QSR1841/1/5/6

Depositions and examination - John Smith of Pavenham, labourer

2 November 1840

From: 1840 To: 1841

William Hulatt of Pavenham, labourer - he had some wheat ground at Odell Mill which was brought to his daughter's cottage at Pavenham by the Odell Miller. His daughter is Hannah Hulatt and is married to William Hulatt at Pavenham. She sent it down to him at East End on Friday 30 October by John Smith who was coming down with an empty cart. He did not know the flour was missing until Mr Partidge told him some was missing. Samuel Partridge of Pavenham, bailiff for Mr Green - about 3pm on Friday he was by the side of Church Allotment Field, sitting on his pony, when he heard his master's cart coming up from East End. John Smith was with it. He had sent Smith down to their farm there for some seed wheat. William Hulatt lives at the cottage there. He saw Smith get over the gate that leads into Church Allotment from the road. He saw him take up the bag produced from under some straw and tie it up. He first thought it was some of his seed wheat until he saw flour rise up out fo the bag as he tied it. Smith then got over the gate again and went across to the road into Hiltons Field with the bag, where he hid it. He let Smith go on with the cart, then went to Hulatt and asked him what he had sent up by John Smith. Hulatt said 3 sacks of wheat and one of oats. He asked Hulatt if he had sent up a flour bag - he said not. He discovered Smith had brought William Hulatt's flour down from his daughter's and suspected Smith had taken some of it. He told Hulatt to follow him up to Pavenham and rode off as fast as he could to catch John Smith. When accused of having stolen the flour Smith said "I had it from my Aunt Sarah's". When he told Smith he only made things worse by telling a lie, Smith began to cry and admitted taking it out of Hulatt's sack. Smith told Hulatt, who had come up by the this time, where he hid the bag. John Smith - had nothing to say except "I hope he will beg me off as it is the first time he has catched me". William Hulatt [reexamined] - the flour now produced matched his. The weight of the flour taken is about 5 lbs and the value about 1 shilling. He found the flour hidden in the field called Hiltons on Friday 30th where John Smith said he hid it.

item

Hulatt, William,
Smith, John,
Hulatt, Hannah,
Partridge, Samuel,
Green

PAVENHAM, Pavenham fields, Odell Mill, stealing, flour