QSR1869/4/5/1-2

Depositions of Hannah Burchmore, daughter of Sarah Burchmore, widow and inkeeper of Eaton Bray. George Burchmore, son of Sarah Burchmore. James Holland, farmer of Totternhoe. Isaac Cook, police constable of Eaton Bray. In the case of William Adams and Emanuel Brandom accused of stealing a purse and certain money to the sun of £7 10s 0d from the person of James Holland.

3 August 1869

From: 1869 To: 1869

Hannah Burchmore: daughter of Sarah Burchmore who kept the Chequers public house in Eaton Bray. She knew the prisoner Adams well and knew the prisoner Cook by sight. On Saturday 31 July about 10pm both prisoners were in her mother’s house as was James Holland, the prosecutor. The prosecutor was the worse for liquor and he paid her mother with a sovereign and received change. She saw Holland’s purse in his hand and there were several sovereigns in it. The purse and money were produced in the presence of several people in the room. The prisoner Adams was present at the time and had been in the room all the time the prosecutor was there. Brandom came in about 10pm. When Brandom came in he was asked by Adams to assist him outside with the prosecutor, who was sitting down and asleep at the time. The prosecutor never said a word and did not ask to be assisted. The prisoner, Adams, took hold of the prosecutor under his arms and dragged him out and Brandom went with them. A man by the name of Circuit also went. She went outside the house, in consequence of something that was said, and saw the prosecutor in his cart with his legs hanging out of the back. She went and asked the prosecutor if he would allow her brother to go home with him. There was no one else in the cart. The prosecutor nodded and said he had lost his purse and when asked said that someone had snatched it from his pocket. She afterwards saw Adams in the cart and the prosecutor standing in the road asking Adams for his purse. Adams said he knew nothing about it. Holland came into the house and she heard him telling her mother that he had been robbed of his purse and money and he had not a farthing. The prosecutor mentioned the amount of £7 12s. Brandom returned to the house and Holland told him of his loss. Adams did not return until brought by PC Cook. She did to hear the prosecutor give Adams charge of his horse and cart. The prosecutor had 5 glasses of branding and ginger beer. She remembered Holland having some carrots which he ordered Adams to out in the cart and Adams asked him if he was ready several times. George Burchmore: he lived with his mother at Eaton Bray. On 31 July about 10pm, he saw the prosecutor and the 2 prisoners in his mother’s house. The prosecutor seemed worse for liquor and was asleep. Brandom came into the house about 10pm and Adams asked him to help take the prosecutor out. Adams took the prosecutor under the arms and dragged him out of the room. Brandom went with them and when they got to the passage he took the prosecutors legs and carried him outside. No one else touched the prosecutor. They took him to the front yard and set him down. He saw a man named George Circuit come out with the prosecutor’s hat. The prisoners put the prosecutor in his cart. Adams went to the horses head. The last witness came out and asked the prosecutor if he should go home with him and the prosecutor nodded. Adams then said “no one shall come up in the cart”. The prosecutor got out of the cart by himself and he heard him say he had lost his purse and money. He went into the house and left them. Inside he saw Brandom and heard the prosecutor say he had felt someone’s hand in his pocket, they had taken him purse and money and torn his pocket. He did not see Circuit touch the prosecutor. The next morning he looked out of his bedroom window and saw the purse which his sister handed to the police. The purse lay on the spot where he had seen the prosecutor, prisoners and the cart. The purse was empty. James Holland: a farmer at Totternhoe and on 31 July he was at the Chequers public house at Eaton Bray. He had seen the prisoner Adams at Dunstable on that day and they had gone to the Chequers together between 6pm and 7pm. He remembered paying Mrs Burchmore. The purse produced was his and he had about 7 sovereigns in it when he went to the Chequers and a little silver. He remembered leaving the Chequers but could not say who had taken him out. The prisoner had been with him all the time he was in the Chequers. Somebody (more than one person) carried him into the road and whilst they were carrying him he felt a hand in his pocket and called out “Hold hard”. When he was put in the cart his pocket was turned inside out and torn. He missed his purse and the money in it. He got from the cart and went into the house. He said he would not move until he got his money. He made his loss known to the landlady but he did not know who went for the police. He saw PC Cook come and he saw Adams asleep in his cart. Adams went home with him that night. He was in liquor at the time he was in the Chequers. He remembered being dragged out of the house but could not