QSR1865/4/5/7

Depositions of John Tingey, labourer of Clifton and Mary Ann his wife. Francis, wife of Thomas Barker, a labourer of Clifton. Joseph Geary of Hawnes. Emma White of Hawnes. In the case of George Geary accused of assaulting Mary Ann Tingey with intent to ravish and carnally know.

13 September 1865

From: 1865 To: 1865

Mary Ann Tingey: a married woman, wife of John. On Monday 4 September about 7.30pm, she was returning from Wilstead to Clifton. She had to go to Haynes to deliver a message from her husband to George Geary. She did so and after she had done so Geary asked her if she was frightened to go home alone. She told him no but she was a stranger there. He told her he would show her the nearest way to Shefford. They walked in that direction along a lane and turned left into a wood called Rowney Warren. She told him she did not think it lead to Chicksands Lodge and he told her it did and they were just cutting off the corner. When they got about half way up the Warren the prisoner put his foot behind her and threw her down. She said “Oh George what do you mean to do? Do you mean to kill me?” He replied he would have his will of her or he would kill her. She told him that before she would yield she would die on the spot. He replied “you shall then”. He pulled up her clothes, unbuttoned his trousers and lay across her. He tried to have connection with her. She resisted all she could and screamed. She shoved him to one side and made her escape into the wood. He followed her as far as the turnpike. He caught her up and told her not to say anything that had taken place between them. [cross examination] he kept her on the ground for 20 minutes. As soon as she got home she told her mother. Her dress was torn. There was nobody near when she cried out. She went directly to Shefford, to her husband, and told him. She had left Clifton at 10am and had got to Hawnes about 2.30pm. Her husband had not told her to get George Geary to go to Wilstead with her. She enquired for him in Hawnes and found him home. She had a pint of beer with Geary. She had a part of 3 pints of beer with him. He walked with her to Wilstead by her invitation. He had wanted to take hold of her hand as they walked along. They went to 2 public houses in Wilstead and came back together. They got back to the defendant’s father’s house at Haynes at 7pm. She stopped and had a cup of tea there for 5 or 10 minutes. She did not want the defendant to go home with her. Old George was there. The defendant had a pint of beer in a bottle and asked her to drink. She had a little. After the assault he followed her to the turnpike and she went in. There were females there but she did not tell them. She asked a young man to give her a ride. She had seen Emma White since and had no said to her that she should not have told her husband about it as she was afraid George Geary could not keep a secret. John Tingey: husband to Mary Ann. About 8.30pm the same day his wife came to him at Shefford and told him that George Geary had been pulling her about. Her dress was torn. He was in the Three Horse Shoes and there were several people present. He had not told her to take Geary to Wilstead with her. He had sent her to Geary at Hawnes with a message. On Thursday night Geary came to him and told him he was sorry for what he had done and asked to make it up. He told Geary he would have nothing to do with it. Thomas Barker: Mary Ann was his daughter. As he was coming out of Shefford on Monday night she seemed disturbed and told him she had been thrown down and meddled with. Joseph Geary: the prisoner was his son. Mary Ann Tingey came to his house at 7.15pm. His son was not with her. He asked what she had done with George and she said he had gone to have some beer. She told him George would not be long and would then go part of the way with her. On Thursday he went to see if she would make it up. Emma White: she lived at Hawnes. The prisoner was courting her. She saw Mary Ann at Deadman’s Cross on Friday and Mary Ann said she was in 2 or 3 minds about telling John but she was afraid George could not keep a secret. She had a child by the prisoner. Statement of the accused: he reserved his defence.

item

Geary, George,
Tingey, John,
Tingey, Mary Ann,
Barker, Francis,
Barker, Thomas,
White, Emma,
Geary, Joseph

CLIFTON, Hawnes, Wilstead, assault, sex crimes, Rowney Warren, SHEFFORD, Shefford Three Horse Shoes