QSR1842/4/5/57

Depositions - Austin Smith charged with stealing deal board from Francis Duke of Bedford

19 July 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

George Hewlatt of Woburn, carpenter - on Thrusday July 14 he saw Austin Smith and William Harris, who were both in the employ of the Duke of Bedford as carpenters, loading a truck in a hovel where they were at work. He saw them put several short pieces of deal board into the truck, taking them from between some floor boards that were stored in the hovel and their tool chests. He saw William Harris draw the truck out of the yard by a back way. Harris was at work at the other end of that building. The pieces were about 2 feet long. No pieces of that length were required at te building or any of the works on which Harris and Smith were employed for the Duke that he knows of. He said nothing to Smith. He had not seen Smith remove any other boards. He could not hear anything that passed between Smith and Harris. John Pacey of Aspley Guise, carpenter - he is the over looker of all the Duke of Bedford's building works at Oakley. Smith was employed for the Duke at Mr Gosling's Hill Farm. William Harris was also employed for the Duke. On Thursday they were boarding the roof of the barn and only long boards of 20 or 21 feet were required. All the wood on the Farm belongs to the Duke. When short lengths are required for the building they are cut as needed, not cut previously. There should not have been any short pieces under the hovel. He was in the hovel in the morning and saw no short pieces then. If there had been he would have noticed them as it is his business to look to such things. Smith had no authority to remove any board except for the purposes of his work. John Mackness of Steventon, carpenter - he has been working for the Duke of Bedford at Mr Gosling's Hill Farm for 6 or 7 weeks. Smith and Harris were also employed there. The workmen are allowed to sell the chips. Harris used to sell the chips and divide the money with himself and Smith. Hewlat does not work with them - he is at work in a different part of the job. He received the last chip money from Harris last Saturday. Harris paid him 2d, dividing 6d between them. He does not recollect that he ever received 10d from him at one time. It was less than a week before the Saturday that he had received some chip money from Harris. He believes they then had a shilling's worth between the three of them, which is the most he received at one time in the last fortnight. About 2 or 3 weeks ago last Saturday Samuel Berrill owed them 6d for some chips and called to him as he went along the road to pay him. Berrill asked if he could get some pieces 2 feet 6 or 2 feet 8 long to make a tray. He did not answer Berrill. Berrill never asked him again. He told Harris what Berrill had said. He did not mention it to anyone else. He thinks Harris said he would see. He had no other talk with Harris about it. He did not know Harris ever received other money than chip money from Berrill.

item

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

WOBURN, ASPLEY GUISE, STEVINGTON, OAKLEY, stealing, crime, wood, carpenter