QSR1846/4/5/14

Depositions and examination - Joseph Woodcraft, charged with stealing one sovereign

21 August 1846

From: 1846 To: 1846

John Hare of Thorncote in the parish of Northill, labourer – Woodcraft came to him on Wednesday evening (19th) and asked him for a shilling as he was working for him at Thorncote. He [Hare] works in his own house. He took his money out of his pocket to give Woodcraft a shilling. He had one sovereign and two half sovereigns. He separated the sovereigns from the silver by putting them in his mouth, from which he dropped them. His wife and Woodcraft helped him to look for them. He found the two half sovereigns but not the whole sovereign, though they moved every article of furniture out of the room and swept the floor three or four times. When Woodcraft came for the shilling he said he had no money. He gave Woodcraft the shilling and expected to see him at his work the next morning but he did not come and his work was not finished. Woodcraft had been with him a week, and had left his work once before for a day to go to corn cart. When he did not return on Thursday he suspected Woodcraft, made enquiries and discovered he had changed a sovereign at Mr Sutton’s, who keeps the Red Lion at Sandy. He found Woodcraft had spent money at 2 or 3 othe public houses at Sandy. He followed him and found him coming into Blunham, drunk. He persuaded Woodcraft to go home, hoping he would return the money. Woodcraft went up the street into the Salutation public house at Blunham, and then into the Three Horseshoes. Woodcraft would not listen to him and gave him into custody on the charge of taking the sovereign while pretending to look for the money. When he found Woodcraft he asked how he came by the money for drinking. Woodcraft said “that was not yours, how do you know what money I have got”. When Woodcraft first came to work for him he said he had no money, and on the first day asked for a shilling which he gave him, as well as the shilling he gave him on Wednesday. James Sutton of Sandy, innkeeper – he keeps the Red Lion at Sandy. On Wednesday evening his wife changed a sovereign for Woodcraft. Woodcraft paid him half a crown for a window broken 12 months before, for some beer which had been owing for over 12 months, and for the beer he had on Wednesday evening. Woodcraft had not been to his house for 12 months, but slept there on Wednesday night. He said to Woodcraft that he was very flush with money. Woodcraft said he had been working at Cardington, but did not mention working for John Hare. Woodcraft left about 8am, then returned about 9am and laid another hour. Joseph Peters, police constable – he was required by John Hare to take Woodcraft into custody yesterday evening. Woodcraft said he had no money. He took Woodcraft into the Salutation public house and searched him. In one pocket he found 6½d. Woodcraft said “don’t pick my pocket, I have 8 shillings”. Woodcraft took out his purse and put 9s on the talbe. He heard more money chink in the purse and found another 2 shillings in it, making 11s 6½d altogether. This morning Woodcraft said he had been carrying a sovereign in his trousers watch pocket for 3 or 4 months. Joseph Woodcraft – denied the charge.

item

Woodcraft, Joseph,
Hare, John,
Sutton, James

NORTHILL, BLUNHAM, Thorncote, stealing, money, labourers, drunkenness, Blunham Salutation, Blunham Three Horse Shoes, Sandy Red Lion