QSR1845/4/5/14

Depositions and examination - Daniel Sinfield

14 August 1845

From: 1845 To: 1845

William Peters – he is a farmer living at Crawley and has a brick yard at Ridgmont Well End. He had a quantity of coals there on 9 August. Sinfield was employed there as a watcher and to attend to the fire in a kiln he had there. The kiln and coals are within a fence. Sinfield had no right to be out of the fence until relieved by another workman in the morning. John Welch – he has employed Sinfield at Mr Peters’ brick yard as a bricklayer’s labourer and watcher. On 9 August there was a quantity of a peculiar description of coal used for burning bricks. Sinfield was paid at his house and left between 8 and 9. Daniel Herbert – he is a brick burner for Mr Peters. On 9 August he and Sinfield went together to Mr Welch’s at Lidlington to get paid. When he left Sinfield there he told Sinfield he must be at the brick yard at 11 o’clock to attend to the fires and Sinfield said he would. This was about 7pm. He left the brick yard about 9pm. George Reynolds – he is a wheelwright at Ridgmont. He was going home down Well Road on Saturday night about 11pm. He met Sinfield and another coming up the road from Mr Peters’ brick yard. Sinfield had a lump of coal under his arm, he should think about ½ cwt, and another lump was lying on the road beside the man who was with him. They were about 200 yards from the brick yard. Sinfield threw down the coal. He asked Sinfield “what have you got here?” He saw and felt the coal and it was the same description of coal used by Mr Peters fro brick burning. He said “that’s wrong of you Daniel”. Sinfield said “don’t say anything, I’ll carry it back” and he then picked it up, took it to Mr Peters’ brick yard and threw it on a heap of coals lying there. He did not promised not to say anything if Sinfield took it back. He told Mr Peters the next morning. James Parrott – he is a police constable stationed at Aspley. He went about 12pm on 13 August to Sinfield’s house and apprehended him for stealing the coal. Sinfield said he had been drinking at his master’s and cmae home about 11pm. If he had not been about 3 parts drunk he would not have taken it. Sinfield asked if anyone had told him how large the bit was that he had. He said he had heard it was about ½ cwt. Sinfield said “Saturday night was very dark and Reynolds could not see how large the bit was”. Daniel Sinfield – Reynolds never saw him take it out of the yard nor take it back. He was 100 yards away from the coal when Reynolds called him back and asked what it was. Reynolds said if he took it back he would not say anything. The policeman never told him what he took him in custody for. He never told the policeman what he says he did. They never spoke 10 words all the way. He never took the coal out of the yard.

item

Sinfield, Daniel,
Peters, William,
Welch, John,
Herbert, Daniel,
Reynolds, George

RIDGMONT, Ridgmont Well End, Crawley, stealing, coal, farmer, brick making, kiln, brick burner, wheelwright