QSR1842/4/5/10-11/a

Depositions - William Harris and Samuel Berrill charged with stealing deal boards from Francis, Duke of Bedford

18 July 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

George Hewlat of Woburn, carpenter - he is employed by the Duke of Bedford as a carpenter and works at Oakley at a house now being build for his Grace. Harris was also at work for the Duke as a carpenter in the outbuildings. On Friday 8 July about 10am he saw Harris carry a deal board about 18 or 20 feet long across the yard to the hovel in the yard where Harris was at work. He saw Harris cut it into short lengths and put the pieces out of the way between some other wood and his tool chests. He knew Harris did not want any short pieces for any work he was doing for the Duke. On Thursday 14 July between 10 and 11am he saw Harris and Austin Smith who was also at work for the Duke go with a truck to the hovel and fetch out the short pieces and put them in the truck. He did not go over to interfere with them at all. He could not see whether the truck was loaded or not. He cannot say they were the same pieces, but they were short lengths taken from the same place where he saw Harris put the pieces on the Friday. All the wood on the premises belongs to the Duke. He saw Harris draw the truck away out of the yard. Smith remained under the hovel. In the afternoon he saw the truck empty in the yard. He thinks Harris was drawing it. It was drawn to the hovel and he saw Harris and Smith fill it with chips. There is a back way leading out of Mr Gosling's yard into the road. When the truck was drawn out of the yard with the short lengths he supposes it was drawn along that back way. He saw Harris draw it as far as the pond in the close towards the road and then lost sight of him. That is the way to Harris's lodgings and also to Berrill's house. He never told Harris he had seen him. Last Friday morning was the first time he saw Pacey the foreman of the works and he told him what he had seen Harris do. Samuel Berrill - he bought the board from Harris but Hewlatt is wrong - it was on Wednesday not Thursday George Hewlat - it was on Thursday. [Response to the Bench] He did not see the truck drawn right into the yard in the aftern oon. It is a truck used for general purposes in the yard. John Pacey of Aspley, carpenter - he is the overlooker for the Duke of Bedford's works at Oakley. Last Friday morning July 15th from what Hewlat said to him he called Harris and asked what he had been doing. Harris said "nothing at all". He told Harris he had been told by one of the men that Harris had been seen cutting up deal boards and taking them in a truck. Harris asked who had told him this. He told Harris it was Hewlat. Harris acknowledged it and said "let me go to Hewlat and settle it". He refused and told him to keep away from Hewlat. He then went to Berrill's - Berrill is a bricklayer living within 100 yards of where he spoke to Harris. Harris lives at Husborne Crawley but is lodging alone at Oakley during the works there and only occupies a bedroom. He called Berrill out of his house and said Berrill had been buying stuff from his men. Berrill said all he had bought was some chips. He then went back to Hewlat and made further inquiry. The next day he accompanied Superintendent Jebbettt to search Berrill's premises. Behind some bins they found 10 pieces of board cut to work up for washing trays. The pieces are not marked but are of the same quality as other boards at the premises where Harris was working. Berrill admitted he had bought the pieces from Harris. He said he gave 5 shillings for the last lot. He pointed to 2 new wash trays and asked if those boards also came from Harris - Berrill said they did. Berrill said the boards came in three different lots. There must have been more than one board altogether. All the pieces together measure 42 feet. Henry Ison Jebbett, superintendent of police - he accompanied Pacey on Saturday to Oakley and searched the house and premises of Berrill. He found two or three parcels of chips which Pacey said was not the sort of wood he wanted to find. He eventually found between a flour bin and the wall ten pieces of deal board secreted between a flour bin and the wall, covered over with a lot of rubbish and chips. Pacey said it was the wood he was looking for and he knew it to be the Duke's. Berrill at that moment began to express his sorrow at having bought the wood. He told Berrill he had better keep quiet and not incriminate himself. Berrill said "it is no use denying it - it's a bad job. I shall not deny it". His attention was drawn to two new wash trays standing close by, evidently recently made up from new wood. Berrill acknowledged they were made from wood he had purchased from Harris. He again cautioned him, but Berrill persisted in saying he bought the wood from Harris and altogether bought three lots. Afterwards he went to Husborne Crawley and apprehended Harris. He got there about 11pm. When Harris came down and unlocked the front door he began to exclaim "Oh dear! Oh dear! I know what you are come about - it's about the deal or stuff that I sold at Oakley". He cautioned Harris but he persisted in saying he was very sorry. Harris asked where Mr Pacey was as he had hoped Pacey would have forgiven him. Harris said there were other parties in the business besides himself and that he had only received his share. Harris said he had received half a crown for his share of the last lot and had given the other half crown to Austin Smith. Harris said he had received 4 shillings from Berrill at two separate times within the last fortnight and had received his share of this.

item

Harris, William,
Berrill, Samuel,
Russell, Francis (7th Duke of Bedford),
Hewlatt, George,
Pacey, John,
Jebbett, Henry Ison,
Smith, Austin

stealing, crime, wood, carpenter, bricklayer, OAKLEY, HUSBORNE CRAWLEY, WOBURN