QSR1859/4/5/10

Depositions of Alfred White, farmer of Sharnbrook. George Doughty, labourer of Sharnbrook. Sarah Smith, dressmaker of Caldecot. Susan Bartrum, domestic servant of Sharnbrook. William Byers Graham, superintendent of police of Sharnbrook. In the case of Catherine Wells accused of stealing a book, 5 glass marbles, 3 reels of cotton, 18 eggs, a handkerchief, a tumbler, a silver thimble, a quarter pint of brandy and 6 small ornament, whilst in the service of Alfred White.

29 August 1859

From: 1859 To: 1859

Alfred White: the prisoner had been in his service as a cook. She left by his direction. She went away on Monday 29 August leaving her boxes at the house. 2 of the boxes were locked and 2 unlocked. Some eggs were missing from the apple chambers. They were the eggs of a silver pencilled hamburg. On Sunday morning he had heard his son tell the prisoner that she had taken some of his eggs from the apple chamber. The prisoner denied it. On 31 August, 2 days after she had gone away, he obtained a warrant to search her boxes. It was actioned by Superintendent Graham. He was present when the boxes were opened and searched. They found 18 eggs, a hymn book, 5 glass marbles, 3 reels of cotton, a white pocket handkerchief, a small quantity of brandy, a small glass tumbler, a silver thimble and 6 ornaments. They were found in several parts of the boxes and in pockets of her dresses. He believed it all to be his property and valued it at 5 shillings. On Tuesday 30 August the prisoner had come for her boxes but he had refused to let her have them as he suspected they contained his property. George Doughty: he was 12 years of age and worked as a day labourer for Mr White. He knew Catherine Wells was in service for Mr White. Some days before she left he saw her go into the apple room. He did not see if she had anything. On Sunday morning he heard Master Thomas White complain he had lost some eggs from the apple room. He told him he had seen Catherine Well for into the apple room. Sarah Smith: she was a dressmaker working for Mrs White at her house in Sharnbrook for about 11 weeks. Whilst she was working in Mrs White’s workroom she missed 3 reels of lining cotton. Catherine Wells lived there at the time. She believed the 3 reels shown to her were those she had lost. Wells would occasionally come into the workroom but it was not part of her duties to do so. She had done into the prisoner’s bedroom when she had been packing her boxes on the Saturday. Mrs White had also been there. She was called into the room again on the Monday morning and told she may look in the box. She did not do so. Susan Bartrum: a housemaid in the service of Mr White and had been living there for about 5 weeks. She had heard of the charge against Wells and could swear to one of the large glass marbles. She recalled seeing Wells with it in her hand and asking what it was. Wells had said she would take it. That was in the pantry cupboard. She told Wells that the children had more marbles upstairs and she must not have it. Wells replied she would take some more of them. She had not heard of any being missed. William Byers Graham: on 21 August he executed a search warrant at the house of Mr White searching the boxes of Catherine Wells. He opened the boxes in the presence of Mr White. 2 were locked. He found 5 small eggs, 7 large ones, a pair of stockings and other articles Mr White believed to be his property. On the same day he apprehended the prisoner at Bedford and told her the charge. The prisoner said she had bought a score of eggs which she said she had bought from Mr Grave of Bedford. She said she knew nothing of the marbles, the handkerchief was her own, the hymn book had been packed by mistake with her own books and the ornaments were her own. He had since received eggs from Mr White which corresponded with the small eggs in the box. He also searched the prisoner’s mother’s house at Bedford and found nothing. He had been told that the prisoner had taken a bundle away with her when she left and he believed that to only be personal. On the Tuesday after she had left she had come to him about her boxes and asked if Mr White could search them without a warrant. When she was in custody her conduct was so very extraordinary that he asked her if there was anything the matter with her head. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

White, Alfred,
Doughty, George,
Smith, Sarah,
Bartrum, Susan,
Graham, William Byers,
Wells, Catherine

SHARNBROOK, Caldecote, stealing, household goods, farmer, dressmaker, domestic servant