QSR1840/3/5/21/a

Depositions of Henry Cox, Joseph Baker and George Lacey and examination of Benjamin Busby

16 May 1840

From: 1840 To: 1840

Henry Cox of Cranfield, labourer - the previous evening he was in the Old George Public House in Cranfield. Benjamin Busby asked if he wanted to buy some bean flour - he said not. Busby persuaded him to go into an outhouse and look at it. He took a key out of his pocket and opened the outhouse, then showed him some bean flour in a sack - he thinks about a bushel. Busby asked for 4s but agreed to 3s and a pot of beer. Busby emptied the flour into his bag. While they were dealing William Brooks came down the yard, looked at them and went on again without saying anything. They went into the house, had the beer, and Brooks joined them. Busby had told him he fetched the flour from the mill. He did not know Busby before this. He took the flour to his sister's and heard soon after from Sarah Solesbury that it was probably flour stolen from Joseph Baker. He went and told Billington the constable and they took both Busby and Brooks prisoners. He did not see what Busby did with the sack after giving him the flour. He left him standing in the road talking to some women. After hearing the flour was probably stolen 5 minutes later he found Busby in the same place and persuaded him to go to the Plough - after Busby went in he went for Billington. There was no cart and horse in sight. His sister is the wife of Andrew Parkes and he left the flour in his house. Joseph Baker of Marston Moretaine, cattle dealer - he had employed Busby for 10 or 12 weeks to drive and feed the cattle. Busby had the care of the corn and meal. He has a quantity of bean flour he uses for the cattle, and a fresh load was brought in one day last week. He cannot tell if any has been taken for anything other than the cattle, but the flour in the bag produced by Cox matches the flour from this last load. The value of the flour is about 6s. He did not see Busby after he left Elstow the previous day to drive four cows home until he saw him in custody at the plough. Busby said "Master, I hope you'll be merciful to me". George Lacey, police constable No.11 - Busby was given into his custody the previous night. He went to the house of Andrew Parkes as a result of what was said by Henry Cox. He found the bag and flour now produced. He helped Baker take a sample in a handkerchief from the sack on his premises. Benjamin Busby - said he bought the flour at Cranfield from a man he did not know who he overtook accidentally near the Green against the mill. The man had a cart and one horse. He bought it for 3s. The man said if he'd bring the sack about 5pm he'd be near the George. He carried the flour and sack to Fountain's. He did not carry the sack up to Marston Park - he left it under the hedge. After he had sold the flour to Cox he gave the sack to the man it belonged to, who he saw 2 minutes after he came out of the George. Busby committed for further examination.

item

Busby, Benjamin,
Cox, Henry,
Baker, Joseph,
Lacey, George,
Brooks, William,
Parkes, Andrew,
Billington

CRANFIELD, MARSTON MORETAINE, ELSTOW, Cranfield Old George, Cranfield Plough, stealing, flour, cattle dealer