QSR1881/4/5/6

Depositions of Ebenezer Marshall, market gardener of Sandy, James Watts, police constable of Sandy, Alfred Hill, railway porter of Sandy, William Baldry, market gardener of Sandy, Francis William Sharp, painter of Blunham and William Armantage Wells, basker maker of Biggleswade. In the case of William Baldwin accused of stealing 5 baskets

14 September 1881

From: 1881 To: 1881

Ebenezer Marshall: on 29 August he had been at Sandy Railway station and had found 5 skips in a bundle. He called over the porter, Alfred Hill and on examining the skips could his initials “E.M.”. The labels showed the skips consigned to William Baldwin of Sandy and sent from Josiah H Bath, fruit and potato salesman of Borough Marker in London. On 30 August he saw the same skips in the possession of Baldwin. Policeman Watts was present and he heard Baldwin say he had besmeared the skips. [cross examination] he had been sending garden produce to London and for years had sent produce to Josiah Bath. He had sent some in his own hampers and skips. He had seen other sips addressed to Baldwin. On 30 August, Baldwin said to him that if they were his skips, then he may take them and it would all be over. Baldwin would buy Baldry’s garden produce. He had bought the skips about 1 August and a few weeks previous he had said to Baldwin that he would not be sending anymore stuff to Bath. He had given Baldwin some of Bath’s baskets to use. They were not skips. James Watts: from information received he went to William Baldwin, marker gardener of Sandy and asked if he had fetched a bundle of empty skips from the Great Northern Railways station that morning. Baldwin said he had, and that the skips were his own. Asked who had had bough the skips from, Baldwin said from a man in London and that he had blacken over the original marks so he would know them as his own, as he was no scholar. He fetched the skips and Ebenezer Marshall identified them as his own. Baldwin told Marshall to take them if they were his. Alfred Hill: a foreman porter at Sandy Station. On 29 August, there had been a bundle of 5 empty skips come from London directed to William Baldwin. Ebenezer Marshall came to the station and saw the skips. He identified them as his property. On 30 August he saw William Baldwin leave the station with the skips and the same night he was present when PC Watts and Marshall went to Baldwin’s yard. Baldwin said he was not a scholar, so had marked the skips in black. Baldwin said he had bought 10 skips but did not know from whom. Baldwin had many skips from Bath. Baldwin cannot read and generally would go by colours and would ask him which his skips were. William Baldry: lived at Warren Farm. On 18 August he had filled 5 skips with scarlet runners for Baldwin. He had fetched the skips from Baldwin’s. Baldwin was in the habit of having skips from Bath. Baldwin would buy from him and had taken 100 tonnes of potatoes since Christmas. Baldwin would not read or write. William Armantage Wells: a basket maker and furniture dealer of Biggelswade, On 29 July, he sold the skips produced to Ebenezer Marshall of Beeston. He recognised them by his own marks in the workmanship and by the letters EAM. Francis William Sharp: was given the skips by PC Watts. He took the skips and dressed them with a chemical preparation to remove the tar from them. Statement of the accused – William Baldwin: he was not guilty and left his case to his solicitor.

11 pages including a sales label.

item

Baldwin, William,
Marshall, Ebenezer,
Watts, James,
Hill, Alfred,
Baldry, William,
Sharp, Francis William,
Wells, William Armantage,
Bath, Josiah

stealing, basketmaker, SANDY, Beeston, market gardener, railway porter, Great Northern Railway Company, painter, BLUNHAM, BIGGLESWADE, Southwark Borough Market