QSR1873/2/5/3

Depositions and examination - Jacob Mobbs charged with indecently assaulting Kate Swales at Kempston on 7 March 1873

22 March 1873

From: 1873 To: 1873

Kate Swales of Kempston – she is in her 11th year of age and lives at West End Kempston. Her father’s name is Joel Swales. When she and Sarah Breed were coming out of school at Kempston at about 4pm on 7 March Jacob Mobbs was standing alone at the crossroads. He ran down Mr Dudley’s field. They were before him and he asked them where they saw the Hunters. They were then against a stile. He went over Mr Joyce’s close. He said if they went in there the hounds would not hurt them. He said they would jump on them. He came out of the close and came a few steps out of the land. He said if they did not tell him what their names were he would take them back to the policeman. They told him their names. … [description of assault] … Sarah Breed said she would go home and tell her [Kate Swale’s] mother. He put her down. She told her mother when she got home. Sarah Ann Breed of Kempston – he father’s name is Edward Breed. She was coming out of school with Kate Swales. She saw Jacob Mobbs against the Church Road. He asked them to go into Mr Joyce’s close. They did not go in. He came out of the gate and went a few steps up the lane. He said if they did not tell him their names he would take them back to the policeman. He caught hold of Katey … she told her to run and tell her mother. He put Kate down. She told her mother what he had done. Frederick Field of Kempston – a fortnight yesterday between 4 and 5pm he saw Kate Swales and Sarah Ann Breed along the West End Road. He saw Jacob Mobbs in the West End Road. They ran before Mobbs. He did not hear Mobbs speak to them. The girls were in the road all the time he saw them. He did not see Mobbs do anything to them. Amy Swales of Kempston – she is the wife of Joel Swales and mother of Kate Swales. Kate made a complaint to her on 7 March against Jacob Mobbs. Her daughter came home crying. Her drawers were undone. Maria Breed of Kempston – she is the wife of Edward Breed and the mother of Sarah Ann Breed. On 7 March her daughter came home and made a complaint against Jacob Mobbs. Her daughter was very much frightened. Jacob Mobbs – when he started from home he went across Mr Abraham’s allotments along the footpath by Mrs Barnards house and down Berrills Road down the foot path straying to John White’s house with his dog kennel close. He saw 3 or 4 men go by on some horses. He asked if the hunters had gone that way. They said yes. He went along the road after them until he got to Mr Dudley’s farm. He went inside Mr Dudley’s field along the bottom then through the hedge into Mr Joyce’s wheat field up Mr Joyce’s wheat field and down one of his fallow fields, up another one on to the road, up the footpath up to Astwood wood. When he got to the road he sat at the hand gate until the hunters came out of the wood. The hunters went down the close. He never moved off the gate until he saw the hunters opposite him then he got down and was going across to them. They stopped and turned back and went towards the wood. He went back to the gate where he started from. He started back home the same way he went until he got to Green End Farm. He turned up Green End Farm and went over the pales into John White’s close. He went straight across to his house onto the high road straight along to the Half Moon and went along Matthew Game’s close up the footpath along the top of Mr Whitworth’s close and went straight away home.

item

Mobbs, Jacob,
Swales, Kate,
Breed, Sarah Ann,
Field, Frederick,
Breed, Maria,
Swales, Joel,
Breed, Edward,
White, John

KEMPSTON, sex crimes, assault