QSR1857/4/5/5

Depositions of Sarah Barnes, single woman of Honeydon in Eaton Socon, Emily Smith, wife of Samuel a publican of Eaton Socon, James Hewitt, baker of Eaton Ford, William Barnes, a labourer of Honeydon and William Bedlow, police constable of Eaton Socon. In the case of George Crow accused of stealing a sovereign and half crown.

8 September 1857

From: 1857 To: 1857

Sarah Barnes: a single woman residing with her father at Honeydon. On Saturday 29 August she put her purse containing a sovereign and a half crown in a deal clothing box in the bed room. She did not lock the box. The box contained clothes and the purse lay near the top. She did not open the box again until 5 September when she found the purse but its contents were gone. On 31 August she had left home with her father and her father had locked the door and put the key in a secret place. She and her father separated. She went to a field to glean and as she crossed the field she saw George Crow lying under a hedge. The field was opposite her father’s house and Crow was only about 5 yards from the door. She came home later and found the key where it had been left. In the evening she went to the bedroom and found clothes thrown around in disorder. She mentioned this to her father on his return. Both of the 2 windows were fastened. She did not see Crow for a couple of days. He lived locally but did little work and had not worked since harvest. On 6 September she told Crow of her loss and asked if he had the coins. He said he had not and she told him she heard he had changed a sovereign at Mrs Smith’s. The prisoner made to walk away. She had thought it strange to see Crown lying in the field. Emily Smith: wife of Samuel Smith keeper of the George public house at Eaton. On 31 August George Crow came to the house and called for half a pint of beer. He gave the order to her daughter as she was upstairs. Her daughter came to her and asked if she could change a sovereign for half a pint of ale. She took the sovereign and went downstairs and asked if he had smaller change. The young man said he did not and she changed the sovereign. She asked his name and he said it as Crow and he lived at Honeydon. James Hewitt: on 5 September he saw George Crow the Barnes’ house in Honeydon. Crow asked him for a quartern loaf and he gave him one. He told Crow there was a tale of him being accused of stealing Barnes’ money. Crow said he was going to Sarah Barnes to square it with her. Crow firstly said Mrs Lamb[?] had given him the sovereign he had changed with Mrs Smith. Crow afterwards said Mrs Lamb had given him 8s, 3s and 5s and Mrs Smith had paid him his change in silver and he had then gone to the Bell & Donkey at St Neots and given a sovereigns worth of change to a young man there. Crow said if he went to enlist they could not hurt him and he told Crow that if he had not taken the money there was no need for him to enlist. William Barnes: George Crow came to his house and asked if Sarah was home. He told him she was not and he went away. Crow came back in about an hour and said he supposed Sarah had gone to the police and he replied he could not say what she would do. He asked Crow where he had his sovereign from and he replied it was his fathers but did not say if his father knew about the sovereign. PC William Bedlow: having receiving information from William Barnes about the robbery he went to William Crow’s house, father of George. He found father and son at home and asked him to go to Barnes’ with him and they did so. Barnes said in the presence of George Crow, that George had told him, he had the sovereign from his father. He asked William Crow is that was correct and he replied no. He cautioned George Crow and asked him how he came by the sovereign. Crow replied he gave a man change for a sovereign opposite the Kings Head in St Neots on the previous Thursday. He took him into custody. Statement of the accused: he was not guilty and the sovereign he had he had worked for. He had 19 shillings from Mr Smith for [?] and gave 5 shillings to his father. David Richardson gave his 4 shillings, the 16 shillings the next week and 7 shillings the week after.

item

Crow, George,
Barnes, Sarah,
Smith, Emily,
Hewitt, James,
Barnes, William,
Bedlow, William

Honeydon, EATON SOCON, baker, stealing, money, publican, Eaton Socon George