QSR1842/4/5/53-54

Deposition and examinations - Maria Ricketts and Julia Burnage

29 July 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

Richard Perry of Woburn, labourer - he is employed by the Duke of Bedford. On Tuesday 26 July he was ordered to watch in the Park to see that the persons who are allowed to pick up the wood in the park which is blown off the trees did not take away any other wood. Between 3 and 4pm he saw Maria Ricketts, wife of John Ricketts of Woburn, labourer, and Julia Burnage of Woburn, singlewoman, coming down the Park from the direction of a place called the charcoal pits where there is a quantity of roots and butts of trees drawn for the purpose of burning for charcoal. Each had a bundle of wood on her head and shoulder. The bundles appeared very heavy and he suspected they had wood other than that allowed to be taken away. He asked Maria Rickett to let him look in her bundle. At the top was a quantity of very small wood such as she had a right to pick up, but underneath was a quantity of roots and butts of trees which he has no doubt came fromt he heap of wood at the charcoal pits. He told her she had no business with the roots and other wood which he took out of the bundle and laid in a heap by the side. She admitted she had no business with it and wished to be allowed to take it back. The bundle is the large bundle now produced. He looked into Julia Burnage's bundle and found the same. She also begged to be allowed to take the roots and butts back, but he refused. It is the small bundle now produced. The wood is the property of the Duke of Bedford. Maria Ricketts did not say to him she had them from Milton Wood. She distinctly said she had them from the charcoal pits. Maria Ricketts - when Richard Perry met her he took out some of the bits and said she should not have them until the foreman saw them. She asked to be allowed to take those bits back and he refused. She did not say to him they came from the charcoal pits. She said she picked them up outside Milton Wood. Julia Burnage - they had the bits outside Milton Wood. They did not go in for them. They did not have them from the charcoal pits.

item

Burnage, Julia,
Ricketts, Maria,
Perry, Richard,
Russell, Francis (7th Duke of Bedford)

WOBURN, Milton Bryan Milton wood, stealing, wood, rural industry