QSR1889/1/5/4

Depositions of Ellen Curl, Ann Curl, Levi Emmerton, Thomas Curl, John Waugh and William Whinnett. In the case of William Tuffnell, labourer of Stopsley, accused of feloniously and violently assaulting Ellen Curl and then violently and against her will ravishing and carnally knowing her. [case does not appear on the Quarter Session calendar of prisoners]

30 November 1888

From: 1888 To: 1889

Ellen Curl – she was a single woman and lived with her parents at Chalton. She knew the defendant and that he was a labourer at the lime kilns. On Wednesday 21 November she was going to Houghton Regis between 8am and 9am. When she got to the place called the Boundary the defendant went and spoke to her. He said “Ellen are you cold”. She said she was and he said that she wanted something to warm her and was there any chance. She said “Go away you dirty beast”. He took hold of her around the waist, threw her down and undid his trousers and took his person out. She hollered out and he was to her to hold her bother. He got onto her and put his person inside her. She had no strength to do anything. He was not on her very long. He got up and said “Good Morning Ellen” She did not speak to him and he went away across the fields. She got up and went on towards Houghton. A girl named Stanbridge caught her up in the road and they went together to Houghton Regis. She did not tell the girl what had happened. She got home between 10am and 11am in the morning. She told her mother what had occurred the next morning. Ann Curl – she was the wife of Thomas Curl, a labourer living in Chalton. Ellen Curl was her daughter. On 21 November Ellen left home about 8.30am to go to Houghton Regis. Ellen came home soon after 11am and seemed exhausted but did not say anything to her. Next morning Ellen made a statement to her about someone having assaulted her the previous morning. Ellen told her the name of the person. On Sunday or Monday she examined Ellen’s clothes and her drawers were nearly torn to pieces and they had blood on them. She examined her daughter but found no bruises on her. That was on the Monday. Levi Emmerton – he was a labourer and lived at Tebworth in the parish of Chalgrave. On 21 November he was walking from Tebworth to Luton with Elizabeth Emmerton. As they got to the Boundary he saw the complainant and defendant standing on the green by the side of the road. They passed them. They were talking together and the girl was crying. He did not know them by name. Thomas Curl – in consequence of what his wife told him he had a conversation with the defendant on 22 November. He asked the defendant why he had interfered with his daughter. The defendant said “Me!” he replied “Yes you!” The defendant said he had not interfered with her. He told the defendant that if he ever interfered with her again he would have him locked up. He did not then all that had occurred. John Waugh – he was a surgeon in practice at Toddington. On 28 November he made an examination of Ellen Curl with her mother’s consent. He did so at the request of the police. He found no marks of violence on the external parts. He found her hymen had been ruptured but he could not say when or even recently. He examined Ellen’s clothes and there were marks on her chemise which resembled seminal fluid but he could not say if it was so without a microscope. William Whinnett – sergeant of police at Toddington. He apprehended the defendant on 26 November and charged him with the rape of Ellen Curl. The defendant said he had done no such thing and that he had met Ellen at the Boundary and spoken to her. The defendant said Ellen took hold of him and he pushed her away. The defendant said that she had done so 4 times before but he had nothing to do with her.

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Curl, Ellen,
Curl, Ann,
Curl, Thomas,
Emmerton, Levi,
Waugh, John,
Whinnett, William,
Tuffnell, William

TODDINGTON, Chalton, Tebworth, surgeons, rape, sex crimes