QSR1842/4/5/32

Depositions and examination - Joseph Kempson charged with stealing wheat in the straw from William Pratt

29 August and 3 September 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

29th August ------------------ William Pratt of Totternhoe, farmer - he had some wheat cut, part of it lay in "reaps" and part was shocked. On Friday he saw the wheat. The next Monday he discovered some of the wheat had been taken out of the shocks. The bands of the sheaves were loose and some of the wheat which had been taken out lay across the top of the shocks. He saw some of the wheat had been taken from the "reaps". He found 2 handfulls of wheat in the straw tied up lying by the "reaps". From information he received he suspected his straw had been stolen by 2 persons at Stanbridge. He went with the police constable John Tutte and searched the house of George Hemmings and found a quantity of the ears of wheat and the straw of some of the wheat that had been buried in the dust hole at the back of the house. He believes the ears and straws with some from his sheaves and believes they are the same. He also found about a bushel and a half of wheat thrashed and 3 sacks of ears. The thrashed wheat was covered up with the ears. He then went and searched Joseph Kempson's house. He found a bundle of new straws (drawn) and two small bundles. The largest bundle of straw is mixed with the outside of one kind and the inside of another. He knows the indside to be his property. He also found a quantity of wheat ears, about a sack and a half. The bundles of straw now produced are the bundles found in Kempson's house and one found by William Cooper. Both are his straw. John Tutte of Dunstable, police constable - he accompanied William Pratt to seach Kempson's house. They found three bundles of straw which he now produces. John King of Stanbridge, labourer - on Saturday fortnight 13 August he was coming from work at about 10pm and met Joseph Kempson at the bottom of Tilsworth lane. Another man was with him. He had a bag or sack on his arm. If he had kept on in the direction he saw him going it would have brought him to Mr Pratt's wheat field. George Circuit of Stanbridge, labourer - he saw Joseph Kempson on Wednesday 17 August. He was going in the direction of Tilsworth Wood. He had a bundle of straw. He stopped and spoke to him. The bundle of straw produced is very like the bundle Kempson had with him. William Cooper of Tilsworth, farmer - he lives at Tilsworth. He found a bundle of drawn straws in Tilsworth wood last Thursday. Teh bundle now produced is the same one. It lay about 20 yards from the footpath. Thomas Procter of Leighton Buzzard, dealer in straws - on Wednesday 17 August he was going from Dunstable Market about 12 or 1pm to his home at Leighton. He met Kempson and another man he did not know between Brewers Hall Farm and Sewell going towards Dunstable. Neither of them had a bundle or any other package. He asked the other man if he had seen him at Dunstable market that morning. The man said yes. He asked if he was the man that the piece of work was about respecting the 3 bundles of straws. Joseph Kempson then said "they can't swear to the straws can they Procter". The other man said he was going to Dunstable to clear himself. He replied that was the best way if he was an innocent man. Joseph Kempson - he has never been near Mr Pratt's wheat, only along the footpath to Tatnal. He went gleaning 3 days and his wife four, and today the men have threshed it out. He thinks they got about 3 pecks to a bushel in the 7 days. The straws he had in the house he bought and paid for. He went to Mr Pratt's barn and his were sold, then to Mr Clemens and he had none, and to his father's. Going back to Sewell he met a man whose name he did not know who had four bundles. He bought them at a penny a pound. There were 60 lbs. One bundle he cut up and his wife plaited, and one bundle he sold for 15d. The other two he left at home. One bundle Mr Pratt took from his house and two small bunches, and the other bundle is in his house now. That is all the straw he has had in his house this year. 3 September -------------------- Jane Cooper of Stanbridge, widow - she lives next door to Joseph Kempson. She can hear what people say in his house - the wall between the houses is thin. Three weeks ago George Hemmings came to Kempson's about 9pm. He heard Hemmings say to Kempson "if we go tonight we shall be watched". She then went to bed.

item

Kempson, Joseph,
Pratt, William,
Tutte, John,
King, John,
Circuit, George,
Cooper, William,
Procter, Thomas,
Hemmings, George,
Cooper, Jane

TOTTERNHOE, DUNSTABLE, STANBRIDGE, TILSWORTH, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, Sewell, stealing, wheat, straw, police constable, farmer, straw dealer