QSR1853/1/5/45/a

Depositions of James Taylor, labourer of Eyworth, Samuel Books, labourer of Eyworth and William Morley, labourer of Eyeworth. In the case of James Saunderson accused of stealing 2 quarts of wheat.

16 November 1852

From: 1852 To: 1853

Samuel Booker: was working on his masters, Mr Saunderson's, farm on 10 November. He saw Mr Lindsell's man drilling in the next field. That afternoon he saw a man acting suspiciously in the field. The man appeared to have something in his hand. He saw the man go to the hedge, stoop down and then go away. He went and told his master and they went to look. His master walked to the place where Booker had seen the man stoop. Booker was sent back to work. James Taylor: worked for Mr Lindsell. On 19 November, from information he received, he went down into Mr Saunderson's field, which is separated from Mr Lindsell's by a brook, and looked in the hedge for a bag. He met Mr Saunderson, who found the bag. He took the bag from him and examined the contents and found it to be wheat. It appeared to be wheat that was ready to be sown. He watched the place where they had found the bag and after about ten minutes he saw James Saunderson come over the brook and go to the place where the bag had been hidden. He went up to Saunderson and asked what he was after. Taylor asked him for the bag and Sanderson offered him another. He asked the prisoner how he'd taken the wheat from the drill and he replied that he hoped Taylor would not hurt him and he would not have taken it had it not been for Joe Brim. He said Joe Brim asked to get him a little. William Morley: in the service of Mr Lindsell. On 10 November he was drilled wheat in Foxhills, a field separated from Mr Saunderson's by a brook. There were about 2 and a half bushels of wheat in the drill. When he returned from lunch he put some more wheat in the drill and did not guess any was missing. He continued drilling the next day, whilst weather allowed and he ended up leaving some wheat in the bottom of the drill.

item

Saunderson, James,
Taylor, James,
Booker, Samuel,
Morley, William,
Brim, Joseph

Eyworth, wheat, stealing