QSR1845/2/5/5

Depositions - Richard Franklin

26 March 1845

From: 1845 To: 1845

Charles Bonfield - he is foreman to Mr Charles Nash, miller at Biggleswade and is in the habit of selling flour for him at Biggleswade Mill and receiving the money, which he deposits in a small deal desk inside the Mill on the ground floor. He keeps the key. On Monday evening 24 March about 6pm he locked up the desk which contained £5 8s and 4d in gold, silver and copper. He was at the Mill until nearly 10pm when he locked up the Mill as usual and went home. The next morning he found the desk had been broken open and noticed that 2 half sovereigns were gone. Without counting it he put the rest of the gold and silver into a bag and the copper into another bag and gave them both to the servant maid Sophia York. He then fetched a policeman. Franklin is employed by James Bone, a lighterman, and was in and out of the Mill several times on Monday to see after the state of the water having to navigate some barges up the river - these were detained at Biggleswade on account of the state of the water till about 7am on Tuesday. He later counted the silver in the bag and found that 26s was missing besides the half sovereigns. William Barwick – he is servant to Mr Nash of Biggleswade Mill. On Monday evening about 9.05pm he saw a lad dressed as a waterboy (similar to the dress now worn by Franklin) go into the Mill and shut himself in. He thought the miller was there so had no suspicion anything was wrong. The lad who went in was about the same size and height as Franklin. John Morgan of Clifton – he went in the Green Man public house at Shefford last night about 6pm and found Franklin there. He has known him by sight for several years having often seen him engaged in the navigation. Franklin was drinking some gin and water and offered to treat him with a glass, which he declined. Franklin said “Do you think I have got no money then” and immediately threw a quantity of silver on to the table, some of which fell on the floor. He [Morgan] picked it all up, counted 15s, wrapped it up in paper and gave it to Franklin, telling him to put it in his pocket. He then drank his half pint of beer and left. Franklin appeared to be intoxicated. William Wingrave of Shefford, labourer – last night about 7pm he went into the Osborne Arms, a beer shop at Shefford, and saw Richard Franklin lying on a bench asleep. He gave Franklin a slight push to make room for himself to sit down. Two half sovereigns dropped from Franklin’s hand. H picked them up and gave them to Mrs Waller the landlady to take care of for him until the morning. Martha Waller - her husband Henry Waller keeps the Osborne Arms beer shop at Shefford. He knows Franklin who is employed on the navigation and is in the habit of frequenting their house. Franklin was there last night between 7 and 9pm. Wingrave gave her two half sovereigns which he said Franklin had dropped. She had previously noticed that Franklin had them in his hand. She put them into a small drawer and that morning gave them to William Hann the policeman. George Sharpe, policeman in Biggleswade District – he heard of the robbery at Mr Nash’s yesterday morning and went down and examined the premises. He concluded from finding no marks on the doors that the Mill had not been broken into. From making inquiries about the town he concluded Franklin had been concerned in the robbery. He went to Shefford that morning and found Franklin had been tipsy last night and was showing a good deal of money. He took Franklin into custody. He told Franklin he wanted him about the robbery at Mr Nash’s. Franklin said he knew there had been a robbery. He asked Franklin where he got the money he was throwing about the previous night. Franklin said to ask his master, that he had it from him. He later searched Franklin and found only 2d on his person. He then went to the barge belonging to Franklin’s master where Franklin worked and found a marling spike. He has since compared this marling spike with the impressions made where the desk was broken open and they exactly correspond. William Hann, policeman in Biggleswade District – he heard that morning from PC Sharpe that a robbery had taken place at Mr Nash’s Mill and that a water boy employed on the navigation was suspected. He made enquiries and ascertained the Franklin had been seen throwing money about at the Green Man. He went there and afterwards to the Osborne Arms where Mrs Waller gave him 2 half sovereigns which she said belonged to Franklin. James Bone – he is a lighterman engaged on the Ivel navigation, and employs Franklin as a yearly servant. He paid Franklin £12 a year and boards and lodges him. He has given him several small sums of money at different times since last New Year’s day, but has not given him any for the last 2 or 3 months. The marling spike produced is his property. Franklin and all the other men and boys in his employment have free access to them. [Deposition deleted: Francis Smith, policeman at Biggleswade – yesterday morning he was fetched by Charles Bonfield to Mr Nash’s Mill where he examined a desk which appeared to have been broken open. Bonfield hold him he suspected it was done by some of the watermen on the river. He went to the barges lying on the river and searched the cabin but found no money. He also searched Franklin and another boy who was there but found no money on Franklin.]

item

Franklin, Richard,
Bonfield, Charles,
Nash, Charles,
York, Sophia,
Bone, James,
Barwick, William,
Morgan, John,
Wingrave, William,
Waller, Martha,
Waller, Henry,
Sharpe, George,
Hann, William

BIGGLESWADE, CLIFTON, SHEFFORD, stealing, money, foreman, miller, Biggleswade Mill, waterways, Navigation, bargeman, barges, servant, Shefford Green Man, Shefford Osborne Arms, drunkenness