into the meadow the first time they went out. The second time they only went to the railway gate and back. Mary did not speak to him before she was knocked down. They had not passed him. Charlotte Matilda Harris, wife of Doctor George Harris, a surgeon of the Leighton Union. Mary Pinnock is her nurse maid and has been in her service about 6 months. On Wednesday evening she sent her out for a walk with the children. She returned and she sent her out again. She told Mary Pinnock not to cross the railway line. Her child Annie and one of the boys came running in and said something had happened. She sent Elizabeth Pinfold to see what was the matter. They returned immediately, all the children and Pinfold together. Pinnock returned with Pinfold. Pinnock was much agitated, her hair down and her dress behind covered with dirt. Pinnock could not speak at first. She asked what had been the matter. Pinnock said some man had put her down on the ground and pushed her little girl away from her. Pinnock told her what she has described in evidence. Pinnock returned about ¼ hour after she had gone out the second time. Elizabeth Pinfold, servant in the employ of George Harris – she is in her 16th year and is employed by Dr Harris as a general servant. On Wednesday evening Annie Harris came in without Pinnock and at her mistress’s request she went out. She met Mary Pinnock at the gate leading from the road into the Union premises. Her hair was all down, her dress covered with dust and she was very frightened. Mary Pinnock did not speak for some time. Her mistress came and Pinnock told her what had happened. She saw the prisoner going down the road towards Leighton. She had seen him before that evening about 20 minutes. He was lying on the ground in a field. He asked her to go for a walk with him. She refused. Joseph Horn of Leighton Buzzard, labourer – on Wednesday evening he saw Mary Pinnock and Dr Harris’s children. They were coming from the railway gate towards the Union gate. He knows the prisoner. He saw him after he met Pinnock and the children. Neither spoke to him. He went in the direction of the railway gate. He had passed them about 30 yards. He heard a woman’s voice call out. He had then passed Berrill. He saw Berrill throw the young woman and he fell on top of her. He stopped and turned round. Berrill got up and went away. She was then getting up from the ground. He said nothing to her but told the gate keeper. Mary Pinnock was screaming and crying when he heard her. John Harris of Leighton Buzzard, gatekeeper at Grovebury Gate, Leighton – on Wednesday evening Horn came and told him something about Mary Pinnock. He had seen her at the gate ¼ hour before with 4 children. He saw her go up the road towards the Union. He knows Berrill. He had seen him before he saw Pinnock and Horn. Berrill had crossed the line and was on the other side. He saw Berrill lying on the Grovebury side of the road. Berrill crossed the line back again and went in the direction where he had seen Mary Pinnock. His hut is low and in a hole which prevents him seeing the union gate or the place where the offence is said to have been committed. He heard a woman screaming after he saw Horn. He heard her say go away or get away 4 or 5 times. She was 200 yards from him at the time. [Cross-examination] They might have spoken without his knowing it. He saw some boys pass by about that time. Mary Pinnock might have turned towards the railway again. William Knight Clough, superintendent of police at Leighton Buzzard – yesterday afternoon 27 June he was at the police station. He saw Berrill who asked for him. Berrill asked if he thought he could get out of this scrape by paying for it. He told Berrill he would hear about that tomorrow. [Cross-examined] The prisoner was not drunk. He put handcuffs on him to prevent him breaking windows or pulling up bricks. John Berrill – he is not guilty. Called as witnesses George Yerrell, John Steers, Edward Lawford and Ann Wiseman George Yerrell of Leighton Buzzard – he is 17 years old and a wheelwright’s apprentice there. On Wednesday evening he went up Grovebury Road with some companions to bathe. He saw Mary Pinnock. She was going towards the railway gate. He saw a child behind her. He saw Berrill coming through the gate. Pinnock went towards the gate and turned round. Berrill was going towards Leighton. Mary Pinnock followed him. She spoke to him first. He was close to them. He did not hear what was said. She coughed a signal cough. Berrill turned his head, looked at her and passed on. He said to one of his companions “did you hear that?” He was then about 2 or 3 steps from her. She spoke again to the prisoner. He did not hear what was said. He then passed on. John Steers – he is 17 years old. He lives with his parents at Leighton and is apprentice to a painter. On Wednesday evening he was with Yerrell and others in Grovebury road. He saw Mary Pinnock walking up the road towards Grovebury. She had 2 children with her. He saw Berrill walking towards Leighton. Berrill passed Pinnock and she spoke to him. He did not hear what was said. He heard her cough. He passed on and saw no more. Pinnock looked at Berrill when she coughed. It was a signal cough. Edward Lawford – he is a surgeon at Leighton Buzzard. He has known Berrill a few years. In 1867 he attended him. He was suffering from a brain affection. He had leaches and a blister to his head. He was very low with a tendency towards suicide. His brain was unquestionably affected. Berrill recovered. In June 1868 he attended Berrill again. He had the same symptoms but in a lighter form. In February 1869 he observed him again. Berrill had some brain symptoms but they were slight. He was rather eccentric but he thinks he could distinguish between right and wrong. Taking Berrill to the asylum was contemplated. He recovered. He saw Berrill in the cell. Berrill looked in a rambling way but he believes he was quite capable of knowing what he was about. Berrill is a married man. He had heard that Berrill had lost his situation on the railway when he first saw him. Ann Wiseman – she is a widow and lives at Leighton. She has known Berrill for 4 ½ years. She lives next door to him and has visited frequently. About 3 years ago Dr Lawford attended him. She nursed Berrill, putting leeches and blister on his head. She thought he wanted taking care of. He was ill for sometime. Within the last month he returned from his work. He appeared rather different. She thought it was because he had a drop too much. On the next Friday at night he said it was his breakfast time, he wanted his breakfast and to go to work. She has never known strange but when he has had a drop too much.

item

Berrill, John,
Pinnock, Mary,
Harris, Matilda Annie,
Harris, Charlotte Matilda,
Harris, George,
Pinfold, Elizabeth,
Horn, Joseph,
Harris, John,
Bayes, Eli,
Clough, William Knight,
Yerrell, George,
Steers, John,
Lawford, Edward,
Wiseman, Ann

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, sex crimes, surgeon, servant, railway employee, police constable, police superintendent, Poor Law Union Workhouses, Leighton Buzzard Poor Law Union, wheelwright, painter, medical conditions