QSR1842/3/5/25-26

Depositions and examinations - Joseph Chance and Edward Wootton

10 May 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

Samuel Holdstock of Stopsley, blacksmith - his mother Mary Holdstock is a widow and lives at Toddington, On Saturday May 7th he had a flock bed, her property, in a cart. He was moving it to his own house. He also had a bolster, 2 pillows, a blanket and a quilt (also her property) and other goods in the cart. He was going down a hill in Toddington about 9pm. He met the 2 prisoners who bid him good night. He was riding in front of the cart. About a mile further on he got down and looked in the back of his cart. He missed the bed and the other things mentioned. They could not have fallen out as there was a tailboard and some other things were above them which were tied down. On the following Monday he met the 2 prisoners again near the same place as on Saturday, He asked them if they could tell him anything about the bed and they said they knew nothing about it. He saw them again at the Public House at Chalton yesterday. There was some conversation about his loss, and Joseph Chance said whoever found it ought to have 5s. He said he would give 3s. Chance said if he would give 3s and half a gallon of beer he'd help him to them. Chance went with him nearly 2 miles to a clover field in Toddington. Chance said he would show him where he laid it the first night. Chance pointed out a place, then said he moved it to the bottom of the field and covered it over with grass. Chance took him to the place and he saw the bed and bedding all tied up as he put them in the cart. The cover was not dirty as if it had fallen on the road. On Saturday night the road was rather dirty and there had been showers. Chance helped him to carry the things to the Public House. Chance had the 3 shillings before he went. Wootton said very little about it and did not go with him. He did not see Chance give Wootton any of the money though they did drink together. The bed and things were in a field just opposite where he met the two prisoners on Saturday night. Samuel Hornal, police constable no.39 - he took the 2 prisoners into custody yesterday afternoon. Chance said to Wootton "you say that I found the bed and put it over the hedge and that you went after the cart and could not catch it - and I'll swear you never touched the bed and that'll get you off and you can appear as a witness for me". Chance also said "you musn't say another word before the Justice" and "I dare say I shall get half a year for it and you must help my wife to pay the rent". Chance knew he heard what he was saying, and told Wootton several times not to say a word more than that. Joseph Chance - he went to Leagrave to sell a gun and as he was coming back he met somebody with a cart. Wootton was with him. After they had passed the cart they both stopped to do a job for themselves and saw the bed laying on the road on the other side of the hill. He told Wootton to go after the cart. He put it under the hedge on the road side. Wootton went home and when he came to Chalton the next day they did not say anything about it. They moved the bed to another part of the field. On Monday he met Holdstock who asked if they had heard anything about a bed. He asked if Holdstock had had it cried and if there was a reward. Holdstock said no. When they sat at the Public House in Chalton Holdstock came in again. The bed was talked of - he said that if anyone told Holdstock of his bed he would have them up for taking it off his cart and have them transported if he could. Holdstock said he would not. He said that if Holdstock had come and given him one shilling on Sunday he would have been better satisified than with 3 shillings now. Edward Wootton - after they met Holdstock they saw the bed in the road. He went after Holdstock but could not hear him. When he got back to Chance he put the bed over the hedge. He never touched it at all. It lay there until Sunday when Chance moved it to the bottom of the field. He was in the road and did not go near the bed at all.

item

Chance, Joseph,
Wootton, Edward,
Holdstock, Samuel,
Holdstock, Mary

STOPSLEY, TODDINGTON, Chalton, LEAGRAVE, stealing, household goods, blacksmith