QSR1839/1/5/1c

Deposition of John King, constable of Luton, in case of John White, charged with stealing potatoes.

18 October 1838

From: 1838 To: 1839

On Tuesday morning about quarter past seven Bent came to his house and said he had lost some potatoes. They went to the pit and from there traced the potatoes to within a few poles of Mr Goujon's Rick Yard. They went across the field towards the old Bedford Road where the prisoner's house is situtate. After looking into several houses they went to the prisoner's and asked a little girl whether there were any potatoes. She showed him some in the cupboard in the front room, about half a bushel. He asked if there were any more twice, and she said no. He opened a door leading into a sort of pantry and there saw a sack. He called Bent, opened the sack and found 3 or 4 bushels of potatoes, which Bent identified as his property. Most were pink eyed champions with a few thaws mixed with them which were of a greenish colour. He took one of each out and later compared them with the potatoes in the pit, and they appeared to be the same sorts. Ater the prisoner was taken into custody and charged he said the potatoes found in his house had been given him by his sister Hetty. The prisoner John White in his defense said he had 2 bushels of potatoes bought some time ago from Thomas Trott, and his sister Hetty Simkins gave him a bushel and half last Monday night and about the same the Tuesday night before. She has about 10 poles of ground just before Stopsley and grows potatoes.

item

King, John,
White, John,
Bent, Samuel,
Simkins, Hetty,
Trott, Thomas,
Goujon

LUTON, STOPSLEY, Luton Old Bedford Road, potatoes, stealing