QSR1844/1/5/41/a

Depositions - George Brazier charged with stealing coals from Philip Brazier

18 December 1843

From: 1843 To: 1844

Robert Phipps of Shefford, agent to Messrs Foster & Son, coal merchants – on Tuesday December 11 between 12 and 1pm the prisoner came to their yard at Shefford with a horse and cart and asked for 20 cwt of Blyth coal for Mr Philip Brazier of Barton. He weighted the coal and put 16 cwt in the cart loose and 4 cwt in 2 sacks which Brazier brought with him. Brazier then went into the office and paid the clerk for the coals. The sacks were sort of soot sacks. Philip Brazier of Barton, baker – on Tuesday last he sent George Brazier to Messrs Fosters and Sons wharf at Shefford for 20 cwt of Blyth coal. He thought the prisoner was gone a long time. PC Kitchener happened to come into his shop and he asked if he had seen the prisoner. Kitchener said he had not. Between 7 and 9pm Brazier returned with the coal. He had a sack of coal on the cart and emptied the coal in the barn. From information her received from PC Kitchener he weighed the coal the next morning and found there was only 17 ½ cwt. He locked it up until it was weighed in the morning. There were no other coals in the barn. John Kitchener of Barton, police constable – on Tuesday about 6pm Phiip Brazier told him George Brazier of Sharpenhoe had gone to Shefford to fetch him a load of coal and asked if he had seen him. He said no, but he was going down to the village and would look for him. He later saw George Brazier’s cart standing at Francis Brazier’s house in Barton. George Brazier was taking a sack off the car which he supposed to contain about 2 cwt of coal. George Brazier took it into Francis Brazier’s house and brought the sack back empty. He then went back to Philip Brazier and told him what he had seen. He stopped until George Brazier came up with his cart and when he was preparing to unload he asked him how much he had got. George Brazier said a ton. He saw the coals put into the barn and then locked the door and gave the key to Philip Brazier. The next morning he went and saw the coals weighed. The sack was a sort of soot sack. Francis Brazier of Barton, labourer – on Tuesday morning George Brazier said he was going to Shefford to get some coals. He told him to bring him a hundredweight and gave him a sovereign to pay for it and bring him the change. In the evening George Brazier came and said he did not change the sovereign. He paid him 3 shillings. He had got other coals in the cart. The coals George Brazier brought to him were in an old sack with string tied round the bottom. It was a dark sack like a soot sack.

item

Brazier, George,
Brazier, Philip,
Phipps, Robert,
Kitchener, John,
Brazier, Francis,
Foster & Son

SHEFFORD, Barton, Sharpenhoe, stealing, coal, coal merchant, agent, police constable