QSR1874/4/5/1

Depositions and examination - George Thompson of Podington, farmer's son, charged with assault with intent to ravish and carnally know Elizabeth Abigail Bradshaw at Odell on 20 July 1874

31 July 1874

From: 1874 To: 1874

Elizabeth Abigail Bradshaw of Harrold, age 14 – on Monday 20 July at about 9pm she was walking through Odell Wood on her way back to Harrold from the house of Mr Robert Thompson at Yelnoe. Robert Thompson’s daughter Maryanne accompanied her through the wood as far as the stump then went back towards her home. She went on alone. She had not got a great way when George Thompson began pulling her about. He had gone with her and his sister from his father’s house. When his sister went back he went on forward in the riding in which she was going – there is a footpath in that riding. She said she would tell her mother and father and he let her go. They went a little farther and he began to pull her about again and carried her into the wood … she cried out aloud and Mr Bradshaw came and caught him … Mr Bradshaw went with her on her way home as far as Little Odell. When she got home she told her mother what had happened. Her father works at Kettering and was at Kettering at that time. [Cross-examined] She was 14 last birthday. She has known George Thompson many years. She did not ask him to go part of the way home with her when she left his fatehr’s house. A boy named Thomas Thew was there – she asked him to go home with her and he said he would not stop for her. She did not use any indecent expression to the little boy Thew. She overtook George Thompson before Mary Thompson was out of sight. They walked along together for maybe 5 minutes before he began to pull her about. … she went home and told her mother as soon as it happened. Her mother was not at home when she got home – when her mother came she asked what had happened. He came in afterwards – she saw him coming towards the house with her mother who had gone out to meet her. Mary Ann Thompson came to the house on the next Saturday. She talked to her about what had happened. On the same afternoon as the assault took place she met George Robinson and Robert Westley in the fields. Nothing indecent took place and neither of them touched her. She knows Alfred Robinson and George Crouch. She does not remember going after them into Mr Rootham’s field. She did not run away with either of their hats – another girl who was with her did that. She was in the lane and saw it. The girl ran away with the hat over the field. She has not acted indecently with these men’s hats in the presence of Mr Charles Pettit. She has never done anything with them. When her father came home on the Saturday both herself and her mother told him what had happened. When the keeper came up he said he heard her crying out and asked what was the matter with her. George Thompson was there when she first when up. He went away into the yard. She spoke to Thew and he had such bad talk she did not care to go with him. She asked Mary Thompson to go with her a few steps. She went up to Mr Thompson’s for a fork. She waited nearly an hour after she got the fork. George Bradshaw of Odell, gamekeeper – on the evening of 20th he was waling in the outside Riding of Odell Wood about 9pm and heard someone “crying tremendous, and holloaing and oh pray don’t”. He went to the place where he heard the cries which was in the direction from Yelnoe to Harrold. He called out and the lad jumped up and ran away. He went into the wood, saw a female get off the ground and asked who she was. She was crying very much indeed. She went down with him to Little Odell and straight home. He knew it was Thompson when he went away. Her hat was off and she looked as if she had been struggling. He did not ask her any questions but she said she had been insulted. She was sobbing nearly all the way down to his house. [Cross-examined] She said she had been up to Thompson’s to fetch her father’s fork. He asked his name because he was not quite sure who he was. Her mother came to him the next day. A day or two later he gave the same information to Mr Cook. Thompson had a light slop on and a cap. Mary Ann Bradshaw, wife of Henry Bradshaw of Harrold, shoemaker – she sent her daughter Elizabeth to Mr Robert Thompson’s at Yelnoe on Monday 20th to fetch her father’s fork. She went about 6pm and came back after 9pm. She went to meet her, but did not. She went into the second field and called out. George Thompson crept out of a hedge about 50 yards off and said “what do you want”. She answered him and called out Elizabeth again. Then she saw it was Thompson and said “Where is Liz?” He said “If you will come here I will tell you” and said there had been something up that night and he would give her 5s not to say anything about it. Thompson said he had rather have it made up than to make any bother about it. She said she would not take any money and wanted to know what it was about. He offered her 5s again to make no bother about it as he had not hurt her. She asked where she was – he said she would be here directly and had gone with George Bradshaw. She went back home. The girl had got home then and told her what had happened. She then went back to George Thompson and told him she would not take any money. She returned home. Thompson followed her and again offered her 5s. On the 21st she went to Mr Bradshaw and on the 22nd to Mr Cook the police constable. Her husband at that time was at Kettering. She directed her little girl to write to him and tell him to come home as soon as he could. She thinks she sent the letter on the 23rd. Her daughter’s dress was torn, with the lining ripped out and tied up. Her hair was rough and her hat had been trampled on or bent double. Her daughter heard Thompson offer the 5s and heard her refuse it. Her mother was there. Her daughter told her Thompson had insulted her in the wood. Thompson said he had acted a bit with her tonight but had not hurt her – he had not done anything. [Cross-examined] She asked what had been up and Thompson said “I have upset Liz a bit” and would give her 5s. Her daughter said George Thompson had been pulling her about in the wood after she had left Mary. Her daughter said they stood talking against the stump and George came on down the riding by himself when Mary turned back. As soon as she got to him he began to pull her about. She told him to leave her alone or she would tell her father and mother. A little way further on he began to pull her about again and carried her into the wood. … Mr Bradshaw heard her screaming and holloaing and ran to her assistance. Henry Bradshaw of Harrold, shoemaker – he received a letter from his wife on the afternoon of Thursday 23rd. It was written by his little girl. The letter asked him to come home as soon as I could on Saturday. On Monday morning he gave information to Mr Carruthers the superintendent and to PC Cook. [Cross-examined] He did not go to Thompson’s father on that Monday after he had seen the policeman. He went to him on that day to pay some rent. He did not pay it because he did not have enough. He went to ask him to come for his rent, and Thompson said he was not bound to go after it. He never mentioned that he wanted to talk to him about a very curious matter. He did not then mention the matter of Thompson’s son’s conduct with his daughter. He went a second time to pay the rent but did not quite have enough money with him, for Thompson said another month was due. Thompson said “I am very sorry, Henry, that things have turned up between me and you as they are”. Thompson’s sister was present. This took place at Harrold. Nothing was then settled. George Thompson – “I am not guilty”.

item

Thompson, George,
Bradshaw, Elizabeth Abigail,
Bradshaw, George,
Bradshaw, Mary Ann,
Bradshaw, Henry,
Thompson, Mary Ann,
Thompson, Robert,
Thew, Thomas,
Robinson, George,
Westley, Robert,
Robinson, Alfred,
Crouch, George,
Rootham,
Pettit, Charles

PODINGTON, HARROLD, ODELL, Little Odell, Odell Yelnoe Farm, assault, sex crimes, child abuse, gamekeeper, shoemaker