QSR1845/1/5/23-25

Depositions and examinations - Thomas Warr aged 14, George Redman aged 13, William Odell aged 13, John Skerman aged 9 and David Bennett aged 12 charged with breaking and entering the house of William Braybrooks. [Annotated: Thomas Warr and William Odell were discharged and bound over to give evidence]

30 December 1844

From: 1844 To: 1845

William Braybrooks of Goldington, labourer – he lives at the old mill at Newnham and takes care of it. It belongs to Mr William Harrison. The outer door fastens with a padlock on the outside and a staple and chain on the inside. On Saturday 15 November he left the mill about 11.30 and fastened the door with the padlock. He put the key in his pocket. He returned between 3 and 4 and found one of the staples drawn and the door open. The lock was on the staple fastened to the door post. He looked in his room and missed a pottle loaf, 2 lbs of uncooked mutton, a small pie, about ½ lb of cooked mutton, a ¼ lb of raw sugar, a quartern of cheese and a pocket knife. On his way to Bedford that morning he met the prisoners near the new ford going in the direction of the mill. [Cross examined by prisoners] He met Odell, Skerman and Bennett, did not meet Redman and may have met Warr. Thomas Croft, constable of the Borough of Bedford – he went to Bennett’s house. Bennett was upstairs. His father called him down and told him to tell the truth about the robbery at the mill. Bennett said that he, Redman and Skerman went into the mill and too the raw and cooked mutton, the sugar and the bread, and that Warr and Odell waited outside. They ate the victuals between them and threw the uncooked meat away. Bennett said that Skerman broke the staple. [Bennett here said “I did not tell you Mr Croft that the lock was broken. I said Skerman and Redman knocked the staple about until it got loose. Redman found he could not get it out and he got hold of the bit of wood the staple was in and split it”.] William Coombs, chief constable of Borough of Bedford – he apprehended Redman on suspicion of breaking into Braybrook’s house. Redman acknowledged that he, Bennett and Skerman went into the house but that Odell and Warr did not go in. Redman absconded immediately after the robbery and returned only a few days ago. Thomas Warr – on the day this happened he and William Odell were going to Newnham Walls to get some sloes. Odell said not to go any further but to stop with Isaac Dawson’s boy and some other boys who were keeping a donkey. He said he would like some sloes. While they were stopping with Isaac Dawson’s boy he saw Redman, Bennett and Skerman coming from Mr Braybrook’s house towards Goldington roadway. They went after them and joined them. Redman said “look what we have had given us” and showed him a loaf, some mutton, a piece of cheese and a pear. Skerman had a little sugar screwed up in a paper. He asked them who gave them the things. Redman said he did not know who it was. Redman gave them a piece of pear and a piece of bread. Odell had a piece too. As soon as they ate it Redman jumped about and said they were fools as they had broken open old Braybrook’s house and got it there, and that they (Warr and Odell) were as bad as them as they had eaten some of it. He told them that if they would rob a poor old man like that they would rob anybody. He said that the best thing they could do was to take it back. Redman answered “yes you fool”. Skerman and Bennett were willing to take it back. He thinks Redman threw the uncooked mutton into a ditch. He told his mother what had happened the next day. George Redman – on the Saturday the mill was broken open Skerman and Bennett asked him to go to the mill. They said they had been before. He went with them and they showed him the door where they went in before. They couldn’t get at it then for the water was out. Bennett hammered the staple with a stone until it got loose. He pulled a bit of wood down and they all three went in. They went up a ladder into Mr Braybrook’s room. When they came away they met Warr and Odell coming. They told them where they had been and showed them the things. They asked for a bit and they cut them some. They [Warr and Odell] stood about a ¼ hour before they ate it. William Odell – he and Warr were going to get sloes. They saw Dawson’s boy with a donkey and stopped a while with him. They saw Skerman, Bennett and Redman running over the bridge at Newnham from the direction of the mill. They went after them. When they got there they were eating bread. They asked where it came from. Redman said someone gave it to them and gave him and Warr a piece of bread each. When they had eaten it Redman laughed at them and said they were as bad as them as they had stolen it from Mr Braybrook’s. He and Warr then went home together. Skerman ate some sugar and Redman through the uncooked mutton and the cheese in the ditch.

item

Warr, Thomas,
Redman, George,
Odell, William,
Skerman, John,
Bennett, David,
Braybrooks, William,
Croft, Thomas,
Coombs, William,
Dawson, Isaac

GOLDINGTON, BEDFORD, breaking & entering, stealing, police constable, Chief Constable, mutton, cheese, pies, sugar, bread, food, donkeys