QSR1842/4/5/19-20/a

Deposition of William Elmes of St Neots (Hunts) - William Brunt and Francis Sketchley

10 August 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

He is waggoner to Mr Wood and drives his waggon from St Neots to London. Last Thursday he left St Neots about 12pm. He is sure the pad [shown to him] was in his waggon when he left. It was directed to Darrington who is a meat salesman in London. He knew it contained meat. He had a heavy load and a cart was behind the wagon. As he was going along the road near Wyboston the hasp on the waggon to which the cart was tied came undone and the cart fell off. He looked into the waggon at that time and the pad was there, about 3 or 4 feet from the end of the wagon. He went down the road about 100 yards and while he was by the cart two men came up to him and asked him whether he had seen a horse on the road. He said he had not. The men went on with him to Mrs Martin's. He left the cart behind and took the waggon. The horses ran on at a good pace. The waggon was gone on when the men came up to him. The two men went in with him to Mrs Martin's (they were Brunt and Sketchley). He never saw the men again until this morning. He is quite sure at the time the cart fell off the waggon he looked in at the tail of the waggon and saw the pad there. He first missed the pad on the other side of Tempsford Gate. There is only one cottage till he got to Tempsford. Ashly's Huntingdon waggon, a great stage waggon, was close behind him and came up to Mrs Martin while he was there and left Mrs Martin's while he was there.

item

Brunt, William,
Sketchley, Francis,
Elms, William,
Wood, Frederick Jenkinson,
Martin

St Neots, London, TEMPSFORD, stealing, pork, road transport, waggon, waggoner