QSR1840/4/5/4

Depositions and examination - Thomas Lathwell

24 July 1840

From: 1840 To: 1840

John Williams of Luton, builder - he is building a cottage at Leagrave and missed two pieces of oak plank the previous day. Lathwell has an adjoining barn and looking through a hole in the boards he saw some oak pales belonging to him in the barn. He went to the house, asked for the key and unlocked the barn. He found 24 oak pales, 2 pieces of oak quartering and a quantity of foot pavings. The oak pales were at the top of he barn under the rafters partly covered with straw, the pavings were in a hole in the barn floor which had been used for potatoes. The pavings correspond with those he was using to pave the cottage floor, and one of the quarterings had been cut to go against the corner of a building. Lathwell was sent for and admitted taking the things, but thought they belonged to Edmund Filmer. All the items were taken sometime the previous year between Miachelmas and Christmas while they were working on all the cottages on the estate. Joseph Sear of Caddington - he works for Mr Williams and assisted him in searching the barn. He can swear that one of the pieces of oak quartering is Mr Williams' property, and found the oak pales to correspond with others in Mr Williams' possession. Thomas Lathwell - he took them thinking they were Mr Edmund Filmer's property. He thought it no robbery as he lived in Mr Edmund's cottage and they were put on his premises.

item

Lathwell, Thomas,
Williams, John,
Sear, Joseph,
Filmer, Edmund

LUTON, LEAGRAVE, CADDINGTON, stealing, wood, oak, builder