QSR1842/1/5/8-9/a

Deposition of Jason Stone of Studham, farmer, against Samuel Burman and John Taylor

25 October 1841

From: 1841 To: 1842

On Saturday morning 23 October he went into a field he occupies called Harcourt Hill in the parish of Studham where he had a heap of soot. He discovered some had been taken from the heap. He traced soot along the lane leading towards Kensworth. He sent for a policeman and went to Kensworth to enquire about the soot and 2 chimney sweepers he was informed had been at Studham the day before. He and the policeman found Burman and Taylor and took them into custody. From information he received he went with them to the premises of Abraham Fossey the younger in Kensworth to examine some soot - 2 full sacks and one partly full. The prisoners admitted the soot was theirs and that they had brought it to Mr Fossey that morning. He had the soot turned out of the sacks and at the bottom of one of the sacks found a little stubble. The heap of soot in his field was on stubble and the soot was taken from near the bottom. The soot found at the Mr Fossey's had been mixed with turf dust. Around the soot heap were the footsteps of two men. The right footstep of one was quite distinctive and matched the right foot of John Taylor. The heap of soot had been brought from London by his teams. In the soot found in the prisoner's sack he found a paper with a black edge and some writing.

item

Burman, Samuel,
Taylor, John,
Stone, Jason,
Fossey, Abraham

STUDHAM, KENSWORTH, stealing, chimney sweep