QSR1859/2/5/9

Depositions of James Howe, a man servant in the employ of Bridget Foll a widow resident in Toddington. Patience Lathwell, single woman of Toddington. Elizabeth O'Brien, wife of Timothy of Camden Town. Ann Morris, wife of Edwin and lodger at the house of Timothy O'Brien. Ann Martin, wife of John, labourer of Toddington. James Peck, plait dealer of Streatley. Edward Harris, labourer of Streatley. Samuel Whinckles no.191S of the Metropolitan Police and Benjamin George, police constable of Toddington. In the case of Joseph Martin accused of breaking and entering the dwelling house of Bridget Foll and therein stealing a lime or whitewashed ham, a piece of bacon, mutton, butter, tea and other provisions and well as 20 silver spoons.

30 March 1859

From: 1859 To: 1859

James Howes: a servant employed by Bridget Foll, a widow living at Fancot in the parish of Toddington. He slept in the house and on 15 January, upon coming downstairs, he found the front door open. He got a light and found the house in confusion. He informed Patience Lathwell, Mrs Foll’s female servant, that something was wrong. The prisoner’s family lived about 150 yards from Mrs Foll’s house. Patience Lathwell: she lived with Mrs Foll at Fancot which was about a mile from Toddington. They lived in a lone house there. On 14 January she and her mistress went to bed between 8 and 9pm. The next morning Mr Howes informed the doors were open. Upon going downstairs she found the front door leading to the garden open. There was great confusion in the sitting room. She informed Mrs Foll and upon looking about found missing a list of food provisions and a tea caddy, 2 bottles of gin, a gun, a silver tankard, 20 silver spoons and 5 metal ones. She knew the prisoner by sight as he lived with his mother in Fancot. Some months ago the prisoner had come to the house begging. The night of 14 January she had fastened all the doors and windows. Next day there was a pane of glass taken from the cellar window. She could not say if she had fastened the cellar door leading into the house. The property belonged to Mrs Foll and had a value of at least £10. Elizabeth O’Brien: wife of Timothy O’Brien, a labourer living at 12 Ferdinand Place, Camden Town, Middlesex and keeper of a lodging house. Joseph Martin had lodged at their house last harvest and had left returning a fortnight before Christmas. He remained a lodger until sometime between the 12 and 14 January. He left on a Wednesday saying he would not return until the following Saturday. He did return the following Saturday and slept alone in the house that night. When Martin came in he had something heavy in his long dirty slop, which he carried on his shoulders. The prisoner appeared tired and said he had walked 30 miles. He asked for water to make tea. The next morning she went to his sleeping room and noticed a ham, a piece of bacon, a piece of mutton, a piece of cheese and some butter. There appeared to be tea dust with the butter. The prisoner had been living off the provisions. The prisoner was asked, in her presence, where he had got the food from and replied his mother had given it to him. The bacon had been 2 years curing at her house and that he should never want whilst she lived. About 10 days later Superintendent Young and PC Samuel Whinckles came to the house. When the Superintendent came to the house he asked after a bricklayer named Johnson. The prisoner went by that name as well as Martin. His letters were to Johnson. After the Superintendent had gone the prisoner retuned and she told him he had been inquiring of him. She had described him to the Superintendent as having carroty whiskers and being hard of hearing. The prisoner shook, trembled and changed colour. He told her if the superintendent called again she was to say nothing there belonged to him but an old shirt. She was to say he had gone north and said that if he was caught he would get 2 months for poaching. The prisoner left the lodging the same night. He sent for a quantity of meat afterwards. She did not see him for about a week when he inquired if the Superintendent had been back. She told him he had not and the prisoner replied he would not mind 7 years to put a knife into the b……for he would transport him if he could catch him and that he would transport his own brother for 3 half pence. She told the prisoner she feared he would bring her trouble and the prisoner said he that if he was taken she would have to go to the country where the superintendent was from and