QSR1872/4/5/10

Depositions and examination - George Cook, charged with breaking and entering the house of William Walton at Marston Moretaine on 22 September 1872 and stealing 1/4 lb of tobacco and 4 nutmegs total value 1s 4d.

26 September 1872

From: 1872 To: 1872

William Walton of Marston Moretaine, labourer – he knows George Cook who is a labouring man at Marston. His house stands by itself in the fields, a ¼ mile from any other house. On Sunday 22 September he locked up his house and went away leaving nobody on the premises. The windows were left fastened. About 7.30pm the same day he and his wife returned home. He noticed the cupboard door in a downstairs room was open. He had left it shut. He then noticed some panes of glass broken in a downstairs window. The window was open. He missed ¼ lb of tobacco (twist) and 4 nutmegs which he had left in the cupboard. He went upstairs. The boxes had been disturbed but he did not miss anything there. The tobacco produced is what he missed, though not quite so much. He left it in a jar – there was only a small quantity left. He knows nothing about the nutmegs. His money was all safe upstairs. There was bread and meat in the house untouched. He never saw Cook at all. The value of the tobacco and nutmegs is 16d. Susan Walton, wife of William Walton – Cook is a cousin of hers. On Sunday she and her husband left their house about noon. [Repeats husband’s evidence] The nutmegs were long ones similar to those produced. She believes them to be the nutmegs she bought on the preceding Friday. James Faulkner of Marston Moretaine, labourer – on Sunday 22 September about 2pm he was in a meadow at Marston occupied by Edmund Smith. Cook called him out of the meadow. He went towards the Exhibition beer house at Marston with him. They went for a walk in the fields in the direction of William Walton’s house. They went to the house. Cook said they would go and see if anyone was keeping the house while he was gone. Cook suggested they swing a stone at the window to se if anyone was there. Cook swung 4 or 5 stones at the window and broke some panes of glass. Cook opened the window and got into the house. He stopped outside on the path a few yards away. Cook was inside about ¼ hour, then came out the same window with some twist tobacco in his hand. Cook showed him nothing but the tobacco. Cook wanted him to have some but he refused. They then came to the Exhibition hovel and had some beer and smoked some of the tobacco. They went from there to the Chequers at Marston and had beer there. Cook paid for all the beer. Cook was sober when he left him. It was nearly dark. The next day he was taken into custody on this charge. [Cross-examined] “I did not say I would go into the window after you” Sarah Faulkner, wife of William Faulkner of Marston Moretaine, beer retailer – they keep the Exhibition beer house at Marston. She saw Cook and James Faulkner pass their house at about 3pm on Sunday in the direction of Walton’s house. They returned to a hovel on their premises about 5.30. She saw Cook smoking in the hovel. Isaac Nelson, police constable stationed at Marston Moretaine – on 23 September about 5pm he took James Faulkner into custody. Cook was with him. He told Faulkner he was charged with breaking into Walton’s house and stealing a quantity of tobacco. Faulkner said in Cook’s presence that they went to Walton’s house, Cook got in at the window and brought some tobacco out while he remained outside. Cook was taken into custody and he saw the tobacco and nutmegs taken from his trousers pocket. He charged Cook. Cook first said he knew nothing about it, then said “I got into the house and had the tobacco”. George Cook – he does not wish to say anything.

item

Cook, George,
Walton, William,
Walton, Susan,
Faulkner, James,
Faulkner, Sarah,
Faulkner, William,
Nelson, Isaac,
Smith, Edmund

MARSTON MORETAINE, breaking & entering, nutmeg, tobacco, beer retailer, police constable, Marston Moretaine Exhibition, Marston Moretaine Chequers