QSR1844/1/5/16

Depositions and examination - Thomas Brown charged with stealing 16 halfpennies from George Webb

25 November 1843

From: 1843 To: 1844

George Webb of Willington, labourer – on Monday 13 November between 2 and 3pm his wife Eliza went from home leaving him and his little boy George, aged 13, in the house. He went away about 3.15 leaving George. He did not come home until it was dark. His son Josiah has a small deal box he made for him in which he puts half pence. It is usually stood on the brown oak table in the house but he did not see it at all that day. The half pence were partly earned by Josiah selling young onions and partly given to him from time to time. He knows Thomas Brown but did not see him that day until the evening. Eliza Webb, wife of George Webb of Willington – last Monday afternoon about 4pm she returned home. When she left only her husband was in the house. Her little boy has a small deal money box which she saw safely on the dining table about 11am that day. The box was nearly full of half pence – she thinks it contained about 48 halfpenny pieces and 2 farthings. The half pence were collected by her little boy Josiah who is about 6 ½ years old. She always saw him put the half pence in the box. About 9pm from what her neighbour Samuel Penwright said to her she went to look at the box and saw that the lid was split open and part of the money gone. There were 19 half penny pieces and 2 farthings remaining and about 28 half pence were gone. She knows Thomas Brown who is a very near neighbour of hers. He comes into their house sometimes and has often seen the box. Her little boy has sometimes taken it up and shaken it before him and said it was heavy. [When asked if he had any questions to put to the witness Brown said “will you let me go now and I will pay you again by such time as the assizes are”] Sarah Odell, wife of William Odell of Willington – last Monday about 4pm she saw Brown go into George Webb’s house at Willington and come out again about 20 minutes afterwards. She lives a very few yards from Webb’s house. She knew no one was in the house unless someone had gone in wrong and was watching the house because she heard the door could not be locked. The gate was locked but she did not see Brown get over it. When Brown came out of the house she saw him crawl on his hands and knees until he got to the hedge and then he jumped over into the lane. He walked a few steps down the land and then came back again. The next morning she told him she saw him go into the house and he said he did not. Mary Mayes, wife of Joseph Mayes of Cople, labourer – on Monday about 4pm she saw Thomas Brown leap over the hedge of Webb’s garden into Stokes Lane. Thomas Brown of Willington when he went in George Webb’s house he had no money of his own and his father gave him a can. When his father gave it to him he was going in the Bedford Union. He sold the can for 6d and that is the money the police found on him except 2d which he spent on a pint of beer. He sold the can to Harry Spavins of Willington. When he went into Webb’s house he saw the money box – the little boy shook it before him a few days before. He opened the box with a knife that lay on the table and took some money out. Fifteen pence was all the money he had from George Webb and his own. He had 7d of his own.

item

Brown, Thomas,
Webb, George,
Webb, Eliza,
Webb, Josiah,
Odell, Sarah,
Odell, William,
Penwright, Samuel,
Mayes, Mary,
Mayes, Joseph,
Spavins, Harry

WILLINGTON, COPLE, stealing, money, onions