QSR1834/1/5/32

Depositions of Charles Shirman, labourer of Colmworth. Elizabeth, wife of John Fensham, labourer of Colmworth. Samuel Hight, labourer of Colmworth. Thomas Wagstaff, farmer of Colmworth. John Loxley of Colmworth. Thomas Yarrell of Colmworth. Abraham Parrott, labourer of Colmworth. In the case of Matthew Parrott accused of breaking and entering and therein stealing a table cloth and other items.

28 December 1833

From: 1833 To: 1834

Charles Shirman: In May 1832 Matthew Parrott of Colmworth came to him and asked him to go to break open Fensham’s house. Parrott said Fensham was not there and that there were some silver spoons there that he wanted. He went part of the way to Fensham’s house with him and then turned back and went home. Before Fensham’s house was broken open Matthew Parrott asked him again to go with him to break it open. He went with him part of the way but turned back and said he would not go. They then separated and he could not say what became of Parrott afterwards. Elizabeth Fensham: about 10pm on 21 May 1832 she fastened the outer door of her house. She got up about 5.30am and observed that a pain had been taken out of one of the windows and the casement opened. There were marks on the walk inside and outside. She found a box moved into the kitchen and on loking inside she found a gold chain and locket had been taken out, as had a cotton table cloth, a bone fan and a handkerchief. She told constable Thomas Wagstaff that she suspected George and Matthew Parrott. The constable could not find them and heard that both had gone away. She had never seen George. On Monday she heard that Matthew had come back to Colmworth and had been taken into custody. Loxley brought a table cloth to her and asked her if the table cloth was hers. She said that it was her mothers. She picked out part of the B intending to mark it with her own name. The fan, bobbins and cotton handkerchief shown to her by Loxley were her property. A piece of paper inside the fan was written the name Elizabeth James (her maiden name) who uncle was Matthew Parrott who had been lodging at the house and had left it a fortnight before. William George had come to the house to see Parrott and they were intimate. Samuel Hight: on the Thursday after the Fensham’s house had been broken open he was at work at Colmworth field about 6am. Matthew Parrott and William George came up to him and George asked him to go along with him to St Neots farm. He replied o and George took a gold chain out of is pocked and asked him to go with him to sell it. The chain appeared about 2 foot long and the links appeared small. He had heard that the Fensham’s house had been robbed and a gold chain taken away. He suspected it to be that chain and reported this to Mrs Fensham. William George put the chain back in his pocket and went back to Matthew Parrot and they went off together towards St Neots. Thomas Wagstaff: he knew Matthew Parrott and William George and they were at work together for him at the time of the robbery. The place where Loxley found the things was part of the field where the men were at work. On Friday the men came to him for their pay and having heard that they were suspected of having broken into Fensham’s house he told them to come back again in the evening. He had not seen Matthew Parrott since then and he has been away from Colmworth. Statement of the accused – Matthew Parrott: he never broke into the house and never had any of those things. John Loxley: on a Sunday about 18 months ago Abraham Parrott told him he would go along with him if he would show him where the table cloth, bobbins and other items stolen from the Fensham’s. Abraham Parrott was the brother of Matthew Parrott. He went with Abraham Parrott into the open fields and he said they were in one of the Wagstaff’s lands. They went some distance down the hedge and the Abraham went across the lands to where the things were. They were covered up and he took them out. There was a table cloth, bobbins, a fan and a cotton handkerchief. Thomas Yarrell: he saw Matthew Parrott a few days after the robbery. He met William George and Parrott on the road going to St Neots. He called to them and said to Matthew Parrot that if he went to Colmworth he would be taken. Matthew Parrott asked him if they had taken Samuel Lee and he replied that people did not know that Samuel Lee had been with him at the time. Matthew Parrott said Samuel Lee was as bad as they were. Matthew Parrott did not return to Colmworth and he was not seen him again until yesterday when Parrott was in the custody of the constable, Wagstaff. Abraham Parrott: several days after the robbery he was keeping cows at Colmworth field and was going home with them. Matthew Parrott and William George came together to the hedge. George left Matthew Parrott behind and came up to him. George said knew where the Fensham’s things were and told him where they could be found. Matthew Parrott was standing still or sitting down by the hedge side about 10 yards off. William George, after he had told him, went backt o Parrott ad they went away together. On Sunday he told John Loxley the younger and they went and took the items.

item

Parrott, Matthew,
Shirman, Charles,
Fensham, John,
Hight, Samuel,
Wagstaff, Thomas,
Loxley, John,
Yarrell, Thomas,
Parrott, Abraham,
Fensham, Elizabeth,
George, William,
Lee, Samuel

COLMWORTH, breaking & entering, farmers, linen, handkerchiefs