QSR1865/1/5/4-5

Depositions of Samuel Panter Dickins, farmer and Wimmington. Alexander Johnson, licensed beerhouse keeper of Wimmington. Samuel Haynes, police constable of Poddington. Ann Desborough, housekeeper. In the case of George Sanderson and Samuel Mackness accused of commiting robbery from the person, stealing 7 £5 notes, £4 10s in gold and 4s 6d in silver.

15 November 1864

From: 1864 To: 1865

Samuel Panter Dickins: on the evening of 2 November he was at Wimmington, looking for persons to assist him in drilling the wheat. He went into Johnson’s beerhouse and remained about a quarter of an hour and had a small quantity of beer. He then went to the public house at Wimmington kept by Joseph Todd and remained there and hour and had a glass of ale. He went back to Johnson’s where he remained until 9.45pm. He had a pint of ale there. The prisoners came into Johnson’s about 8pm and sat down and took some beer together. He told Sanderson he owed him a little treat and that he would take a little beer to his house. He paid for 2 quarts of beer and for some tobacco and Sanderson and Mackness took it down to his house. He went and sat with them and they drank part of the beer. Sanderson’s housekeeper was in the room with them. When he paid for the beer at Johnson’s he took his purse from his left hand breeches pocket but did not open it and put it back in the same pocket. He paid with a shilling from his right hand pocket. He sat with the prisoners about 45 minutes and then Sanderson got up and opened the door. Sanderson said it was a fine night and came back and put out the candle. As soon as he had done so Sanderson struck him with his fist. It was heavy blow to his right eye and it knocked him down. Mackness took him by the legs and they all went to the ground together. He was not tipsy and nor were the prisoners. Both men were on him and Mackness put his hand in his pocket and took out his purse. It contained 7 £5 notes of different banks and £4 10s in gold. After they had his purse they let him up and Sanderson lit a candle and said “Gaffer what’s the matter?” Dickins replied he had all his money except for the 2 shilling piece and half crown which he then laid on the table. Sanderson took up the silver and ran out of the door. He asked Mackness to give him back his money and when Sanderson returned he asked them both. The housekeeper asked them to give up the money and to have no noise about it. He them went for the parish constable and the police constable. He went back to the house with Thomas Church, the parish constable, and he tried to get the prisoners to give up the money. Whilst they were talking Police Constable Haynes came and took Sanderson in charge. Mackness had gone away. He went with PC Haynes to Mackness’s house but it was locked and they could not get it. The following Friday he saw the purse and 7 £5 notes in the hands of PC Haynes. There was also 5 shillings in silver in the purse which was not there when he lost it. He had not gone out the back door of Johnson’s house for any purpose. Alexander Johnson: he recalled the prosecutor and the prisoners being in the house on 2 November. They all left together about 10pm and took with them 2 quarts of ale for which the prosecutor paid. He remembered Dickins taking out his purse to pay for the beer but he had put it back again and paid with a loose shilling. They all left by the fort door. He didn’t know that the prosecutor went out of the back door after paying and before he left. The following Friday he had occasion to go out of his house by the back door and found a purse lying in the yard. He had been out of the back door the day before, many times, and had not seen the purse there. He picked up the purse and found it to contain 7 £5 notes and 5 shillings in silver. He left it with PC Haynes. PC Samuel Haynes: he was on duty on the night of 2 November and found the prosecutor, Sanderson and the parish constable talking in the street. The prosecutor charged Sanderson with taking his money and Sanderson said he knew nothing of it. He took Sanderson into his own home and searched him. Sanderson resisted and said that he would pull it out if he would let him. Sanderson pulled out a purse containing half a crown, a 2 shilling piece, 2 half pence and a sixpence. The prosecutor could not tell him exactly what silver he had lost as it had been loose in his pocket. Sanderson said “well that’s all I had”. The purse was a net purse. He searched the prisoner’s clothes and found half a crown and sixpence. He also picked up sixpence form the floor where the prosecutor said he had been knocked down. He left Sanderson in the charge of the parish constable and watched Mackness’s house. Mackness got home about 6am. He charged Mackness who said he wished he had never touched him. Afterwards he said they had all been on the floor together having a bit of a lark. He searched Mackness and his house. Mackness’s wife was not present when the house was first searched. On the morning of 4 November he was brought the purse by Mr Johnson who said he had picked it up in his yard. There were 7 £5 notes and 5 shillings in silver in the purse. Dickins identified the purse and notes but not the silver. When he first met them the prosecutor and Sanderson were both perfectly sober. The prosecutor had a severe bruise on his eye. Ann Desborough [appearing on behalf of the defendents]: she was the housekeeper to Sanderson and looked after his children. She remembered a row at the house on the night of Wednesday 2 November. Sanderson went out and returned about 10pm with some beer and the others. Mr Dickins had the beer in his hand when he came in. They sat for about 2 hours when Mr Dickins began to pull her about and he began to pull her bosom open. She struggled with him and slapped him in the face 2 or 3 times. Dickins tried to pull her onto his knee. She asked the others to take him away and Sam [Mackness] took him from her and whilst they were struggling someone knocked the candle out. She thought they went on the ground together. She was not sure and almost fainted away. They went out soon afterwards. She did not see Sanderson knock Dickins down. When they go up from the ground she heard Dickins say they had got his money and that he had lost his purse. She did not recollect tell them to give back the money. She saw no money on the table and could not say who lit the candle. Statement of the accused: not guilty [both]

item

Sanderson, George,
Mackness, Samuel,
Dickins, Samuel Panter,
Johnson, Alexander,
Haynes, Samuel,
Desborough, Ann,
Church, Thomas

WYMINGTON, PODINGTON, robbery, money, farmer, beerhouse keeper, housekeeper, assault, parish constable, sex crimes