QSR1844/1/5/17

Depositions and examination - James Elkerton charged wtih stealing one sack and a bushell and a half of potatoes value 1s 6d from Joseph Norman at Leighton Buzzard on 1 November 1843.

16 November 1843

From: 1843 To: 1844

Joseph Norman of Leighton Buzzard, labourer – on 31 October he dug up 4 ½ sacks full of potatoes he had been growing on a piece of land he occupied in Leighton Buzzard open field. As it became very wet he left them on the ground at night. When he went there then next morning he saw that the ½ sack had been taken away during the night. About 7.30am, before he went to his potato ground his wife came to him in his stable and said she had seen a man pass by his house on the road leading towards the house of Samuel Yerrell with an old sack on his back with something in it and saw him set it down against Yerrell’s door. He went out of his stable and saw a man standing against Yerrell’s house with a half full sack. He spoke to the man but did not know him. He has no doubt it was the prisoner. It was about 9.30am when he went to his potato ground and missed the half sack. He then went to Yerrell’s and inquired of his son (William Yerrell) who it was that had taken potatoes to his hosue for sale that morning. He said it was Elkerton and showed him a sack Elkerton had taken there with potatoes in it. He recognized it as his sack. He asked to see the potatoes but did not notice them. He tracked the marks of a man’s shoes from his potatoes all the way to the high road. William Yerrell of Leighton Buzzard, labourer – he lives with his father, who is a butcher and pig dealer at Leighton Buzzard. His father is in the frequent habit of buying refuse potatoes from the poor people of Leighton for his pigs. When his father is not home he buys the potatoes for him. On 1 November about 8am the prisoner came to his father’s house with about a bushel and a half of potatoes in a sack for sale. He took them and asked where Elkerton got them. Elkerton said he picked some up overnight and the rest that morning. He thinks Elkerton said he picked them up from George Richardson’s acres. He bought them for 9d. Elkerton said he would call for the sack after a while. About 10am Norman came and enquired about the potatoes. He showed Norman the sack and potatoes. The potatoes were thrown on a heap with others. Norman owned the sack and took it away, but left the potatoes. James Elkerton – he picked the potatoes up about the lands. He does not know what lands, there are so many of them. Anybody may go and pick up the refuse potatoes. He found the sack in the high road that morning about 6.30am, by the side of the road about 200 yards the other side of Flints. It was empty.

item

Elkerton, James,
Norman, Joseph,
Yerrell, William,
Yerrell, Samuel

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, stealing, potatoes, Leighton Buzzard fields, butcher, pig dealer, pigs