QSR1845/3/5/8

Depositions and examination - Charles Stock of Colmworth

13 May 1845

From: 1845 To: 1845

William Draper of Colmworth, schoolmaster – he superintends the parochial school at Colmworth and by the direction of Rev Robert Wade Gery he has received every week the contributions of the subscribers of the Sunday school to a clothing club at Colmworth of which Mr Gery is the treasurer. Last Sunday week (4 May) he left 10s, part of the money he had received, tied up in a black bag in a drawer in his desk in the schoolroom. Neither the drawer nor the desk was locked. The money consisted of a half crown piece, 5 sixpences wrapped together in paper and 4s worth of pence and half pence. He put the money in the bag about 10.30am just before he went to church. He locked the door but left the windows open. The windows look onto the road and are nearly seven feet from the ground. He did not go to the school again until after the afternoon service about 4.30pm. He looked for the money and it was gone, as was the black bag. The window was then nearly shut, not open as he left it. He recollects that Mary Colegrave gave him a sixpence on that morning. He receives the subscriptions to the Benefit Club and often opens the desk to give change out of the clothing club money. Stock is a member of the benefit club and has often been in the school to pay his money. Mary Colegrave of Colmworth, age 11 – a week last Sunday she took a sixpenct to Mr Draper towards the clothing club. She saw him put it into a bag and place it in his drawer in his desk. She recollects the sixpence as it was crooked and had a mark on it. The sixpence produced by PC Dale which she has picked out from the silver on the table is just like the sixpence she gave to Mr Draper. It was given to her by Mrs Goodman. Charles Dale, rural police constable – on Monday 5 May he received information from Mr Draper about the theft of money. He noticed the brickwork on the outside of the window and saw a mark as made by the toe of someone’s shoe. From other information he received he went to Stock’s house where he found Stock’s wife at home. She said that Stock was not away from home at all until after dinner on Sunday and added “I am sure that he was not down there”. He said “down where?”. She replied “Down at the school, I am sure that he did not rob the school”. He had not then spoken to her of the robbery. He went to Stock who was at work in the parish. Stock said he was away from home all morning and did not get back until after the people came out of church. He took Stock into custody and charged him. He searched Stock and found loose in a purse in his pocket a half crown piece, 3 shilling pieces and five sixpences in silver, and 4 halfpence. Stock accounted for the 3 shillings as having been received from his master, but did not attempt to give any account as to the rest of the money. He enquired of Mary Colegrave whether there was any mark about the sixpence she had paid to Draper on the Sunday. She said it was rather a crooked one with a particular mark on it. He laid out the 5 sixpences and she immediately recognized one. After he had taken Stock into custody he compared the toe of Stock’s shoe with the mark on the brickwork and the square tip of the shoe exactly agreed with the mark. Elizabeth Goodman, wife of William Goodman of Colmworth, labourer – she recollects that on Sunday morning she gave Mary Colegrave a sixpence to pay into the clothing club. It was a little worn and rather crooked. She was present when the money was shown to Mary Colegrave and saw her select the sixpence. She believes it to be the one she gave her. William Day of Colmworth, labourer – he lives at Colmworth and knows Stock well. On Sunday he saw Stock about 1.30pm between his own house and the school. The school is about 40 poles from Stock’s house and stands by itself, with only one other house nearer to it that Stock’s. Stock was going towards the school. [Deposition crossed out and annotated “not bound over”] John Parrott of Colmworth, labourer – on Sunday 4 May between 1 and 2pm he was on the road keeping sheep near Mr Gery’s house and Stock came to him from the direction of the school, and must have gone by the school in coming from his own house. No one else appeared to be on the road. The poor people of Colmworth generally have their dinners about that time. Charles Stock of Colmworth, labourer – he has nothing to say but that he was at home from 10.30 to about 1.30.

item

Stock, Charles,
Draper, William,
Gery, Robert Wade,
Colegrave, Mary,
Goodman, Elizabeth,
Goodman, William,
Day, William,
Parrott, John

COLMWORTH, stealing, money, schoolmaster, friendly societies