QSR1855/4/5/1-2

Depositions of John Thomas Gilbert, miller of Eaton Socon, Alfred Joseph Thurgood, miller of Eaton Socon, William Bedlow, constable of Eaton Socon and Henry Ison Jebbett, superintendent of police of Bedford. In the case of William Hookham and John Britain, both of Eaton Socon, accused of stealing 6 bushels of wheat.

20 July 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

John Thomas Gilbert: he was miller to Mr John Hobson of Eaton Socon. On the morning of 17 July he was on the top floor of the mill. Mr Hobson’s gang of boats was lying at the time in the mill pit and was connected with the bank by means of a plank. The boats were unloading. From information received he went to the end window and he saw the prisoner William Hookham, who was the foreman boatman of the gang, cross the plank from the bank and pass over 2 boats into a third boat. Hookham was carrying a sack full of something. Hookham put the sack in the empty boat. He read ‘Bowyer’ in red letters on the side of the sack. He later saw the sack in the hands of PC Bedlow containing about 6 bushels of wheat offal. He had previously seen the sack on the grinding floor of the mill. He had been suspicious that property had been taken at various times. After he had seen Hookham take the sack he had got away from the machinery and went down to the grinding floor where he missed the sack which he had observed the previous evening and that same morning about 6.30am. It had been the duty of John Britain to have been on the grinding floor between 6 and 7am, he had seen Britain there about 6.30am and the machine was at work. The sack of wheat offal would weigh about 14 or 15 stone. He did not believe Hookham could have positioned the sack on his shoulder alone. The door to the grinding floor was always kept shut and he did not believe anyone could move about the floor without the person in charge of the grinding floor being aware. The wheat offal was not used for any purpose nor sold. Hog meal would be delivered out of that floor for Mr Hobson’s pigs. It would have been Britain duty to remove the sack of offal from the spout when filled. Britain would have known what the sack contained. On 17 July there were 2 sacks of hog meal on the grinding floor. The sack of offal was in another place on the grinding floor. Hookham had to come to the floor to obtain ground oats, beans and bran for his horses but not until he started on his journey with the gang of boats and he had no business on the floor for anything on the Tuesday morning. Alfred Joseph Thurgood: one of Mr Hobson millers. Between 6 and 7am he had been on the 2nd floor of the mill and had seen a man go by the end window with a sack on his back. He couldn’t say who it was but he saw him go on to the plank with the sack. The plank connected the boats to the bank. PC William Bedlow: from information received he went to Mr Hobson’s mill and got on board the house lighter boat. He saw a boy named Day and sent him for Hookham. He searched the boat and found the sack containing wheat offal. The sack was upright. He told Hookham he would take him into custody. Hookham said he knew nothing about it but he had had a sack of bran from John Britain that morning. Hookham later made a statement saying he had taken the sack from the first floor of the mill. Britain was apprehended the same day and charged. Superintendent Henry Ison Jebbett: on 20 July he was conveying Britain from Bedford gaol to Eaton Socon. Britain said that on the 17 July, just before he went for breakfast, Hookham the lighterman had come to his floor for a sack of offal. He assisted Hookham get it onto his back. Britain said he had on previous occasions delivered hog meal to the lighterman Hookham. On 18 July he had the prisoners in custody at Eaton Socon and the person with whom Britain lodged brought him a change of wearing apparel. The prisoner stated, in his presence, that he had not been on the floor when Hookham fetched the sack and must have been on the other floor talking to the other men. Britain said he had not been aware of the missing sack until after the returned from breakfast. He knew the sack had been standing by itself as he had moved it when he had been filled. Statement of the accused – William Hookham: it had taken it for the purpose of mixing it with the horse’s victuals. He had not taken it for anything else. Statement of the accused – John Brittain: all he wished to state was he had given it to Hookham innocently. He thought it was for Mr Hobson’s hogs as he had fetched it for that purpose before. [duplicate depositions and expenses attached]

item

Hookham, William,
Britain, John,
Hobson, John,
Gilbert, John Thomas,
Thurgood, Alfred Joseph,
Bedlow, William,
Jebbett, Henry Ison

EATON SOCON, stealing, wheat, merchant, miller, MILLS