QSR1841/1/5/33

Depositions and examination - Henry Francis

30 December 1840

From: 1840 To: 1841

George Lines of Chibleys Farm, Shitlington, yeoman - he is one of the executors of his late father John Lines and manages a farm at Lower Stondon in the parish of Shitlington which was in his father's occupation on behalf of his mother Fanny [Ferridon?] Lines, widow and his brother John Lines, who are also executrix and executor of his father's will. From information received he went from Chibleys to the Three Horse Shoes at Lower Stondon on the previous night 29 December and saw a horse belonging to John Pitts in a cart eating some hay. He recognised the hay as from a stack in the rick yard at Lower Stondon belonging to his father's estate. He delivered the hay into the custody of James Cobb his tasker. That morning he went to the stack from which he suspected the hay had been taken and found about half a truss of hay had been pulled from it out of the vein containing that particular type of hay. He had also walked over the road between the stack and the public house (about 40 poles) and traced scatterings of hay long the whole distance. James Cobb of Shitlington, labourer - he is tasker to Mr Lines and works on Stondon Farm. The previous evening he was in the Three Horse Shoes. Henry Francis and John Pitts were also there. There were about a dozen people with them in the tap room. He heard Pitts say that if anybody would fetch him some hay he would pay him for it. Soon afterwards Francis left. He returned in about 20 mintues and told Pitts he had brought him 3 pennyworth of hay. Pitts paid him 3d. Suspecting the hay might be his master's - he had been in the habit of cutting hte hay from the stack and knew there was hay exactly like that which Pitts horse had been eating. There was about half a truss of hay, part in Pitts' cart and part under the horse's nose. He went and told his master. Henry Francis of Hitchin (Herts) - he gave Pitts' horse some hay, but he got it out of his own cart. Pitts never gave him 3d or any money at all. Pitts did throw down 3d on the table, but he said that was to pay the ostler.

item

Francis, Henry,
Lines, George,
Lines, John,
Lines, Fanny,
Cobb, James,
Pitts, John

Shitlington, Hitchin, Lower Stondon, stealing, hay, Lower Stondon Three Horseshoes