QSR1844/1/5/2

Depositions and examination - Thomas Townsend of Eaton Socon charged with stealing potatoes value 1s 9d

25 October 1843

From: 1843 To: 1844

William Stocker of Eaton Socon, publican – between 6 and 7am this morning he received information and went to his potato pit in his field and found it had been opened. There was a small hole in it and some potatoes scattered about. The policeman came to see whether he had lost any potatoes and showed him a sample of some he had got in a bag. They correspond with his. There are two sorts – pink eyed and red kidneys. The ones in his pit are the same sorts. George Paine – he was at work for Mr Stocker yesterday. Mr Stocker sent him to cover the potatoes at night. He went to the pit and found it had already been covered up by William Townsend. Henry Smalley, police constable no.2 – about 7.45pm he and Beach met Townsend and his brother going towards Eaton Socon and stopped them, but did not see that they had anything. William Townsend passed on. Beach asked Thomas Townsend what he had got in his bag. They looked and found about a bushel of potatoes. Townsend said he picked the potatoes up on the road from Duloe. Townsend was coming from Mr Stocker’s potato pit towards his own house and was about 200 yards from where he lives. Mr Stocker had told him last Monday that people had been stealing his potatoes, so he took a sample of the potatoes found on Townsend and compared them with those in the pit. They corresponded in type and size. They found the potato pit had been broken open. William Beach, police constable no.6 – confirms the evidence given by Smalley. Thomas Townsend – “It is all true what they have said as to meeting me with the bag of potatoes but I found them in Mr John Hall’s field on the road to Duloe.”

item

Townsend, Thomas,
Stocker, William,
Paine, George,
Smalley, Henry,
Beach, William,
Hall, John

EATON SOCON, Duloe, stealing, potatoes, publicans, police constables