QSR1870/4/5/2-5

Depositions and examinations - Thomas Williams, Thomas Pugh, William Harrad and Patrick Gilshalan, charged with breaking and entering the house of Edward Turney and stealling one drab cloth coat, one jacket containing 2 silk pocket handkerchiefs, one pair of cloth trousers, one pair of boots, one woman's cloak and a pair of braces, together worth £4 10s

29 July 1870

From: 1870 To: 1870

Susan, wife of Edward Turney of Hockliffe, labourer - On Wednesday 20 July about 3pm she left her house and fastened the door. Her husband was at work and there was no one left in the house. Before she left she took a pair of cloth trousers out of a box and put them on the bed in the upstairs room. There was also a dark cloth coat and jacket hanging up in the room. Her cloak was lying on a box in the room. Her husband’s shoes were downstairs. About 30 minutes later her sister came to the Church to her and said someone had broken into the house. She went home and found the downstairs room open, which she had left shut and fastened. She went upstairs and found the clothes mentioned gone. The shoes were also gone, as were 2 silk handkerchiefs in the coat and jacket and the braces on the trousers. All the articles of clothing produced are those that were taken. She found one of the window pains had been broken close to the fastening and the window was open. She saw footmarks in the room under the window and outside. Theodosia, wife of Thomas Kempster of Hockliffe, shoemaker - On 20 July about 3pm she saw the 4 prisoners going up the road in Hockliffe together in the direction of Mrs Turney’s house. She saw them from her window. Her house is not ¼ mile from Turney’s house. She saw Williams beg at the next door. Septimus Franklin of Dunstable, tailor - Between 1 and 2pm on 20 July he was going from Dunstable to Hockliffe. About a mile before he got there he saw the 4 prisoners lying by the side of the road together. He spoke to Williams and Harrad. They asked what was going to be done at Hockliffe. He told them there was going to be a Church Tea Drinking. About 3pm he passed Turney’s house. He saw Gilshilan stood opposite the house. Gilshilan asked him for a copper. He saw Harrad walking up and down 2 or 3 times, and saw Williams with Gilsilan. Pugh joined the other 3. They asked the landlord of the inn at Hockliffe the way to Northampton - he directed them over a stile. He saw Williams go to the back of Turney’s house. He saw them go across the fields. Williams had a bundle with him. The other 3 were about 20 or 30 yards ahead. He heard Charles Boskett call out to them and the prisoners started running. None of the prisoners had a bundle with them when he first saw them. He and others went after them. He overtook Pugh, Harrad and Gilshilan at Battlesden - that was not on the road to Northampton. Charles Boskett of Dunstable, plumber and glazier - He went with Septimus Franklin from Dunstable to Hockliffe and saw all 4 prisoners lying by the side of the road. At about 3pm he was at the public house at Hocliffe. He saw Pugh and Harrad go up the road together. Harrad asked the way to Northampton. Harrad walked up and down 2 or 3 times between the public house and Turney’s house. After he left the public house he saw Williams going across the field with a bundle, running from Turney’s house towards the other 3 prisoners. He called to the prisoners who immediately started running. He went to fetch the policeman and went after the prisoners with him. He went towards Battlesden with Franklin and George Cook, and caught up with Pugh, Harrad and Gilshilan. Harrad came up to him with a knife open and asked what he wanted. He said he wanted Harrad to come back with him. All three were brought back to Hockliffe. George Cook of Hockliffe, innkeeper - He saw the 4 prisoners together before his door about 3pm on 20 July. He directed them to Northampton across the fields. None of them had a bundle. He saw Williams turn down by the hedge side. He called him back and Williams returned. Soon after he saw him with a bundle going across the fields. Suspecting something was wrong he sent for the police. He saw Williams join the other three. He heard someone call to them and they ran. He went with the policeman in pursuit of the prisoners. He found the cloak produced in Mr Harris’s corn field where he had seen the prisoners. He ran up the hedge side and followed the prisoners through Battlesden. When he overtook them Harrad said “it was not us who did the job. It was the one behind”. He had not then said anything about any robbery. David Dumpleton of Hockliffe, shepherd - at about 4pm on 20 July he saw PC Quenby with Williams in custody. He went in the direction from which Williams was brought. He found the 2 coats and pair of trousers produced hidden in the hedge in a field and gave them to PC Quenby. Henry Quenby, police constable stationed at Hockliffe - He received information that Turney’s house had been broken open and some clothes stolen. He went in pursuit of the robbers with Boskett, Franklin and Cook. He went one way and they went another. In the 3rd field from Turney’s house he found the pair of braces now produced and a pair of boots which Williams is now wearing. He went about 100 yards farther and found Williams concealed in the hedge. Williams said it was not him but the two big ones. He charged him with breaking into Turney’s house and stealing clothing. Williams said it was him that did it. He took Williams to Turney’s house, where Turney and his wife both identified the boots and braces. He gave Williams in custody to the parish constable and went after the other three prisoners. He met all three coming back. Harrad said they would not have been in that bother if it were not for the young one he had in custody. He told them separately the charge against them. Pugh and Harrad said they were innocent. Gilshilan made no reply. On the road to the police station Harrad said they were all in company together but did not see the young one before they got to Dunstable. He examined Turney’s window that afternoon and found a piece of glass broken just against the fastening. He also saw where the paint had been rubbed off the windowsill. At the back of the house he could see where someone had been in the nettles by the side of the hedge, 3 or 4 yards from the house. He searched all the prisoners and found the knife produced on Harrad. Williams said it was his knife and Harrad had borrowed it. Harrad agreed. Thomas Williams - he did the robbery himself. The other 3 prisoners knew nothing about it before he went up the road and brought them back. He asked them to come across to Northampton to get some money from some one he knew there. Thomas Pugh - he knows nothing of it. William Harrad - he knows nothing of it. He is innocent. Patrick Gilshilan - he knows nothing of it.

item

Williams, Thomas,
Pugh, Thomas,
Harrad, William,
Gilshilan, Patrick,
Turney, Susan,
Turney, Edward,
Kempster, Theodosia,
Kempster, Thomas,
Franklin, Septimus,
Boskett, Charles,
Cook, George,
Dumpleton, David,
Quenby, Henry

HOCKLIFFE, DUNSTABLE, breaking & entering, clothing, shoemaker, tailor, plumber, glazier, innkeeper, shepherd, police constable