QSR1854/1/5/35

Depositions of Eliza Margetts, spinster of Bedford, George Wagstaff, labourer of Moggerhanger, Mary Poole, widow of Abbots Ripton, Jane, wife of John Emery, Ruth Seton of Moggerhanger, William Hills, police constable of Moggerhanger, George Watkin Youd, fellmonger of Potton and Thomas Tillyard, police constable of Bedford. In the case of William Sims accused of the assault of Eliza Margetts with the intent to ravish and carnally know.

26 November 1853

From: 1853 To: 1854

Eliza Margetts: she had been lately living in service at Godmanchester. On Saturday 19 November she came up by rail to Sandy on her way home to her mother’s house at Bedford. The train arrived at Sandy about 3pm. She set off to walk towards Bedford, intending to be taken up by omnibus. As she passed through Moggerhanger she saw the defendant standing by the Old Guinea Public house talking to another man. She could hear they were talking about selling onions. Sims looked at her as she passed. When she got near Thornton gate, Sims overtook her and put his arm round her, taking hold of one of her hands with his other. At first he said “Come along I am going to Bedford you shall go with me”. She told him she was not going to walk. He told her if she did not go with him there, then she should go in the field with him. He dragged her towards the gate of the field, threw her down and tried to get up her petticoats. She resisted him with all her strength and got up again. She told him to leave her alone or she would call ‘murder’. He told her if she would go into the field with him and let him do as her pleased, he would not hurt her. If she would not, he would stab her with a knife through the heart. He said he had a knife in his pocket and put his hand to his left waistcoat pocket to get it out. She caught hold of his pocket to hinder him She called murder as loud as she could and he put his hand on her mouth to stop her. He kept trying to pull her about, throw her down and drag her into the field. This lasted about 5 minutes until a gig came by and when he heard it, he ran across the field to escape. The lady and gentleman in the gig stopped and talked to her, then the bus came by and she got in it. When she got home her mother was out, coming back about 15 minutes later. She told her mother what had happened. She had also told a lady on the bus. She had a sovereign in her hand which she had lost in the scuffle. Her dress was torn and dirtied and her bonnet was bent and dirtied. She was sure Sims was the man who misused her. George Wagstaffe: on Saturday he had been at Ridgeway gate about half a mile form Moggerhanger on the Girtford bridge side. Sims was lolling over a get there and he asked Sims if he was going to Moggerhanger. Sims replied he was not. Wagstaffe walked on and turned down Dines Lane to call on a house there. About a quarter of an hour later he came back again onto the Moggerhanger Road. He met Sims and Eliza Margetts each walking on a different side of the road. They did not seem to be in company. He walked on towards Charlton. Sims continued to walk towards Bedford behind the young lady. He had a short conversation with Sims about onions. He had been dressed in breeches and leggings and he had a wheelbarrow with him. Sims had on corded trousers and flannel jacket. Mary Poole: she had got out of the train at Sandy at the same time as Eliza Margetts. Eliza walked towards Bedford until the omnibus should overtake her. The bus waited for the dawn train and did not start until 4pm. She waited for the bus. Some distance after Moggerhanger the bus stopped and Eliza got on. It was daylight and Eliza was crying and seemed quite shocked and frightened. She asked Eliza what was the matter and Eliza said a young man insulted her along the road. Her frock was torn along the bottom. Her shawl was torn and Eliza lifted it so Mary Poole could see the front of her frock. The hooks had been torn out of the eyes. Eliza was afraid she would go into hysterical fits all the way to Bedford. Eliza was given water by another lady. The bus stopped at the Red Lion and Eliza got off. Jane Emery: on the Saturday she saw William Sims go past her garden with his brother Walter, who was about 7 or 8 years old. He turned up the lane leading to Albones. She went inside directly afterwards and had tea. Ruth Seton: resided in Manor Lane in Moggerhanger. At about 3.50pm she saw Sims going towards the Guinea. There was nobody with him. She heard her own clock strike 4pm. PC William Hills: he apprehended Sims on the Tuesday at Charlton and took him towards Moggerhanger. As they were going along he asked Sims if he had been in Back Lane on the Saturday night. Sims said he had been and had seen Mr Godfrey there with a dog. Sims said he had been to John Thomas with his brother to take home a pail. He said his brother had gone back along the Bedford Road towards the Guinea. He did not go with his brother. He said he often went down his Uncle Joe’s lane for a walk. On this occasion he went along the lane as far as Mr Atkinson’s farm and then across the close into a garden. He said he afterwards went to the Guinea. Statement of the accused: he did not wish to say anything. PC Thomas Tillyard: on 19 November at about 6.30pm he went to the house of Mrs Hill’s in Bedford, mother of Eliza Margetts. She was out and her daughter was at a neighbour’s house opposite. He saw Eliza Margetts and she told him what had happened and he asked for a description of the young man that had done it. Eliza described him as a young man of about 19 years, about her own height, with broad features and a broad nose and fresh coloured. He had on a furtian jacket and trousers and a dark neckerchief and cap. She said he did not look like a working man. Her dress was torn and she was trembling. He passed the description to PC Hills in Blunham. George Watkins Youd: he lived in Potton and on 19 November he was returning from Bedford in a gig with his sister. When he got within a quarter of a mile from the gate leading down from Mr Brown’s farm at Moggerhanger he heard a lady cry ‘murder’. The cry was repeated. He got up to the gate and saw a young woman standing with her back towards the gate and leaning forward. He asked her what the matter was and she could hardly speak. At length she said a man on the road had knocked her about roughly and robbed her of a sovereign. She was crying at the time and she was out of breath. She said the man had run across the field. He gave the information to the police constable. He had not gone far from where he met her when he saw the omnibus.

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Sims, William,
Margetts, Eliza,
Wagstaff, George,
Poole, Mary,
Hills, William,
Youd, George Watkin,
Tillyard, Thomas,
Emery, Jane,
Emery, John,
Seton, Ruth

Moggerhanger, BEDFORD, Abbots Ripton, POTTON, sex crimes, assault, omnibuses, SANDY