Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1871/3/5/5-6/b
  • Title
    Depositions and examinations - Barnard Brooks and George Brooks of Ampthill, charged with stealing 1 cwt of mangold wurzell value 1s 6d from John Dowdeswell of Maulden, farmer, on 2 May 1871 at Maulden.
  • Date free text
    8 May 1871
  • Production date
    From: 1871 To: 1871
  • Scope and Content
    Benjamin Sinfield of Maulden, labourer – on Tuesday 2 May 1871 about 9.30pm he met Barnard Brooks coming in the direction from Flitwick to Maulden with 2 sacks on his arm. Brooks went past the gate leading to the mangold wurzel pit until he [Sinfield] was out of sight. Then Brooks turned back and went to the pit. He went further up the road nearer to the pit and saw Brooks putting the wurzels into the sack. Soon after George Brooks came up with a horse and cart from the same direction, turned it and placed it within 10 yards of the gate. He came out from where he was watching and spoke to George Brooks. He could see Barnard Brooks at the pit. George Brooks coughed and Barnard Brooks ran away from the pit. He went to the pit and found a sack with about 1cwt of wurzels in it which he took to his master John Dowdeswell of Maulden, farmer. The next morning he gave the wurzels to Supt. James. When he met Barnard Brooks, one of the sacks was tied at the bottom, and so is the one produced. He knows where the prisoners live. They were both going away from home when he first saw them. [Cross-examination] He watched the pit from about 40 yards off. George had not quite got to the gate when he turned. George did not stop after he spoke to him. He stopped for 5 minutes. It was quite light at the time. James Sinfield of Maulden, labourer – he is the son of the last witness and lives with his father. On Tuesday night about 9.10pm both the prisoners came by the Maulden Meeting House with a horse and cart. He went after them and caught hold of the back of the cart when opposite the wurzel pit. Barnard Brooks asked him whether he was going to Flitwick. He told him no, he was not going much farther. When he got home it was about 9.20. Before long he heard a cart go up the road back again. Both prisoners live up Abbey Lane in Ampthill parish. They were going towards home when he saw them. William Hillyard, police sergeant stationed at Ampthill – on Tuesday 2 May he took Barnard Brooks into custody and charged him with stealing wurzels from Mr Dowdeswell’s pit on the Maulden Road. Brooks said he was never near there, that he got out of his brother’s cart against the Meeting House at Maulden and went straight across the fields home, and had been home some time when his brother returned. Brooks said they had been to Hitchin market that day. On 4 May he took George Brooks into custody on a warrant and charged him with assisting his brother in stealing the wurzels. George Brooks said he knew nothing of it. On 5 May Barnard Books said they got the sack from Clophill Mill. George James, superintendent of police for Ampthill Division – on 3 May he received the sack with mangoldwurzels in it from Benjamin Sinfield. Barnard Brooks – reserves his defence. George Brooks – he knows nothing about it.
  • Level of description
    item
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