QSR1854/4/5/4-5

Depositions of William Horspool, farm bailiff of Harlington. Philip Ellis, labourer of Harlington. Charles Schofield, contractor of Clapham, Surrey. John Thorogood, police constable of Toddington and William Fowler, foreman of Deadman's Cross. In the case of William Davis & Charles Beavan accused of stealing 19 butts and pieces of timber.

18 August 1854

From: 1854 To: 1854

William Horspool: in the Spring of 1854 there was some timber cut down on Mr Pearce’s Estate at Harlington for sale. Some time during June it was sold and shortly afterwards the 2 prisoners came to saw some of the timber up. He showed them where it was and they began work. They remained about 3 weeks. On 29 July there were certain pieces of timber by the side of a pit. The following day he saw them by the side of a house of a man named Ellis, and afterwards in his possession. He later saw them in the possession of the policeman. It was timber bought by Mr Keys of Birkhamstead. When the prisoners first came to work they said they had been sent by Mr Schofield. Philip Ellis: on 29 July he bought a quantity of wood from the prisoners. There was some by the side and some on the pit of Mr Pearse’s Estate at Harlington. There were 2 or 3 and 20 pieces; be did not count them. He paid 7s and half a gallon of beer for the timber as it lay. He paid the money to prisoner Davis but the prisoners were together. Davis said he would return 5s of the money to his master and the rest he would keep himself. The prisoner Beavan heard all but said nothing. The same evening he went to the Asbury’s beer house at Harlington and the prisoners had the beer. The policeman had since taken possession of the wood. The prisoner Davis said the odd bits were his own, meaning the timber he had sold him, except the 2 long bits and he must lay down pay 5s for them as he could not sell them under that value. Charles Schofield: a contractor living at Clapham in Surrey. In the month of June or July he bought from Mr Keys of Birkhamstead some timber lying at Harlington. The 2 prisoners were in his employ and shortly after he had purchased it, he sent them to cut it up there. They were to cut it up into 10 feet rails – 7 foot posts and 5 ½ foot middle posts. They had no right to sell any portion of it. The prisoner Beavan had worked for him for 8 years and knew his habits of dealing. He had never employed Beavan as top sawyer. PC John Thorogood: on 7 August he went to the house of the witness Ellis at Harlington and fetched away 26 pieces of timber which he understood to have been stolen. He afterwards took the prisoners in custody at Harleston near Northampton and told them the charge. Davis said he had not stolen any timber and had only sold some firewood and that was in the presence of the foreman. Davis said he did not know Ellis and he had not sold any wood except to Asbury. On the way to Northampton he said he should not have sold the wood only the foreman would not pay his expenses to Wellingborough and so he sold the wood for 7s to pay his expenses. They had half a gallon of beer for sawing down 3 butts. Beavan said he had nothing to do with it and Mr Schofield was not his master. Davis paid him and he was present when the money had been paid. He had taken part of the beer but none of the money. Beavan said Davis told him he had accounted for the money in his returns and he did not know what he had. The wood was measured by Mr Schofield’s foreman. William Fowler: he lived at Deadman’s Cross in Bedfordshire and he was Mr Schofield’s foreman. On 7 August he examined some timber at Ellis’s house at Harlington and there was 19 pieces. He measured them; most were butts. There was one piece12ft long by 5 ¼ girth and another 12ft 3 long by 5ft girth, The other pieces were of similar sizes. He believed the value of the timber to be about 30s. The prisoners under no pretence whatever should have any right to sell such wood. They had sold offal wood and accounted for the money but it was wood he authorises them to sell. It was some tops and of no use. Davis was a man he depended upon and he made no agreement with Beavan. Beavan was paid through Davis. Statement of the accused: William Davis - he told the policeman that he had not accounted for it. The reason he did not was because he was not allowed the money it had cost him and therefore did not have enough to carry him to his other work. He would otherwise have settled. Charles Beavan – Davis told him he would account for it with Mr Fowler and he did not know that David had not.

item

Davis, William,
Beavan, Charles,
Horspool, Charles,
Ellis, Philip,
Schofield, Charles,
Thorogood, John,
Fowler, William

HARLINGTON, Clapham [Surrey], TODDINGTON, Deadman's Cross, Harleston, Berkhamstead, stealing, timber, contractor, farm bailiff, foreman