QSR1885/4/5/1

Depositions of Elizabeth Bass, singlewoman of Marston Shelton, Julia Chappell, singlewoman of Marston Shelton, George James, superintendent of Police of Ampthill, Elizabeth Whitbread, Sarah Walton, Rhoda Saunders and Sophia Whitbread, and Isaac Nelson, police constable of Marston Moretaine. In the case of Charles Whittington accused of assaulting Elizabeth Whitbread with the intent to ravish and carnally now.

23 July 1885

From: 1885 To: 1885

Elizabeth Whitbread: a 16 year old who resided with her parents in Wootton Green. On 20 June1885, she was returning from Marston Shelton at 9.30pm. She saw the defendant near Mrs Christmas’ house in Marston Shelton. He asked her if she was well and she said she was and continued up the road. He followed her and caught her up and he asked her where Julia Chappell was. She told him Julia was up the road with another girl called Clara. He asked who else she was with and she did to reply as she didn’t want to make bother. Whittington went on and she stopped and spoke to Joseph Caves and then went on up the road. She found the defendant in front of her and he said he was going back as her couldn’t see her [Julia]. He caught hold of her by the shoulders and threw her down. She told hi her would get pulled for it and he said he did not care. He pulled up her clothes and undid his trousers. He didn’t do anything else. She cried out. Sarah Walton came up and he got off her and ran away. Sarah Walton went part of the way home with her and her clothes were wringing wet from the defendant dragging her through the wet grass at the side of the road. Her jacket was covered in dirt. Her eye was blackened and her mouth bleeding. That had been done by the accused’s hand when he tried to stop her calling out. On arriving home she complained to her mother. [cross examination} she had known the prisoner a long time and had never walked with him. She had not run after the defendant when she had left Joseph Caves. She had met Elizabeth Bass and was not running then. She did not tell him that Julia would be jealous and she did not fall down. The prisoner had been drinking but was to drunk. After this had happened she went to the Exhibition public house for beer and from there to Josiah Knights. She told Julia Chappell what had happened. She saw her there and told her that her young man had been pulling her about and she thought Julia should have nothing to do with her. She saw Robert Pateman but did not go home with him or he with her, but she did laugh with him. When she got home her mother noticed the state she was in and asked her what was the matter. Next day she went to Mrs Christmas’, who was Julia Chappell’s grandmother. Julia Chappell was there. Mrs Christmas asked what the defendant had done to her and she told her. She did not laugh about the matter and was not afraid of him, although she had been that night. She did not tell Mrs Christmas she had fallen down whilst they had been shaking hands. She did not speak at all about it to Elizabeth Bass. She had been told by her mother to bring beer and the paper and was on her way home. She did not know what the word ‘indecently’ meant. Sarah Walton: a single woman of Marston Moretaine. On 20 June she had been going towards Shelton and was near the new school. She heard a noise further down the road and heard the cry of help. She hurried down the road and called out ‘hello’. She saw a man but couldn’t say who ran away as she was a dozen yards off. She saw a young woman on the side of the road getting up. She went to her and she seemed confused and she went a little way home with her. She noticed Whitbread’s clothes were wet and she had a few spots of blood on her face. Whitbread said to eh that the man had not got the better of her. Rhoda Saunders: wife of George Saunders, a hawker at Marston Shelton. On 20 June she was in her own house and heard someone hollow, but did not know who it was and did not go outside. She often heard hollowing at Shelton End. Sophia Whitbread: wife of John, a tile maker and residing at Wootton Green. She was the mother of Elizabeth Whitbread. On 20 June her daughter returned home with her hat crushed, her face scratched and her hair down. Her daughter made a complaint against Whittington. There were finger marks on her daughters face and her lip was bleeding. Statement of the accused: he reserved his defence. Depositions on behalf of the defence – Elizabeth Bass: on 20 June she had been coming down the road towards Lower Shelton when she met Charles Whittington. Soon after she met Elizabeth Whitbread, who was running. On 19 July she saw Elizabeth Whitbread outside the chapel. Whitbread told her that Whittington was to go up the road and wait for her and if she went up the road first, then she would wait for him. Julia Ann Chappell: on 20 June she had been outside Josiah Knights when Elizabeth Whitbread came to her and asked her to hold a bottle whilst she went inside. Whitbread told her she had been pulled about but she would not say in what way. Whitbread left with Robert Pateman and Frederick Hutchins. Next day, Whitbread came to Mrs Christmas whilst she was there. Whitbread was asked if she had been pulled about in an indecent manner and she said she had not. Whitbread said she had told Whittington to go ahead of her or walk behind her, otherwise Chappell would be jealous. Whitbread said she stopped to talk to another fellow and then ran and caught Whittington up. After an exchange they were shaking hands and they fell down. Isaac Nelson: on 9 July the defendant gave himself into custody. He had previously been away from home.

12 pages

item

Whittington, Charles,
Bass, Elizabeth,
Chappell, Julia,
James, George,
Whitbread, Elizabeth,
Walton, Sarah,
Saunders, Rhoda,
Whitbread, Sophia,
Nelson, Isaac,
Christmas,
Knights, Josiah,
Pateman, Robert,
Hutchins, Frederick

MARSTON MORETAINE, Marston Shelton, sex crimes, assault, Marston Moretaine Exhibition