QSR1855/3/5/5

Depositions of John Crouch, farmer of Woburn, Richard Sinfield, labourer of Woburn, his wife Ann Sinfield, John Olden, police constable of Woburn and Amelia King, the wife of James King, labourer of Woburn. In the case of Richard Green, labourer of Potsgrove, accused of of stealing a peck of oats.

16 April 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

John Crouch: farmer of Woburn. He had some oats threshed in the barn. He knew the prisoner but he had no business upon the farm. On 6 April he was informed by 2 women, Amelia King and Ann Sinfield, whose husband where in his employ, that the prisoner had been seen in the barn and it was suspected he had stolen some oats. On 11 April he went to the spot that the 2 women pointed out, just inside the wood near his farm. He searched among the grass and leaves and found 19 grains of oats. There were the same white oats as he grew. The value of a peck was 10 pence. He applied for a summons against the prisoner which was returned on 18th but the prisoner did not attend and a warrant was issued to apprehend him. The prisoner had bought a sheep from him and did not know the prisoner went to the barn to fetch a bottle. Richard Sinfield: was employed by the prosecutor as a labourer. On 5 April, the day before Good Friday, he put 2 bushels of threshed oats in the prosecutor’s barn. Crouch had some colts which he fed with the oats. He was in the habit of going to the barn for that purpose 2 or 3 times a day. On Good Friday morning he took some of the oats to feed the colts and in the afternoon he went to the barn again for more. He noticed some of the oats had gone. The oats were in the barn for the express purpose of feeding the colts. No one in his master employ had any business taking the oats. They were white oats. On Wednesday he went with his master to a wood near the farm and just inside the gate picked up a quantity of oats. He had not told the prisoner to bring beer up there. Once when the prisoner had come up he had offered him a bottle to drink and asked whether there was another sheep for sale. Ann Sinfield: wife of Richard and they lived on John Crouch’s farm. On the afternoon of 6 April she saw the prisoner go into the prosecutor’s barn. He had nothing with him at the time. Before he went into the barn he stopped and turned towards the house. There was nobody about at the time. After he had been in the barn for about 2 minutes he came out with something bulky in his smock and his coat pockets. She watched him but he could not see her as she was upstairs in her cottages. She saw him go to a cart which was inside a wood gate near the prosecutor’s farm and about 30 yards from where she lived. She saw him take a bag from the cart. She came downstairs and went to him to tell him she would tell Mr Crouch. The prisoner appeared confused and said she was a good for nothing foolish woman if she said anything about it. A woman by the name of King was with her at the time and the prisoner certainly did not have bottles in his smock. She pointed out the prosecutor the point where she had seen the prisoner’s cart, just inside the wood gate and where she had seen him take the bag. The prisoner did have a stone bottle which contained about 3 quarts. He had not been in theocrat when she came up to him. Amelia King: lived in the house adjoining Ann Sinfield. She was informed by Sinfield that the prisoner had come out the barn with some things in his smock and his pockets. She immediately went and saw the prisoner had something in his smock which he held up at the front as an apron. He also had something in both of his coat pockets which appeared bulky and stuck out. She tried to meet him as he was going from the farm yard but as soon as he saw her he turned off in order to avoid her. She turned back to her house and next saw him standing by his cart in the wood close by. He was moving something from his smock to a bag. She went p to him and told him he was doing something not right and he appeared confused. He said she was a good for nothing foolish woman to make bother about it. She asked him what he had been to the barn for and he said he had gone to see if thee was a sheep there. He was not carrying beer bottles. She was speaking to the prisoner when Ann Sinfield came up and the prisoner left them together with his horse and cart. She afterwards pointed out the exact spot to the prosecutor had stood. PC John Olden: on 10 April he served the prisoner with a summons to appear at the Woburn Bench on 13 April on a charge of stealing oats. The prisoner said it had been bottles of beer in his smock. The prisoner absconded after he was served with the summons. A warrant was issued to apprehend him. Statement of the accused: he went to Mr Crouch’s on Good Friday to see if there was ever a sheep there. He took a bottle of beer and asked Sinfield where the other bottle was empty that he might take it away. He went to the barn and saw the bottle and took it away in his smock to the cart. He went away.

item

Green, Richard,
Crouch, John,
Sinfield, Richard,
Sinfield, Ann,
Olden, John,
King, Amelia,
King, John

WOBURN, POTSGROVE, stealing, oats, farmer