QSR1855/3/5/30-31

Depositions of John Spring, farmer of Goldington, John Spring the younger and Thomas Tillyard, police constable of Bedford. In the case of William Webb and Henry Buck, labourers of Goldington, accused of stealing a gun.

2 June 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

John Spring: in the early part of March, he believed the first Wednesday, a gun laid in a field in Goldington that had just been sown with peas. He had laid it on the ridge of the land and had forgotten the gun, leaving it there all night. He missed the gun next day. Buck had been working for him in the field. In consequence of something his son told him, he went to the Webb’s lodging in Goldington. Mrs Buck produced the gun. He fetched the gun away the same day and on the same night Webb came to him. Webb said he understood he had taken the gun and said he was innocent and he bought it from a man coming from Bedford. Webb sad he gave a shilling for it. John Spring the younger: son of the last witness. About a month previous he had seen the gun in Webb’s hand. He knew the gun was his fathers as he had shot with it. He told Webb who allowed him to examine it. PC Thomas Tillyard: on 26 May he apprehended William Webb. He charged him with stealing he gun. Webb said he had bought the gun on a Thursday night, about 7pm against the poplar trees leading from Goldington from a person he did not know. Webb said the person had been alone. He apprehended Buck who said he would speak the truth and should be locked up. Buck stated he went to the hedge to do a job for himself and saw the gun there. Buck said he left it a few days and mentioned it to Webb and Webb told him to bring it back so he did. Samuel Armstrong: he remembered when Mr Spring’s peas were set. He saw buck cross the field and pick up the gun in the middle of the field. He took the gun away.

item

Webb, William,
Buck, Henry,
Spring, John,
Tilyard, Thomas

GOLDINGTON, BEDFORD, stealing, guns, farmer