QSR1833/4/5/7

Depositions of Elizabeth Clevely, wife of John of Woburn and mistress of the Workhouse there. Robert Fowler, inmate of Woburn Workhouse. Thomas Parker, surgeon of Woburn. In the case of James Clare accused of assault.

6 September 1833

From: 1833 To: 1833

Elizabeth Clevely: James Clare was an inmate of the workhouse and between 12 and 1 o’clock all the inmates of the workhouse were at dinner. James Clare had some of the meal, pudding and potatoes and he asked for some more, which she gave to him. He then called her “a good for nothing Bi___” and said it was not enough. She told him to eat that and then he should have some more and he called her a bi___ and a wh___ and abused her with words and said that Mr Heighington, the overseer, had said he was to have as much as he pleased at any time. She replied he was to have as mush as he pleased when the rest were at meals. Clare then said “you are a liar and a wh__”. She took hold of his hair and said he deserved to have it wrung off his head. He struck at her with a knife which he had in his hand and which he used to carry in his pocket. It was as sharp as a razor. The prisoner cut her hand both above and below the wrist very deeply. He struck her with a great deal of violence. In the near moment he took the poker and brandished it and said he’d thrust it down her throat. Her hand was bleeding very much and she got away. The wounds were sewn up by Mr Parker’s apprentice. James Clare had often threatened her life. On the previous Wednesday he had told her he would ‘do her’ if he possibly could. A fortnight of 3 weeks previous he had held a knife at her saying “I’ll stab you to the heart, I would not mind stabbing you more than a beast”. Robert Fowler: an inmate of the workhouse. He was present at dinner when James Clare called Mrs Clevely a lying b____ and many other names. He saw Mrs Clevely take hold of Clare’s hair and he heard her say something to him. Clare took hold of a poker and threatened her. He did not see Clare strike at her with his knife but he did see the knife in Clare’s hand. He saw Clevely bleeding very much. Thomas Parker: he had examined the wounds on Mrs Clevely’s wrist and arm and the cut on the wrist was slight. The other wound was of considerable extent and depth and extended across half of her arm. The back part of the arm was completely divided. The wound was inflicted with determined violence. It could not have been accidental. It would not have been inflicted by her running against a knife in the hands of another person. If the wound had gone a little deeper it would have deprived her of the use of her arm forever. As it was Mrs Clevely would not have use of the arm for some weeks, even if it goes favourably. He considered it a formidable wound. He heard the statement of Clare and he was of the decided opinion that it was not the case that Mrs Clevely ran her hand against the knife. The wound could not have been inflicted in such a way. He wad convinced extreme violence and determination must have been used to inflict the wound. Statement of the accused: he did not cut Mrs Clevely’s hand. She ran it against his knife and she had been pulling at his hair. She had abused him before.

item

Clare, James,
Clevely, Elizabeth,
Clevely, John,
Fowler, Robert,
Parker, Thomas,
Heighington

WOBURN, Parish Workhouses, Mistress of the Workhouse, assault, knife, wounding, surgeon