say by who. [cross examination] he did not tell Adams that he had no money and did not ask Adams to lend him a sovereign. Adams said he wanted to buy a watch and he offered him his for £2 and Adams bid him £2. He did call for a pint of beer at the Plough and had said to the little girl, as a joke, “on trust”. He did not pay for the pay as he was known. Mr Partridge laughed and said “you don’t want beer on trust”. He called for beer at Travails. He was helped up to the cart at Travails. He paid for what he had at Travails. His wife had given him 11 shillings in silver. He did not say Adams could have anything to drink. PC Isaac Cook: he heard of the robbery at 11.30pm on 31 July. He went to the Chequers and saw the prosecutor outside the house. The prosecutor told him he had lost his purse and £7 10s or £7 12s out of it, and that his pocket had been picked. He saw Adams in the cart and he took him into the house and searched him. He found 2 sovereigns and some odd shillings. Adams had said he had £2 odd before he was searched and had received the money from work. He did not see Brandom. Adams denied he had taken hold of the prosecutor. Next morning he saw Brandom at Eaton Bray and asked him if he had been at the Chequers the previous night. Brandom said he had and that he had helped Adams put Holland in the cart but had not seen his money or purse. He received the purse from Hannah Burchmore on 1 August. The prosecutor identified it. He apprehended both prisoners that night. He told Adams the charge and Adams replied it was queer as Holland had said he had no money and asked to borrow some and offered him a watch for sale at Travails. Brandom was told the charge and said he had not had the purse or money. Statements of the accused: Adams – he had met Mr Holland at Dunstable at 1pm and asked him if he was going home. Holland said he was and he had to call at the mill for a sack of meal. They had 5 glasses of ginger beer and rum at the Post House. Holland asked him to go round with him as he would not be able to lift the meal unless he had someone with him. They were round to Partridges. Mr Holland called for 2 pints of beer and said they must trust him for them as he had no money. They then went to Travails at Eaton Bray. They had beer and ginger beer there. As they were drinking it Holland pulled a watch from his pocket and asked him to buy it. Holland said that if he wouldn’t buy it then someone else would. He offered to lend Holland a sovereign on the watch but he said no only if he would give him 2 sovereigns. He refused. Holland said he would stand something to eat and sent for 6 penny worth of faggots thinking he was going to take the money for the watch he pulled 2 sovereigns from his pocket and laid them on the table. Holland said he could have the watch but not the guard as it was a keepsake. Holland told Adams not to go without him as he was tight and he could hardly stand up. He lifted Holland into the cart and Holland gave him charge of the horse and cart. They both went to Mrs Burchmore’s and Holland said he would like some carrots. He went into the garden and helped him pull the carrots. He asked Holland if he was ready to go home as he could not keep him company. Holland said to sit down and have what he liked to drink and he would pay for it. Holland called for a quart of Brandy and paid with a sovereign form his pocket. Holland told him to sit and drink as much as he liked but to see after him and the horse. Holland said he would sit by Mrs Burchmore and act a little silly. He told Holland he had acted silly enough. He saw Mrs Burchmore’s hand on Holland’s left thigh. He caught hold of Holland’s hand and told him to come home. He pulled Holland up but as he blundered several people caught hold of him. He carried Holland out of the house and put him in the cart. He took care of Holland as he was a relation. Holland told him to let no one up in the cart and he did as he was told. He got into the cart and lay down on the sack of meal and went to sleep. Cook, the policeman came to him and ordered him out of the cart. Cook fetched Holland and asked him if he wished him to get out of the cart. Holland said yes so he got out. Cook asked what money he had and he replied £2 4s 2d 1/2. He went to the house and turned out his money onto a table and offered to be searched. He went home with Holland. The next morning he went to Holland’s house again and said he was going to see about the job. They went to Burchmore’s and Mrs Burchmore said they had found the purse but there was nothing in it. She said it had been where the horse was standing. As many as 10 people had looked at the purse the previous evening. Cook said he had stopped there until 4am and he could not find it. Hannah Burchmore found it when she got up. Brandom – he had nothing to say.

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Adams, William,
Brandom, Emanuel,
Burchmore, Hannah,
Burchmore, Sarah,
Burchmore, George,
Holland, James,
Cook, Isaac

EATON BRAY, DUNSTABLE, stealing, purse, pickpocket, innkeeper, farmer, Eaton Bray Chequers, drunkenness