QSR1840/4/5/6

Depositions and examination - William Lilley charged with stealing 3 weights with a box belonging to the Justices of the County of Bedford

27 July 1840

From: 1840 To: 1840

Solomon Shepherd of St Paul Bedford, gardener - he is Inspector of Weights and Measures for the County of Bedford and the standard weights and measures belonging to the County are in his custody. On Thursday 23 July he missed 4 drachm, 2 drachm and 1 drachm brass standard weights, and a small wooden screw box in which they were kept - they are the property of the Justices of the County. He missed them from a larger box in which they were usually kept with other weights at his house in the parish of St Paul. William Lilley had been in his service until the day before when he discharged him. On Saturday he met Lilley near his house by the corner of the road and charged him with stealing the weights. He denied it for some time. Eventually he admitted to hiding them in a hedge down the Goldington Road. He took Lilley there but he could not find them. Several people came up and one said to him in Lilley's hearing "ask him if he did not throw them into Mr Brown's yard". Lilley said he had thrown them on the dunghill there. When they got to Mr Brown's yard they found the dunghill was removed. Lilley then said he had thrown the 4 drachm in the corner of the stable, the 2 drachm in the opposite corner, the single drachm on the dunghill just outside the stable door, and had thrown the box away down the Goldington Road. They searched but could not find the weights. After that he returned again with Lilley and Charles Brown to the stable for a further search. Mr Brown found the 2 drachm weight and brought it to him, while Lilley was out of sight and hearing. Coming out of the yard he met Samuel Lamb, one of the Bedford policemen, and went with him and Lilley to Lilley's father's house in the parish of St Cuthbert's at the back of Mrs Purser's in the Goldington Road. Lamb went into the house leaving him and Lilley outside, and came out again in less than a minute with the wooden box. The larger box in which the weights were is kept in one of his outbuildings in the yard of his house, and the prisoner while in his service could go in and out of the building as he please. Charles Brown of St Peter Bedford, common carrier - last Saturday evening July 25 he met Mr Shepherd and Lilley a short distance from his premises. Mr Shepherd said Lilley had stolen some weights and thrown them on his dunghill. Lilley said he was sure he had thrown them on the dunghill, then when they got to the dunghill said "Sir in the stable". Lilley showed him a corner as a place where he had thrown one. Lilley began to pull the straw about and search under the manger. Lilley said "I can see one" - he saw Lilley pick up a small brass weight which he gave to Mr Shepherd. The weight was dirty - all over horse dung. Lilley was in his service from last Friday morning keeping birds and had been about the stable on Saturday morning, after which the stable had been swept out. Samuel Lamb, constable of Borough of Bedford - he went with Mr Shepherd and Lilley to Lilley's parents house down the Goldington Road. The father was not at home. He saw Lilley's mother and told her the boy was in custody for stealing weights and a box. She said "here's a little box that he said he found" and took the little screw box from a shelf.

item

Lilley, William,
Shepherd, Solomon,
Brown, Charles,
Lamb, Samuel,
Purser

Bedford St.Paul, Bedford St.Peter, Bedford St.Cuthbert, Bedford Goldington Road, stealing, weights and measures, Inspector of Weights & Measures, gardener, common carrier