QSR1869/1/5/28a

Depositions of William Fossey, labourer of Toddington. Thomas Cole, labourer of Toddington. Frederick Randall, innkeeper of Toddington. William Tatman Goodman Hicks, surgeon in practice at Toddington. John Olden, police constable stationed at Toddington. Benjamin Lawrence Hawkins, surgeon of Woburn. In the case of Thomas Brasier, a solider in the Royal Artillery, accused of maliciously wounding and inflicting grievous bodily harm on William Fossey.

28 December 1868

From: 1868 To: 1869

William Fossey: he was a labourer living at Toddington. On the night of 21 December between 8pm and 9pm he left the Pheasant public house in Toddington. He went to fetch his father. He saw his father on the outside of the house and said to him “father come with us”. There were a number of people outside the house wrangling and he saw a soldier there in uniform. He had not spoken to the soldier or interfered with him in any way. The man was a stranger to him and he had not seen him before. The soldier stabbed him in the eye with something, he could not say what. He fell to the ground and Dr Hicks came and attended to him. His eye bled very much. As soon as he reached his father he was stabbed over the left shoulder. His father was not fighting with the soldier. He did not see what anyone else had been fighting with the soldier He saw there was a row and he mob were wrangling together. Thomas Cole: on the night of 21 December he was outside the Pheasant public house at Toddington. There was a great row there. He saw a soldier there and he also saw William Fossey. He saw the prisoner strike Fossey in the face with something. He could notn say what. Fossey fell to the ground and said he was blind and could not see. He saw Fossey’s eye was bleeding very much and Dr Hicks came and attended to him. He saw Fossey come to the spoke but he did not speak a word to the soldier or to anyone except for his father. Fossey was immediately struck down by the soldier. Frederick Randall: he was an innkeeper and kept the Pheasant public house. On the night of Monday 21 December the prisoner, Thomas Brasier, was ion the tap room a little before 9pm, with several others. The prisoner was quarrelsome and he refused to draw him any more beer. He had drawn a pint between Brasier and 3 others. They all left the house and when they got outside he heard a row and stood at the door to see what the matter was. He saw William Fossey and many others there. He saw the prisoner swing his arm about and Fossey cried out that he had knocked his eye out. Fossey had his hands to his eye. He saw something in the prisoner’s hand but he could not say what. He heard the blow go click. He shut the door. William Tatman Goodman Hicks: he was a surgeon practicing at Toddington. A little before 9pm on 21 December there was a row outside the Pheasant public house. He lived next door. He saw William Fossey there and heard him say that his eye was out. He went to his assistance and led him to the surgery. He examined his eye and found the eyelid very much injured and the eye ball protruding from the socket. The eye was bleeding very much. Fossey must had received a dreadful blow upon it. There was an incised wound upon the lower lid which had been caused by a sharp instrument, certainly not by a stick. He had attended Fossey since. The inflammation in the eye had not abated and Fossey can see only a little way. Sergeant John Olden: on Monday 21 December he was sent for to the Pheasant public house. When he got there he went to Dr Hicks’s surgery and there saw William Fossey, who appeared to have received an injury to his eye. In consequence of what the doctor said, he apprehended the prisoner in the street at Eversholt. The prisoner was in a soldier’s uniform. The prisoner said he had acted in defence and had knocked over 2 or 3. The prisoner was conveyed to the police station and searched. He found 2 knives on him. Benjamin Lawrence Hawkins: he was a surgeon in practice in Woburn. On 28 December he examined William Fossey who appeared to have received an injury on his eye. It had healed. In his judgement it was caused by a jagged stick. He did not think it done with a sharp instrument as it would not have healed so soon. Statement of the accused: he went to Toddington on Monday afternoon and met with his uncle and George Baker. He stopped until night. They went to the Pheasant and James Fossey was with them. They had not been in the public house long when 2 young men wanted him to enlist. He told them he could not. One of the men wanted to kick up a row and called him a liar. The young man abused him and said he would fight the best man in the house and came towards him. They would not let the man fight. The publican said they would have no beer and they went out. As they got outside 6 or 7 young men began knocking James Fossey about. His uncle went to help and they all began on him. He went to help his uncle. They were all fighting each other. He was hit on the head with a stick. He had a stick in his hand. There were so many fighting him that his stick broke and part was left in his hand. He was knocked down and when he got up, he saw William Fossey and a man named Turvey going towards his uncle. He knocked them down. He hit Fossey in the eye. After he got to Eversholt the policeman told him he was to be locked up for stabbing.

item

Brasier, Thomas,
Fossey, William,
Cole, Thomas,
Randall, Frederick,
Hicks, William Tatman Goodman,
Olden, John,
Hawkins, Benjamin Lawrence

TODDINGTON, EVERSHOLT, Toddington Pheasant, grievous bodily harm, wounding, innkeeper, surgeon, soldier, Royal Artillery, public disorder