give evidence. Ann Morris: wife of Edwin Morris , a soldier and was a lodger of the last witness. She recalled the prisoner being at her house in January. She was in the room when he came in with a quantity of things in his smock. It seemed weighty. She afterwards saw in his room part of a very white looking ham. She also saw some bacon, part of a cheese and some butter with tea sticking to it. She afterwards saw the prisoner had some mutton. She was surprised at seeing so much meat and provisions as before the prisoner had come from the country with it, he had been generally content with a red herring for breakfast and dinner. She asked him where he had all the meat and he said his mother had given him it. She observed his mother must be very well off and if she was him she would stop in the country. Ann Martin: she lived with her husband John, a labourer at Fancot. The prisoner was their son. He had lived with them and had been brought up in Harlington and Toddington all his life. Her son had left home and gone to London before Christmas. She had not seen him since except when he was in custody at Woburn. When he had gone away she had given him enough eatables to last for about 5 days. She had given him none since. James Peck: on a Friday about 10 weeks ago he had been at the Red Lion at Streatley, kept by his mother. Martin opened the door and asked for a penny worth of tobacco. He served him the tobacco and a pint of beer. He knew Martin well. He saw no one with Martin and Martin did not sit down, remaining only long enough to drink his beer. The following Sunday he discovered Streatley church had been broken open and recalled Mrs Folls house had been robbed. Streatley was about 4 miles from Fancot. Edward Harris: on a Friday in January, although he was uncertain of the date, he saw Joseph Martin and 2 other men coming from the Red Lion in Streatley. He had known the prisoner 13 years during which time he had lived at Harlington and Toddington. The men he saw with the prisoner did not seem to know their way. They were going up the village and Martin led the men up Bury Lane toward Streatley church. The next day he heard the church had been broken open. He also recalled Mrs Folls house being robbed on the same night. He believed the men to be strangers and they were not dressed like people about a village but in dark clothes. The prisoner had a dirty white slop on. Samuel Whinickles: No. 191s of the Metropolitan Police. On 7 March the prisoner was brought into Albany Street police station. He asked the prisoner if his name was Johnson. The prisoner said it was his mother’s maiden name. He asked if the prisoner knew Toddington in Bedfordshire and the prisoner said he did not know such a place. He read the prisoner the warrant for his arrest and the prisoner replied he had not been there and could prove it. On 25 January he had gone with Superintendent Young to the house of Mrs O’Brien. PC Benjamin George: he knew the prisoner well. The prisoner’s family lived about 150 yards from Mrs Folls. On 15 January he was informed of the robbery at Mrs Folls house and examined the premises. There were 3 different footmarks at the front of the parlour window in the flower bed. He found the grating over the cellar window had been forcibly removed and a pane of glass was gone. Broken glass was strewn about. The door leading from the cellar into the house had been forced open and the bolt pushed back with a knife. The distance from Fancot to the village of Streatley was 3 to 4 miles. The village of Sundon was midway between the 2 places. He received information that the churches of Streatley and Sundon had been broken into on the same night as the robbery at Mrs Folls. He was present when the prisoner was examined at Woburn and heard the prisoner say he had bought the things in Summers Town. Statement of accused: he was not there. The things he took to Mrs O’Brien’s lodging house were brought in Summers Town and paid for. He should like the chap to be found who was with him when he bought the provisions. Mrs O’Brien would know him if she was to see him. The man worked with George Barton at Hampsted last Summer.

item

Martin, Joseph,
Howe, James,
Foll, Bridget,
Lathwell, Patience,
O'Brien, Elizabeth,
O'Brien, Timothy,
Morris, Ann,
Martin, Ann,
Martin, John,
Peck, James,
Whinckles, Samuel,
George, Benjamin

STREATLEY, Camden, TODDINGTON, Metropolitan Police, servant, lodging houses, plait dealer, Streatley Red Lion, breaking & entering, food, cutlery, Summertown, Fancot