QSR1865/3/5/9

Depositions of Thomas Webb, labourer of Stewkley. William Champkins, police constable of Leighton Buzzard. In the case of Jane Higginbottom accused of stealing a purse and 13s 6d from Thomas Webb.

25 April 1865

From: 1865 To: 1865

Thomas Webb: on 11 April he attended the Fair at Leighton Buzzard on business. He had been there all day and intended to stay all night, as he was going by train to town the next morning to see his ill son. About 9pm he was outside a show in the fair when the prisoner, who was a stranger to him, asked him to treat her to something to drink. He took her to the Cross Keys public house and they had a pint of beer together. He accompanied her to the Victoria beer house at North End, Leighton where they shared another pint of beer and they were joined by another woman. The prisoner asked him to go home with her and he went to her lodgings at North End, close to the Victoria beer house. He was sober but very tired as he had been about the fair all day. He had not taken his purse out at the Cross Keys, as he had paid with loose money. At the Victoria he had taken out his purse to pay for the beer. The prisoner had seen him do this. His purse contained half a sovereign, which he had received from Charles Brooks, a farmer at Swanbourne. It also contained a half crown and a shilling. He had paid for the beer with a sixpence and put the change loose into his pocket. When he got to the prisoner lodging she began to put her children to bed. They were all in another room on the ground floor. There were 2 children. He sat on a chair in the adjoining room and waited. He fell fast asleep. The prisoner woke him and told him he was going. He went outside with her and put his hand round her shoulders. She said “What’s the use of handing round me for you’ve got no money to give me”. Nothing had been said about money until this point. He replied that if he had no money it was because she had picked his pocket. She said she had no money. He checked his pocket and found his purse and money gone. He told her he would fetch a policeman if she didn’t return the money. He swore he had the money on going into the prisoner’s house. He went to look for a police and told him of the robbery. They went together to the prisoner’s lodging and he gave her into custody for stealing his purse and 13s 6d in money. He had seen nobody else in the house but the prisoner and her 2 children. The purse produced by the constable was his. PC William Champkins: on the 11 April about 11.30pm the prosecutor came to him and said he had been robbed by a woman. He went with Webb to the prisoner’s lodgings. He told her the charge and she replied she had not had any money. He examined her pockets and found a clasp purse with a penny and a halfpenny. He took her into custody. He searched about the rooms and could find no money. The prosecutor was quite sober. He knew the prisoner to be a common prostitute at Leighton and she had 2 children living with her. One child was about 9 years old and the other between 4 and 5 years. He saw the children in the house but not in the prisoner’s rooms. Statement of the accused: the man approached her at the show and asked her if she would have a pint of beer. He took her to the Cross Keys and asked if he could go home with her. She told him no as she never took anyone home. He asked her to go about the country with him and said he went about stall keeping. She refused and told him she had 2 small children and would stay and look after them. They then went to the Victoria beer house together and the prosecutor said he had but 7 pence but would give it to go home with her. She replied no. They had a pint of beer. He followed her when she left the beer house and sat down in her house. She thought he was there about 5 minutes. She asked the prisoner if he was going and he left. He did not sleep at the house. He had sat double in the chair. He began to hang around her once he left the house. She told him to leave her alone. He told her she had his money and she told him she had only 3 half pence and she had ‘got that honest’. He told her he would fetch the policeman and he did. PC Champkins came and asked if she had the man’s money. She said she did not. She was searched and Champkins found 3 half pence. She had worked hard for the money. She had not had the prosecutor’s money and he had not pulled out his purse at all. When the prosecutor paid for the beer he did so with a sixpence and had his back to her.

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Higginbottom, Jane,
Webb, Thomas,
Champkins, William

Stewkley, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, stealing, money, prostitution, Leighton Buzzard Cross Keys, festivals & celebrations fairs