QSR1846/1/5/3-4

Depositions and examination - Rhoda Barker and Sarah Goodwin, charged wtih stealing 3 pecks of beans value 2s 6d from Edward Lawford at Leighton Buzzard on 11 October 1845

7 November 1845

From: 1845 To: 1846

Samuel Hopkins of Leighton Buzzard, butcher – he occupies land in the open field of Leighton Buzzard. Edward Lawford occupies some land adjoining his. He saw the two prisoners and 3 or 4 boys on Lawford’s land. When the caught sight of him they all went off. He saw the boys had bags on their heads. He saw the boys put the bags under a haulin cock on some adjoining land. He went up Barker and Goodwin and said “I have told you not to come here again”. He took out 5 bags which all contained beans in the hull. When he saw the prisoners and the boys they were among the shocks of beans and appeared to be taking the beans off the shocks. He informed Lawford. He has beans in the field of his own. He counted 70 sheaves on one were without a bean upon them. The two women appeared to be directing the boys, who were not more than 8 or 10 years old. Robert Valentine, foreman for Mr Lawford – from information he received he went on Monday 13 October to the land where the prisoners had been. He found a great quantity of beans had been pulled off and the straw thrown on the ground. The beans produced correspond with Mr Lawford’s. John Chapman, police constable at Leighton Buzzard – he had Goodwin in custody that morning. She asked if it was better to say she had a bag of beans or not. He told her to tell the truth. She said she should say she had a bag of beans. Rhoda Barker – she never did anything wrong before that she knows of Sarah Goodwin – nothing to say.

item

Barker, Rhoda,
Goodwin, Sarah,
Lawford, Edward,
Hopkins, Samuel,
Valentine, Robert,
Chapman, John

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, stealing, beans, butcher, foreman, police constable