Examination of William Oddy, 28 March 1754

Beds Archives, L29/18

This case comes from Bedford Summer Assizes: R. v. Wm. Cripps for felony & burglary. Cripps' father-in-law William Oddy of Winslow contributed to his conviction, probably motivated by not wanting to be charged for receiving stolen goods, and/or by the reward apparently on offer.

London to wit. The Examination of William Oddy of the Parish of Winslow in the County of Bucks Taylor taken before me one of his Majestys Justices of the Peace for the City of London and Liberties thereof this 28th day of March 1754.

This Examinant being duly sworn says that on Friday the fifteenth day of February last William Cripps of Eversholt in the County Bedford came to this Examinants House at Winslow aforesaid where he lay that Night, and told this Examinant he had been at London and that he return'd by the Aylesbury Road and that he Imagin'd his wife had been there, that the same Evening the said William Cripps gave this Examinant two half Crowns to hire a Horse and bear his Expences to fetch his wife from Eversholt aforesaid which this Examinant did the next day, and this Examinant upon his Oath further says that the Evening the said William Cripps first came he made a present to this Examinants \wife/ of half a Pound Cannister about three parts full of Green Tea, that the said William Cripps pull'd out half a Guinea to Change and desired that he might have a Fire up stairs and not sit at the Common Fire, and that a Shirt found in this Examinants House is as he is credibly inform'd and believes part of the Goods together with the abovementioned Green Tea that Mr James Poulton of Lower Gravenhurst in the County of Bedford was Robbed of on Monday the Eleventh day of February last, And this Examinant upon his Oath further says they were left at his House by the said William Cripps, that on Friday the 22d day of February last the said William Cripps and his wife left this Examinants House in Order to go home, that the said William Cripps the next day in the Evening return'd to this Examinants House again and seemed much Surprized and hurried [verso] that the next morning being Sunday the said William Cripps and this Examinant walk'd together to Whitchurch and dined there and the same Evening return'd to Winslow aforesaid where they found the said William Cripps wife return'd from Eversholt aforesaid, that she told them that Laurence Cripps was taken up and Committed to Bedford Goal for House Breaking upon which William Cripps and his wife pack'd up some things and went away and that he this Examinant has not seen or heard any thing of him since

[signed] Wm Oddy

Taken & Sworn at ye Mansion House London ye day & year first written before me
Tho Rawlinson Mayor

Further documentation:

L29/12 (28 Feb)
Deposition (copy) taken before Jn. Nodes & Phil. Birt, of Eliz. Knott of Eversholt, wid.; Mary Cripps, w. of Laur., and Mary Cripps his m.; Ann Sheppard of Eversholt, wid., and Ann Nash of same, sp.; Mary White, w. of Jn.; Jas. Poulton of Ur. Gravenhurst, park-keeper.

L29/13 (3 March)
Deposition of Jas. Poulton regarding reasons for suspecting the 2 burglars to be Laur. & Wm. Cripps.

L29/15 (15, 25 March)
Examination of Laur. Cripps in Bedford gaol, taken before Marshe Dickinson, J.P.; witn. Robt. Finney; with covering letter from Wm. Goldsmith.

L29/16 (19 March)
Letter from Wm. Goldsmith at Bedford to Phil. Yorke at Cambridge, reporting conviction of Laur. Cripps that day for felony and burglary.

L29/17 (28 March)
Letter from T. Birt (sic), Bedford (to Phil. Yorke), reporting further confession of Laur. Cripps, mainly details of sale of valuables.

Oxford Journal, 30 March 1754
Tuesday William Cripps was committed to the Poultry Compter, on the oath of John Baily and others, for breaking open the House of Mr. James Poulton, at Wrest in Bedfordshire, and stealing Money and Goods to the Value of 30 l. The Brother of this Person is now under Sentence of Death at Bedford for the same Crime.

3 April: execution of Lawrence Cripps at Bedford for burglary; "Laurence Crips" was buried at Ridgmont on 4 April

L29/19 (from Archives catalogue)
Brief for Serjt. Prime:- Wm. Cripps of Ur. Gravenhurst for breaking and entering house of Jas. Poulton in sd. parish, and taking a silver watch, gold & silver coins, 2 waistcoats (silk & damask), 3 linen shirts, 2 pr. silver shoe-buckles & 1 pr. knee-buckles, 3 gold rings, 6 silver spoons, tea canister with green tea, and 2 pr. worsted stockings. The case is based on the confession of bro. Laur. (tried at last Assizes and since executed). They also took bread & cold pork. They set out for London and sold the things (the watch to a goldsmith in St. Martin-in-the-Fields. On 15 Feb. Wm. Cripps went to his father-in-law Oddy at Winslow and gave him the canister & tea; wife joined him from Eversholt. On hearing of Laur. Cripps' arrest he went to London, calling himself Wm. Yarrow. Said if anyone offered to take him he would 'rip them up' before he would be taken. Arrested in Southwark.

L29/20
Receipt for £60 reward: Jas. Burnham, Wm. Oddy, Thos. Well.

17 August: execution of William Cippes at Bedford for burglary (according to https://capitalpunishmentuk.org/executions-in-bedfordshire-1735-1799/)

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Notes

William Oddy and his wife Mary were living in Winslow from 1721; they had ten children baptised between then and 1740. He also had a child with Elizabeth Reddall baptised in 1732. They were living at what became 32-34 Horn Street in 1730 when there is a fire insurance policy for "William Odey, tailor". Later they were in Church Street; a document of 1782 refers to "a Cottage or Tenement formerly in the occupation of William Odey". He was buried in 1782. It's not clear which of his daughters married William Cripps; the wedding isn't recorded at Winslow.