QSR1848/4/5/16

Depositions and examination - Joseph Green charged with stealing one sovereign and one half sovereign from Charles Barker at Biggleswade

5 October 1848

From: 1848 To: 1848

Charles Barker of Biggleswade, gardener - last Tuesday evening (26 Sept) he left Cambridge to come home at about 8pm. He reached Wrestlingworth about 2am the next morning. He felt his pocket to see if his purse was there and it was all right. It contained one sovereign and a half in gold and some silver, but he does not know exwactly how much. When he left Wrestlingworth Jonathan Enderby, George Cole and Green got into his cart to ride with him. As he had been up several nights he lay down in the back and went to sleep. When he awoke he found himself in his own yard with all his clothes unbuttoned. His purse and money were gone. His purse was in an inside breast pocket and his jacket was buttoned. He had a great coat on which was buttoned over his jacket. Jonathan Enderby of Biggleswade, labourer - he rode in the cart with Barker, Cole and Green. When they reached Biggleswade Cole got out close to his house and he and Green went on until they reached Barker’s house. He got out about 4.10am and wished them good morning. Green said he would put the horse in and get Charles (Barker) all right. Barker said good morning and laid his head down as if to go to sleep again. He is sure that at that time no one had meddled with or robbed him. Robert Wells, late of Warden, labourer - that morning he was put into the lock-up at Biggleswade in the same cell as Green. After a while Green asked what he was in for and said if he [Wells] would tell his tale, he [Green] would tell his. Green then said he had been robbing Charles Barker, that he found him asleep in his cart at Biggleswade and took £2 less 3s out of his pocket, and that he went to Bedford the same morning and from there to London, Woolwich, Gravesend and Chatham and spent all his money before he got home. Charles Yeo of Biggleswade, police constable - that morning he heard that Green had returned, went to his house and told Green he wanted him. Green said he knew it was about Barker’s money. As he was taking Green to the lock-up Green said he had a good mind to deny it altogether. William Millard of Biggleswade, baker - on Wednesday 27 Sept he saw a cart in the street at Biggleswade opposite his master’s house. He thought it was Barker’s cart and that his wife knew nothing about it. He went to ask Barker’s wife. He could see no one in the cart. Barker’s wife directed him to take the cart into the yard, which he did. Barker’s wife brought a lantern and he found Barker sleep in the cart with his pockets turned out and clothes unbuttoned. He did not see Green anywhere. Joseph Green - “I wish to say nothing at all”.

item

Green, Joseph,
Barker, Charles,
Enderby, Jonathan,
Yeo, Charles,
Wells, Robert,
Millard, William

BIGGLESWADE, Old Warden, WRESTLINGWORTH, stealing, money, gardener, police constable, baker, lock ups