Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1848/4/5/17-19
  • Title
    Depositions - Richard Hall, William Kefford and John Roberts charged with breaking into a house at Tempsford occupied by John Bainbridge on 1 October and stealing one £5 Bank of England note, 11 sovereigns, a red leather purse containing some silver, and about one or two shillings in copper coin.
  • Date free text
    5 October 1848
  • Production date
    From: 1848 To: 1848
  • Scope and Content
    Ann, wife of John Bainbridge - on Sunday morning 1 October she went to Chapel about 9.45am. Before she went in her husband’s presence she locked up a £5 Bank of England note and 11 sovereigns in his chest. On Saturday evening she put a red purse containing silver into an unlocked drawer, where there was between one and two shillings of copper coin. She had the key of her husband’s chest in her pocket all day and still had it when she went to Chapel again a little before 2pm. When she returned from Chapel at 4pm she found the chest had been broken open and the bank note and sovereigns taken. The money had also been taken from the drawer except one farthing. Her husband was at Church at the time. As soon as she saw what had happened she ran out of the house and met the people coming from Church and told them of the robbery. She saw her husband talking with someone by the Church door and told him. She found that the thieves had entered the house through a window at the back by the shrubbery. The paper with which a broken pane had been patched was forced away and the window screw taken out. The window had been shut down again but the screw was gone. She thinks it was well known in the village that they had money in the house. She cannot identify the £5 note produced by the police, but it seems like the one she lost. John Bainbridge of Tempsford, labourer - he saw his wife lock the chest and put the key in her pocket. He did not leave the house until a little before 3pm when he went to Church. He locked the back door and laid the key in a safe place for his wife and bolted the front door inside. John Reed of Tempsford, labourer - last Sunday afternoon 1 October about 4pm he saw Hall leaning over the park palings near to Bainbridge’s house. He was about 50 yards from him. When he got closer Hall went away. Hall looked back but he cannot say whether Hall saw him or not. Richard Lucas of Tempsford, labourer - on Monday afternoon 2nd Ocober he met Hall near Mr Addington’s barn in Tempsford. Hall began to talk about the robbery at Bainbridge’s and observed that if he had so much money at once he should never want any more. Hall mentioned a note that had been stolen and said that whoever had it would be wrong if he did not change it on the Sunday night or Monday morning. Hall implied it would be a risk to change it after that. Hall left, saying it was to go to dinner. It must have been about 2pm. Between 6 and 7am that morning Hall came to his [Lucas’] house and offered him a shilling to go to Potton for him with a horse and cart. He agreed and went to Hall’s house where his mother told him that Richard wanted to go to St Neots. He did not go because the horse was not ready. When they met in the afternoon he told Hall why he did not go. Between 3 and 4pm he and his brother met Hall again and walked with him to Girtford where he was taken into custody. During the walk Hall gave him 2d to get a pint of beer. They had agreed to go together to Barford Feast in the evening. Hall said if he was not there by 6pm he would have time enough to spend what money he had, or if not he would give it to someone else to spend. Joseph Hall of Tempsford, labourer - he was with Richard Hall on Sunday afternoon about 2pm. They walked together towards the Church. Richard Hall went down the Drove and he went into the Church but came out again before the service began and sat on the Church gate. He saw Richard come back and go towards his house. After that Richard came out and they went towards Girtford together with Thomas Kefford. When they reached Blunham Lane, Kefford whistled and his brother William came. They went to Down Lane and he sat on the paling by the gate. Thomas Kefford remained standing near him. Richard Hall and William Kefford walked up the road talking together, but he did not hear what they said. Margaret, wife of Henry Adams of Girtford, publican - on Sunday evening between 8 and 9pm Richard Hall and William Kefford were at their house the King’s Arms in Girtford and stayed for about an hour. They had some beer and gin and water and cigars. Richard Hall paid about 1s 6d in silver. On Monday morning between 8 and 9am Hall came alone, had some gin and water and a cigar and offered a sovereign in payment which she changed for him. He bought two pocket knives from her. He paid 2s 10d in all. She did not see any other money on him besides the sovereign. She asked if he had stayed all night at Girtford and he said he had been home. Mary Ball of Girtford, beershop keeper - she keeps the White Swan licensed beer shop at Girtford. On Monday