QSR1883/1/5/1a

John Edwin Bigg, butcher of Stotfold, Minnie Bigg, housekeeper of Stotold, Louisa Ebsworth, draper of Stotfold, Josiah Gentle, draper's assistant of Stotfold, Robert Roach, letter carrier of Stotfold and James Lunnis, police constable. In the case of Mary Ann Collins, accused of stealing £5 from her master.

27 December 1882

From: 1882 To: 1883

Minnie Bigg: housekeeper to her brother, John Edwin Bigg, a butcher of Stotfold. On 16 December she was assisting her brother in the shop. She took £7 or £8 and put it in a mug in the cupboard in the parlour. She locked the cupboard and took away the key. Only her brother had another key. She had not seen it again. On 21 December she heard her mother say to the prisoner “have you been spending money that doesn’t belong to you?” The prisoner replied she had not, and her mother then asked where she had got it from and the prisoner said she had been given it by her Aunt Cherry at Clifton. The prisoner later said she had found the money on her way home from Arlesey Station. John Edwin Bigg: on 20 December he went to the cupboard where he kept his money and found there was only £1 16s there. The cupboard was kept locked and his sister and he held the keys. Louisa Ebsworth: daughter of John Ebsworth a draper of Stotfold. On 18 December the prisoner came to the shop and bought goods to the value of £1 14s 10d for which she paid. Josiah Gentle: a draper’s assistant to Mr Ebsworth. On 19 December the prisoner came to the shop and bought goods to the value of £1 12s 6d and on the following day bought goods to the amount of £2 1s 9d. She paid on both occasions. Robert Roach: a letter carrier residing at Stotfold. On 14 December he was coming from Arlesey to Stotfold and the prisoner was in front of him. She did not stop to pick anything up. She was carrying a bundle with both hands. James Lunniss: a police constable stationed at Stotfold. On 21 December he went to the prosecutor’s house and made enquiries of the prisoner as to why she had spent so much money lately. She said she had found some money on her way back from Arlesey and it was 2 sovereigns, several half crowns, 2 shilling pieces, shillings and 2 sixpences. It had been wrapped in paper. He searched her box and her pockets finding money and the bills from the drapers. The key belonging to her box fitted the lock in the cupboard.Statement of the accused: nothing to say except she knew nothing of the money.

item

Collins, Mary Ann,
Bigg, John Edwin,
Bigg, Minnie,
Ebsworth, Louisa,
Gentle, Josiah,
Roach, Robert,
Lunniss, James

STOTFOLD, ARLESEY, stealing, money, servant, draper, housekeeper, butcher, carrier