QSR1855/3/5/26

Depositions of Abraham Wing Crouch, farmer of Ridgmont, Moses Freeman, labourer of Ridgmont and William Ralph Young, superintendent of police of Woburn. In the case of John Lawson, labourer of Ridgmont, accused of stealing 2 bushels of barley.

25 May 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

Abraham Wing: on 11 April, Moses Freeman told him he had found a bag hidden in the chaff on his premises. In consequence he set Freeman and another man to watch that night. The next morning a bag was brought to his house by Freeman containing some barley oats and pollard. It was principally barley and the pollard appeared to have been put in to conceal the barley. He compared the barley with that in his granary and it corresponded exactly. He had no doubt the barley was his property. The prisoner had been in his employ for 15 years and was living on his farm at the time this took place. The value of the barley was 7 shillings. Moses Freeman: was in the employment of the prosecutor at Ridgmont. On 11 April he found a bag in the chaff house of his master’s premises. He told his master of it and he was set to watch with another man. He watched all that night and about 3.30am the prisoner went into the stable and almost came out with a bag on his shoulder. He spoke to the prisoner and asked him what he had got, to which the prisoner replied a bag which he was going to empty. Freeman felt the bag and said there were oats inside; the prisoner made no reply. Freeman took the bag and the contents to his master. The bag contained barley oats with a bit of pollard at the top. Superintendent Young took a sample out of the bag and a sample from the bulk at his master premises. Superintendent William Ralph Young: on 12 April he went to the prosecutor’s house at Ridgmont and took a sample of barley out of a bag and took 2 samples of barley from the bins in the prosecutor’s granary. Statement of the accused: it was his first time and he was wrong and sorry for it. He hoped it would be made a right as it could.

item

Lawson, John,
Crouch, Abraham Wing,
Freeman, Moses,
Young, William Ralph

WOBURN, stealing, barley, farmer