QSR1846/2/5/14

Depositions and examination - Sarah Nursall charged wtih stealing 3 pairs of cotton stockings and one linen napkin value 8s from George Young at Leighton Buzzard on 30 March 1846.

31 March 1846

From: 1846 To: 1846

Mary Ann Young of Leighton Buzzard, wife of George Young, publican – they keep the Plume of Feathers public house. Nursall has been in their service as servant of all work for more than a year. AS something happened that she thought wrong she looked into Nursall’s box in her bedroom. She saw some stockings of her [Young’s] own and a linen napkin. She left them as she found them and did not say anything. The next day (Mar 30th) she asked Nursall about the stockings and charged her with stealing them. Nursall denied having any stockings of hers. She said she had seen them in her box and Nursall still denied it. She told Nursall to fetch them or she would send for a policeman. Nursall went upstairs and brought down two odd stockings which she said were all she had. Nursall said she was welcome to search the box. She did so but did not find anything else. She sent for PC Chapman. When she fetched the stockings Nursall did not bring them into the room where she was, but went out into the yard and to the garden. When she came in again Nursall said she had put the pair of stockings into her [Young’s] bedroom. She then suspected Nursall had been making away with the others. After the policeman came her husband went to the garden and the policeman followed. PC Chapman brought in two odd stockings and linen napkin of hers, which were dirty from filth. When she saw them in Nursall’s box they were dirty from use. The stockings produced by PC Chapman are hers. Two were brought in from the garden and two were found in her bedroom. Two odd stockings are still missing. She missed 3 pairs of stockings some months ago. They have been very much worn since. She knows the stockings by her own marks on them. John Chapman of Leighton Buzzard, police constable – yesterday afternoon the prosecutor gave Nursall into his custody. Mrs Young said she believed the stockings had been put in the privy. He asked Nursall where she put them and cautioned her that anything she said would be repeated. Nursall said “I have put them where you are going to look”. He went to the privy. Young held a lighted paper down towards the soil. He saw something white in the soil and using a fork pulled out two odd stockings and a linen napkin. Sarah Nursall – she had them for her use but had no intention of keeping them. She does not mean to say her mistress lent them to her to use.

item

Nursall, Sarah,
Young, George,
Young, Mary Ann,
Chapman, John

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, stealing, stockings, publican, police constable, domestic servant, privies