QSR1837/1/5/30

Depositions and examination - John Northwood, son of James Northwood of Maulden, gardener, charged with stealing 4 sovereigns from John Butcher

24 October 1836

From: 1836 To: 1837

John Butcher of Maulden – on Monday 17 October he was at the George public house at Maulden. John Northwood was with him. They then went to the White Hart where they had 2 pints of ale between them, which he paid for. Northwood offered to go home and sleep with him for protection and he said he might. He said then that he had a little money about him and showed it to him. There were 7 sovereigns in a leather purse. They went home together to his house, had supper and then went upstairs to bed. Northwood went first. His money was safe in his breeches pocket. When he was undressing he laid the breeches by his side of the bed on the floor. Northwood got up at about 4 or 5am. It was very dark. After Northwood went he got out of bed and locked the door again. He got up as soon as it was light. He looked at his money and found 4 sovereigns missing. On the next Thursday Northwood was ploughing in a field at Maulden. He called Northwood away and told him he had lost 4 sovereigns the night he slept with him and said “if you’ll be so good as to acknowledge yourself and to give me part I will take it and say no more about it”. Northwood said “no John, I had not so much as that. I will come to your house when I have shut out [at shutting out time] and settle with you”. He expressed himself satisfied. Northwood came about dinner time and altogether denied having taken the money. Northwood assaulted him and threatened him. He has never seen any of the sovereigns since. [Further examination ] did not say anything about his loss at first because he thought Northwood took it as a joke and would come back to him and ask if he had lost anything. He still thought so when he went to speak to Northwood. “I was sorrowful for missing it but I was not then afraid I had quite lost it”. The 7 sovereigns were in a little purse inside another purse and in his breeches pocket. He is sure he was not at all tipsy. He was quite capable of doing duty – he could have walked the chalks. He has been a soldier and he means he could walk straight and properly and knew what he was about. He locked the house door when they went in and no body else was in the house. He did not hear Northwood get up in the night. He was away then Northwood said he should get up and all the time he was dressing. His breeches were on his side of the bed near the window. He does not think Northwood was many minutes dressing. As soon Northwood left he got up and looked the door, then lay awake until day light. When he got up his breeches were in the same place he had left them. He looked in his purse and missed the four sovereigns. His housekeeper did not come home until after that and he did not say anything to her then. He told her at breakfast time. When he went to Northwood in the field Henry Shotbolt was with him. He thinks Shotbolt might have heard some of what was said. He went away satisfied, but when Northwood came at dinner time he denied it and threatened him. Mr Croxford has taken care of some money for him. He had some of it from Croxford the day after Ampthill Statute – it was £10. He was not at all tipsy the night he lost the 4 sovereigns. Northwood offered to go home and protect him. Croxford said that Northwood would go home with him. He did not ask Northwood. He had had only 2 pints of beer between two of them. Henry Shotbolt of Maulden, labourer – he was driving plough for Mrs Seabrook when James Northwood was ploughing on the day John Butcher came into the field. He did not hear what John Butcher said at first nor what Nrothwood said in answer. He was with the horses and stopped them. The first words he hear were when John Northwood said “you never lost so much”. Butcher said something he did not hear, then Northwood said “I’ll settle with you at dinner time. I can’t stop my horses now”. Butcher said “very well” and went away. As soon as he was gone Northwood said “Damn his old eyes I’ll kill him”. When Butcher was talking to Northwood, Northwood did not answer him in an angry way. John Northwood – denies the charge altogether and says nothing more.

item

Northwood, John,
Northwood, James,
Butcher, John,
Shotbolt, John

MAULDEN, stealing, money, butcher, beer, ploughing, threatening behaviour