QSR1844/3/5/6

Depositions and examination - Charles Arpin Costin charged with stealing 3 1/2 bushels of tail wheat value 21s from Joseph Pain at Felmersham on 29 April 1844

30 April 1844

From: 1844 To: 1844

Joseph Pain of Felmersham, farmer – yesterday about 5.30pm from what his servant told him he went to the barn where Costin was at work. He asked if Costin had taken anything of his away. Costin said he had not. He said “nothing?” twice and Costin again said he had not. He said “have you not taken something away in a sack?” Costin said he had taken some wheat and said he had aske Master Thomas to let him have it. Costin said the wheat was at his house. He then went with his son Thomas to Costin’s house and asked his wife if Costin had brought anything home. She at first denied it but later said he had brought some wheat. He went upstairs and found about 3 ½ bushels of wheat. It is called tail-wheat and worth about 6s a bushel. He knows the wheat is his. Jonas Clark of Felmersham, servant – he is servant to Mr Pain. Yester morning he was watching a hen’s nest near to the barn where Costin was at work. He had a suspicion that Costin had been stealing some eggs. He stood in the cart hovel about 20 minutes then saw Costin in the barn up on the mow throwing beans down. When Costin came down he went towards the other end of the barn where there was some wheat in a sack. Costin was there about 5 minutes. Costin then left the barn with a sack on his back containing about 2 bushels of what appeared to be corn. He later went into the barn and missed about 2 bushels of tail wheat from a sack. About half an hour later he saw Costin come back with an empty sack on his arm. He informed his master. Between 1 and 2pm he went again to the barn and found the remainder of the wheat and the sack was gone. This morning he found the sack in the barn empty. Thomas Pain of Felmersham, farmer – he never gave Costin permission to take any wheat from his father’s barn. Charles Arpin Costin – “I asked Master Thomas about three weeks ago for some wheat and he said he would see about it”.

item

Costin, Charles Arpin,
Pain, Joseph,
Clark, Jonas,
Pain, Thomas

FELMERSHAM, stealing, wheat, farmer, servant, eggs, beans