QSR1855/3/5/7

Depositions of William Hill, schoolmaster of Stotfold, Caleb Hill, yeoman of Stotfold, Mary Field, spinster and infant of Stotfold, John Goodwin, labourer of Stotfold and Jesse Walker, police constable of Stotfold In the case of James Bayley, labourer of Stotfold, accused of stealing certain watch and keys and threatening Mary Field.

26 April 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

Mary Field: a servant to Mr Hill of Stotfold and on 22 April, about half an hour after church had commenced, she was upstairs in her master’s house. There was nobody else in the house. She heard a knock at the kitchen door. She went downstairs and saw a man in the kitchen. He said to her to please give something to a poor man and she replid she ahd nothing for him. He asked if anybody else was in the house and she said there was not. He asked where he master was and she replied he was not far off. The prisoner said he thought he was at church and grabbed hold of her and put his hand in her pocket. He took no further liberty with her and he then went into the room adjoining the kitchen and ordered her to follow him. She did so and he showed her a knife. The knife appeared to have a piece missing from the point. He told her he would stitch her if she did not tell him where the money was. He went upstairs and told her to follow. When she got to her masters room she fell down in a swoon. She did not know how long she was in that state but when she came to she heard a noise in one of the bedrooms as if someone was throwing things about. She tried to get up and go downstairs but the man caught hold of her and said he had told her not to go anywhere and to tell him where the money was. She directed him to a room down the passage hoping to get away. He went to that room and she rushed downstairs and ran across to the church and fetched her master. The weapon she believed to be what she took for a knife in the prisoner’s hand. The kitchen door was latched before she heard the knock at the door. The prisoner must have unlatched it to get in. William Hill: schoolmaster of Stotfold. On Sunday 22 April he went to church leaving only Mary Field, his servant, in the house. When he had been in church about an hour he heard a noise at the door and went out and saw his servant in an agitated state. She told him what had happened and he returned to his house and found the rooms in great confusion. On going upstairs he found his sons watch and 3 keys on the floor. He put the watch on the drawers. Caleb Hill: he lived with his father William Hill. On Sunday morning he went to church with his father and left his watch in a drawer upstairs. He had last seen it on going up to dress for church. On returning from church he found it on the drawers. John Goodwin: in consequence of receiving the description of the prisoner, he apprehended him in Stotfold. The knife was taken from the prisoner in his presence by the constable. Jesse Walker: he received the knife from Hide, the constable of Stotfold. Statement of the accused: he was not there at the time but was in the village of Norton [?]. He stated at the Bushel and Strike at Hitchin about 10am on Sunday.

item

Bayley, James,
Hill, William,
Hill, Caleb,
Field, Mary,
Goodwin, John,
Walker, Jesse

STOTFOLD, stealing, watches, keys, threats, schoolmaster, yeoman, Norton