QSR1868/1/5/3

Depositions of Ann Wright, wife of Frederick of Clifton. Frederick Tattam, labourer of Clifton. James Mainly, police constable of Clifton. In the case of Thomas Ward accused of stealing a watch.

26 October 1867

From: 1867 To: 1868

Ann Wright: on the afternoon of 21 October, about 4pm, she left the house to go across the road to a well for some water and left open the back door. The well was about 30 yards from her house and she was gone about 5 minutes. As she returned she met the prisoner coming out of the yard adjoining her house. She went into the house and observed some footmarks on the floor and there was a pool of water just inside the door. About 2 hours later she missed her husbands watch from the place where it hung on the mantel piece. She had been in the house from the time she met the prisoner to the time she missed the watch. She had been at home the whole day. She had last observed the watch at 2pm and did not go out until she had gone to the well. The wet foot marks had she observed went straight up to the place where the watch hung. It was a silver watch. Frederick Tattam: he lived at Clifton. On 21 October between 3pm and 4pm he saw the prisoner come out of the yard adjoining Wright’s premises. Ward walked fast for about a hundred yards and then he set off and ran towards Shefford. He saw Mrs Wright going into the yard at the same time the prisoner was coming out and she was carrying a pail of water. PC James Mainly: on 22 October he took the prisoner into custody on the charge of stealing the watch and he said he knew nothing about it. Statement of the accused: he was innocent and had nothing else to say.

item

Ward, Thomas,
Wright, Ann,
Wright, Frederick,
Tattam, Frederick,
Mainly, James

CLIFTON, stealing, watches