QSR1875/4/5/11

Depositions and examination - Thomas Kenning charged with indecently assaulting Elizabeth Tysoe at Wootton on 14 September 1875

2 October 1875

From: 1875 To: 1875

Elizabeth Tysoe of Wootton – on Tuesday 14th she was in Wootton Wood in the Cross Riding at about one. She saw the prisoner standing in the Riding. He spoke to them all. He said “why don’t you get the nuts”. He gave them a handful. He said, “come on, I’ll show you where the nuts grow. He went into the wood. She followed him. When they got inside the wood he tried to get hold of Emma Cooper. He did not catch hold of her. He threw her down and tried to feel up her petticoats but did not. She said she would tell her mother. He then let her go. She left home about 12. She and her friends were going to the wood to get blackberries. She went straight to the wood across one close. She had been in the wood about an hour when she saw the man. She went by some men who were sitting down against the Riding at dinner. What happened with the man she saw was after she passed them. She thinks she saw this man about ¾ hour afterwards. She had been walking away from where the men were sitting at dinner. She met the prisoner a good bit away from there. The man she saw in the Riding was by himself. He had nothing in his hand. She had never seen him before. She next saw him on Friday at Mr Thomas’s. Emma Cooper, Mary Ann Fuller, Mary Ann Fuller’s sister and the policeman were with her. The policeman told them to go to Wootton House. They went to see if they knew the man. When they got to Wootton House they found 3 men who had their backs to them at first. She said it was the man with the brown coat on directly she saw him. When she saw him nutting he had a lighter coat on. She recognised him before she saw his face. The man wore a light cloth coat and a black hard hat, with a white bag hung round before him. Of the men she saw at dinner she knew David Keep and Joel Keep. The others were strangers to her. She thinks the man here was one of those at dinner. At the time the man meddled with her she did not see or hear anyone near. When they went after him for him to show them the nuts all the girls were together. After he chased the girl he hung round her and said give me a kiss. He put his arm round her waist. He threw her down on the ground. He put one hand up her clothes about as high as her knee. She shouted that she would tell her mother. [Cross-examined] She was not on the ground more than a minute. When she called out he let her go at once. Emma Cooper of Wootton – she is 13 years old. On Tuesday 14 September she went to Wootton Wood with Elizabeth Tysoe and Mary Ann Fuller. They passed some men sitting down by the Riding. She did not notice whether Kenning was there. After looking for nuts they came out into the Riding at the Cross Riding. She saw Kenning there. He said “why don’t you get them?” She said “I can’t see them”. He gave her some nuts and offered to show her where there were some. She went into the wood. He tried after her first. She got away from him. She heard Elizabeth Tysoe holloa “I’ll tell my mother if you won’t let me be”. Afterwards Elizabeth Tysoe came out and joined them. She did not know Kenning and does not know whether he was one of the men she saw sitting down having their dinner. She was with Elizabeth Tysoe when she saw Kenning at Mr Thomas’s. She saw several men nutting in the wood that day. Some of them were strangers to her. She thinks it was nearly 4 when they got home. After the man meddled with them they went straight out of the wood. Mary Ann Fuller of Wootton – she went nutting to Wootton wood with Emma Cooper and Elizabeth Tysoe. They passed some men having their dinner. She does not know whether Kenning was one of them. They went on to get some blackberries. Kenning said he would show where there were some nuts. They went into the wood a few steps, turned round and said they would not go for the bushes. When they turned back he tried to get hold of Emma Cooper. She ran away. He caught Elizabeth Tysoe afterwards. She saw several strange men nutting. Amos Glenister of Wootton, police constable – Kenning and two other men stood in Mr Thomas’s yard and the three little girls and one other were standing outside the gate. When they saw the men they all four spoke together and said “that’s the man in the middle”. [Cross-examined] Elizabeth Tysoe said it was the man in the brown coat. He never saw Kennings before that he is aware of. He told Kenning a girl said she had been assaulted in the wood by him. Kenning said he did not know anything about it. Thomas Kenning – he is not guilty.

item

Kenning, Thomas,
Tysoe, Elizabeth,
Cooper, Emma,
Fuller, Mary Ann,
Glenister, Amos

WOOTTON, sex crimes, police constable, blackberries, nuts