QSR1834/1/5/5

Depositions of William Proverbs, groom of Warden. John South, labourer of Warden. Sarah Stanbridge, wife of John Stanbridge, gamekeeper of Warden. Thomas Wheatley, labourer of Warden. Frank Snitch, butcher of Warden. Thomas Smith, constable of Shefford. James Whitteridge, constable of Warden. In the case of George Wells accused of breaking and entering the house of Robert Henley, Lord Ongley, and therein stealing bank notes and other property.

19 October 1833

From: 1833 To: 1834

William Proverbs: he was a groom in the service of Lord Ongley of Warden. On 14 October about 6am he left Warden to go to Newmarket. Before he left he went to a box he kept in his bedroom at Lord Ongley’s dwelling house to take money for his journey. Having taken what he wanted he locked away the box and hid the keys in the room. He left in the box £95 in notes. There were 3 Bank of England notes of £10 each and the remainder were Biggleswade and Baldock Bank notes. He did not know how much there was of each. There were receipts for the money deposited in the Biggleswade and Baldock Bank. He also left 3 gold seals in the box, a steel watch chain, 10 silk handkerchiefs, 4 gold pins and a brooch. There were other items in there that he could not remember. In consequence of information he received whilst at Newmarket he returned to Warden and discovered that his box and the contents were gone. He had that morning seen the Banker receipts and 2 of the gold pins, 2 of the handkerchiefs, a wooden snuff box, 3 cigar cases, a razor case, 3 gold seals, 3 gold watch keys, a steel chain, and a £10 of the Biggleswade and Baldock bank in the possession of James Whitteridge, the constable. He was sure they were is property and he was sure they had all been safe in the box in his bedroom at Lord Onlgley’s when he left on the Monday, with the exception of the snuff box, cigar case and razor case. The snuff box had been in an unlocked chest of drawers. The cigar cases were in his box with one being on the table and the razor case was in the table drawer. He was sure the property produced was his property except for the green and white handkerchiefs and 4 of the Biggleswade note which were not marked but he had no doubt were his property. He had said to the prisoner that he would forgive him if he produced the things. He saw the prisoner in the custody of the Shefford Constable at the White Horse at Southill. Frank Snitch: on 17 October between 10am and 11am the prisoner came to his shop at Southill to purchase some meat. The prisoner gave him a Baldock and Biggleswade note. He changed the note and gave the prisoner 9 sovereigns and a half in gold, 3 shillings and sixpence in silver and 3 pence in coppers. He did not ask the prisoner where he got the £10. He knew the prisoner as having formerly been in the service of Lord Ongley. He was surprised at the prisoner having a £10 note and his suspicions were excited. He observed the prisoner had other notes in his hand in a packet or roll and that particularly excited his suspicion. Thomas Smith: between 12pm and 1pm on 18 October the steward of Lord Ongley came to him. He went with him to a booth at Shefford and apprehended the prisoner, Wells, on suspicion of robbery. He took the prisoner to the cage where he searched him and found 20 shillings and sixpence in silver and 9 pence half penny in copper. In consequence of information received he later apprehended Crosley and on searching him found a silver watch, 7 sovereigns and 2 shillings. Crosley said he had them from the prisoner Wells. He kept both men in custody until the morning. James Whitteridge, the constable of Warden came to the prisoners whilst they were in his custody and said “Did you do the robbery or did you not? If you did you better own to it”. Wells answered that he had the box. He took both men to the White Horse at Southill before taking them before a magistrate. He asked Wells were the items were and he replied they were at his sister’s house at Biggleswade. He and James Whitteridge went with Wells to his sister’s house at Biggleswade and Wells pointed to a box at his sister’s house and said the key was the one he had taken from him yesterday. He gave the key to Wells and he unlocked the box and handed out to Whitteridge all the things Whitteridge now produced. James Whitteridge: on 18 October he went to Shefford in pursuit of the prisoner George Wells. Hearing he was already in the cage at Shefford he went to the cage with the constable Smith. Smith brought Wells out of the cage and afterwards they took both prisoners to the White Horse at Southill. In the evening he went into the room of Wells and Crosley and Wells was laughing. He told him it was not a laughing matter and that Stanbridge’s wife would swear she saw him breaking the box open. Wells said he had the box. Next morning he went with Smith and Wells to his sister’s house at Biggleswade and was present when the prisoner asked Smith for the key to the box. The box was unlocked and things, as stated by the last witness, were taken out. They were delivered to him. John South: on 16 or 17 October he went into a spinney at the bottom of Lord Ongley’s Park at Warden and there found a blue wooden box. There was a ring, a few brooches, some writing books, pencils and other things in it. He carried it to Lord Ongley’s house. He knew nothing of the prisoners. The lid of the ox was split across the joint and it was locked. Sarah Stanbridge: on 16 October she was going down to Lord Ongley’s Park at Warden. She heard a great noise like breaking something hollow, among the wood in the spinney. He went towards the place the noise seemed to come from and saw George Wells breaking a blue wooden box. She did not speak to him and she thought he did not see her. She then saw Wells carry the box towards the hay rick. She went away. The spinney was next to the Great Field. The hay rick stood in a close called The Cherry Orchard, near to where she first saw George Wells. Thomas Wheatley: on 16 October the prisoner saw George Wells coming down the servant’s stairs in Ongley’s house at Warden. He had nothing with him. Wells was not in the service of Lord Ongley and he did not know that he had business there. John Crosely: he was in Shefford market when George Wells came to him and said he had a sow and pigs at the Black Horse which he had bought from Nicholson of Broom. He went there and saw Mr Ging [?] pay Wells 4 sovereigns for the pigs and 2 sovereigns and 2 shillings for the sow. Mr Reynolds then came after them and the constable took them to the cage. As they went along Wells gave him a watch, 7 sovereigns and 2 shillings.

item

Wells, George,
Proverbs, William,
South, John,
Stanbridge, Sarah,
Stanbridge, John,
Wheatley, Thomas,
Snitch, Frank,
Smith, Thomas,
Whitteridge, James,
Henley, Robert,
Nicholson,
Reynolds

Old Warden, SHEFFORD, BIGGLESWADE, Broom, Shefford Black Swan, Southill White Horse, groom, gamekeeper, butcher, bank notes, breaking & entering, JEWELLERY