QSR1844/2/5/9

Depositions and examination - James Readman charged with stealing a quantity of ash and elm wood prepared for posts and piles (value 1s) from William Armstrong at Houghton Conquest on 12 March 1844

28 March 1844

From: 1844 To: 1844

Samuel Smith of Houghton Conquest, labourer – he is bailiff for Mr William Armstrong on a farm in Houghton Conquest. On 29 February some ash and elm wood cut ready for fencing was laid in a cow hovel in a field on the farm. Some had been there for more than a fortnight. He missed a good deal of it. On 29 February he saw Readman go to the cow hovel about 6.30pm. He was just behind the hovel and heard the prisoner inside. He heard the door shut. Readman came round the hovel to where he had been standing. He walked some distance before Readman and seized him when they got outside the farm. Readman then had part of a pile – some boards and some chips. He took the wood from Readman. A day or two later with the assistance of Atterbury he searched the house where Readman lives and found a quantity of ash and elm wood, ready cut for posts and poles for fences. He has no doubt they were stolen from the hovel. They are cut in the same way as the remaining pieces. James Atterbury of Houghton Conquest, police constable – he is parish constable of Houghton Conquest. On 12 March he went to Readman’s house and found in the barn a quantity of wood put in the corner with other wood set up before it to hide it. The wood consisted of pieces of ash and elm ready prepared for fencing. Smith identified them as being his master’s property. He went to the hovel and took a piece which he compared with one of the pieces at Readman’s. They matched exactly, and had clearly been one piece, with the same grain. It is all new wood. James Readman – does not wish to say anything.

item

Readman, James,
Armstrong, William,
Smith, Samuel,
Atterbury, James

HOUGHTON CONQUEST, stealing, wood, ash, elm, bailiff, police constable, parish constable