QSR1842/4/5/52

Deposition and examination - Sarah Burnage

29 July 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

William Brown of Milton Bryan - he is a woodman employed by the Duke of Bedford. Last Tuesday about 7.30pm he was going up the footpath leading from Woburn Park Farm to the Abbey. A little past a place called the Charcoal Pits where there is a quantity of roots and butts of trees to burn for charcoal he turned round and saw Sarah Burnage, wife of Joseph Burnage of Woburn, labourer, coming out of the charcoal pits with a bundle on her head and shoulder. He followed and overtook her and told her she had no business there with a bundle of wood after 6pm and required her to lay it down. He emptied the bundle and found a small quantity of small sticks at the top and a quantity of roots and butts of trees underneath. He has no doubt these came from the heap at the charcoal pits. The wood at the charcoal pits is the property of the Duke of Bedford. Sarah Burnage at first refused to give her name. He followed her on towards the town and they met Mr Stevens the principal woodman and she told him her name, after first refusing him three times. Sarah Burnage - she refused her name because she did not know the witness was a woodman and Mr Stevens was also a stranger to her. She picked up the chips and the bits round the place but did not meddle with a heap. The pieces lay about. She did not think any harm or would not have taken it.

item

Burnage, Sarah,
Burnage, Joseph,
Brown, William,
Stevens,
Russell, Francis (7th Duke of Bedford)

MILTON BRYAN, WOBURN, Woburn Park Farm, Woburn Park Farm, crime, stealing, wood, woodman, rural industry