morning between 9 and 10am Hall came to her house with two others and ordered 2 pints of beer which they all three drank. Hall gave her a sovereign which she changed. The other two were a lad named Frederick Cooper and a shoemaker named Samuel of Girtford. John Richard Barnes - he is shopman to Mr Sergiant, grocer etc. at Sandy. On Monday 2 October about 11 or 12 o’clock Hall came to the shop and asked for a pair of shoes. He handed him the pair now produced and charged 8s 6d which he paid with three half crowns and a shilling. Mr Sergiant gave him a 1/2 oz of tobacco. Charlotte wife of William Thompson of Tempsford, labourer - she lives at Church End, Tempsford. On Sunday about 3pm as the bells were going for Church she saw Richard Hall with a boy (whose name she has since learned to be Joseph Hall) pass her house along the road towards Girtford. Soon after the people were gone into Church she saw them return and go along the road the other way in the direction of Bainbridge’s lodge. William Beach of Great Barford, police constable - on Monday 2 October he went to Girtford and apprehended Richard Hall. Hall said “I’ll go with you. I know what you want me for; it is about breaking into that house; but I know nothing about it”. He asked Hall where he slept last night. Hall said “in Sutton’s barn with Bill Kefford". He searched Hall and found in his breeches pocket 2s 3d which Hall said was all he had. He then searched Hall’s fob and found another 15s. He asked how Hall came by it,. Hall said he and Kefford had been poaching and Kefford sold the hares and gave him 9s. He asked Hall where he was during Divine Service. Hall said he was up the Drove with Kefford and Johnson. Hall then said he came along the road with Tom Kefford and Joe Hall, and Tom Kefford whistled and William Kefford came and joined them, which was when he gave him the money for the hares. Charles Yeo of Biggleswade, police constable - on Tuesday October 3rd from information received he went to the Black Swan Inn at Biggleswade and found William Kefford there asleep with his head on the table. He woke him and asked his name, which he declined to give. He asked if Kefford had any money. Kefford said he had a penny which he dropped on the floor and denied having any more. He said he would search him. Kefford then produced 12s 10d from his pocket. He asked if he came from Tempsford. Kefford said he did not know where Tempsford was. He apprehended him. After he had ben some time in the cage he asked Kefford his name and address, which he gave as William Thompson of Birmingham, saying he had left there a fortnight ago for Deeping in Norfolk. Kefford said he had travelled by Peterborough where he bought a pair of shoes for 11s, then to Biggleswade by Huntingdon. Kefford had on a pair of new shoes. Emery Roberts of Potton, shoemaker - on Monday morning October 2nd he sold a pair of shoes to the man now in custody, William Kefford. They were the same shoes now on his feet. There was another man with him, John Roberts of Everton, who he knows. Roberts paid for the shoes with a Bank of England £5 note. He took the number of the note which is the same as that produced by the police officer. John Bainbridge [additional testimony] - he was paid all the money stolen by Mr Addington some months ago for his deceased brother, in whose hands it had been at interest. Part of the money was a £5 Bank of England note. He cannot swear the note produced is the same but it looks like it. Joseph Green of Biggleswade, labourer - he was confined in the cage at Biggleswade on 3 October. Hall was in the same cell and William Kefford in the adjoining cell. Hall said a chap had seen him looking over the park pales at Tempsford, but that he was not right sharp and they could swear him out of it. Hall then said to Kefford through the partition “you must be a fool to change that £5 note so near home; you might be sure it would be found out'. Kefford made some reply about it but he does not know what he said. As they were lying down Hall told him that he was standing against the park pales about 40 yards from the spot while Scroggins broke into the house. He did not know then, but knows now, that Scroggins is the nickname for William Kefford. Hall added that he got £17 or £18 out of the house. Samuel Addington of St Martins Lane, London- he paid several persons at Tempsford money at the same time as Bainbridge, and in that money was the note produced (no 28000 dated 12 June 1847) but he cannot swear it was part of the money paid to Bainbridge. It was paid to one of 4 parties at Tempsford. Notes on the case of housebreaking at Tempsford: Richard Hall - seen loitering about near the place - at Girtford that evening with Kefford - between 8 and 9 next morning changed a sovereign at Girtford - between 9 and 10 at the White Swan - between 11 and 12 bought shoes at Potton - on his apprehension denies the 15s found in his fob - confesses in the cage William Kefford - with Hall on the Sunday - denies having money afterwards found
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