QSR1880/1/5/15

Deposition of George Ayres, bakers assistant of Dunstable, Fanny Gregory, a publican of Dunstable, Sarah Jefford, of Chalton, Henry Nash, of Dunstable and John Potts, blacksmith of Sundon. In the case of Charles Goode accused of stealing a bushel and a half of flour.

24 December 1879

From: 1879 To: 1880

Henry Nash: a baker living at Dunstable. On 10 December he missed a bushel and half of flour. He had seen it the previous evening. On the morning of 10 December, Goode and George Ayres were in the bakehouse and he asked them if they knew anything of the missing flour. They had slept in the bakehouse all night. (Cross Examination) the warrant had been made by him after his nephew Ayres had been liberated on another charge. The flour to be used by the prisoner and Ayres in baking was left in the trough. It was possible Ayres and Goode might have added flour to the dough. George Ayres: he was in the prosecutors employ and he had been with the prisoner all night on 9 December. They had to make some dough withn7 bushels of flour. There was some more flour stood in a sack. He went to sleep and the prisoner woke him and told him he had some flour ordered. He told him to take it. He asked him where he was going and he said to the Wheatsheaf. He went with him and stood inside the door. The landlord Mr Gregory asked why he had not brought it before and he said he had been out with bread and Partridge would call for I next day and take it to the Red Lion at Bidwell. The following morning he went with the prisoner down to the Wheatsheaf and Partridge was there. Goode said to Partridge he was not tp make a noise about it. Goode out it on the prosecutors cart and we took it to Mrs Jeffords at Charlton. Goode told her his master had no flour and he had called for it at Mr Smith’s at Houghton. He put the flour into paper bags, guessing at the right quantity. Ayres said he would have nothing to do with it. Goode then went to he Sundon and sold the rest of the flour. 4 quarters of flour remained unsold, which he left at Mr Thompson’s in Burr Street, Luton. Fanny Gregory: he husband kept the Wheatsheaf. On 9 December Goode and another boy brought the flour to her house. They came to fetch it away the next morning. Partridge was there when the prisoner called in the morning. Goods took the flour away. Sarah Jefford: Goode and Ayres brought some bread and flour for him. She noticed afterwards that the flour was a little chappy. They brought the flour in a sack and asked if they could make it up into bags, which she allowed them to do. She always dealt with the prosecutor and always paid money to the prisoner and Ayres. They generally had flour to sell as well as bread. John Potts: a blacksmith at Sundon. He bought half a bushel of flour off the prisoner on 10 December. He said he had bought it for someone else and they could not pay for it. Henry Tofield: [an intended witness was omitted to be called] on 23 December 1879 he apprehended Goode. Goode said he knew nothing about it. He was told it was the flour he had taken to the Wheatsheaf. He said he knew some flour was taken to the Wheatsheaf but he had not touched it or carried it. He said Ayres had carried it and he had walked behind. Tofield had been present when the prisoner had been convicted for 14 days at Dunstable and 6 months at Aylesbury. Statement of the accused: said he was innocent about the flour.

8 pages

item

Goode, Charles,
Ayres, George,
Gregory, Fanny,
Jefford, Sarah,
Nash, Henry,
Potts, John,
Tofield, Henry

DUNSTABLE, SUNDON, stealing, flour, baker, Chalton, blacksmith, publican