QSR1844/1/5/22

Deposition - William Townsend charged with stealing haulm

23 November 1843

From: 1843 To: 1844

Henry Smalley of Eaton Socon, one of the Rural Police – he knows Townsend. About 5 o’clock last night (November 23) he saw Townsend in one of Mr John Hall’s fields at Eaton Socon where there were haulm shocks. He saw Townsend go to one of the haulm shocks, rake together some of the haulm and tie it up. Townsend put it on his shoulder and went away with it. About 300 or 400 yards further he apprehended Townsend with the haulm on his back. Townsend had been cutting grass out of the ditch and put that over the haulm and tied it up so that nobody could see the haulm without untying the bundle. He thinks the value of the haulm to be about 3d or 4d. Townsend was in the ditch and pulled the haulm towards him with a bean hook. There are marks to be seen where the haulm is scattered from the shock to the ditch.

item

Townsend, William,
Smalley, Henry,
Hall, John

EATON SOCON, stealing, agricultural labourer, agriculture crops