QSR1856/1/5/5-6

Depositions of Henry Keep, farmer of Carlton, John Gayton, labourer of Carlton and John Pengilley, rural police constable of Harrold. In the case of George Masters and Robert Ward Skevington, accused of stealing a quantity of wheat, 7 sacks and a wheelbarrow.

4 December 1855

From: 1855 To: 1856

John Gayton: a labourer in the employment of Mr Henry Keep of Carlton. On 20 November he was taking straw from a stack standing just outside the yard of the Upper Farm in his master’s occupation. He saw, lying under the stairs, a sack containing corn. He called the foreman, Joseph Baines, who came and untied the sack. It contained between a bushel and a half and two bushels of wheat. They left the sack in the same place and about half an hour later Skevington came and asked him if he had found any wheat. He told Skevington he had not. He told him so because the foreman told him to keep it quiet. Mr Keep was sent for and came to see the sack and the wheat. John Pengilley: about 10am on 21 November he was advised by Mr Keep of the discovery of some wheat in a sack under a heap of straw in Upper Farm. He went to the farm and found it still there. He received information from Keep that he suspected Skevington of stealing the wheat. He sent the sack of wheat to his house at Harrold and charged Skevington with stealing the wheat. Skevington denied the charge at first but afterwards said he would tell him all about it. Skevington said that Masters had taken the wheat on 19 November and put in into the sack and together then had placed it under the straw. Skevington was told not to say anything. He took Masters into custody on the same evening at his house in Odell. On searching the house he found a bushel of beans in a sack marked ‘C & K’, a quantity of wheat flour in an unmarked sack, 5 sacks marked ‘J Coling – Carlton’, a sack marked ‘G Battam’ and a wheelbarrow in the yard. There were also 2 hares and 2 pheasants in the house. He took the prisoner to Harrold to his house and Masters said he would like to go to see Mr Keep and ask him to overlook it and forgive him. Masters said they would go hard on him as he had been in gaol before. He took Masters to Mr Keep at Carlton. Masters asked for Mr Keep’s forgiveness and said asked about beans and flour said he had taken the beans a month ago with the assistance of Skevington. Masters said he had taken the flour from the lodge about a fortnight ago and had it ground. He took Skevington to the lock-up in Harrold and Skevington said he would tell Penguilley about it the next day. Next day, Skevington said Masters had dragged him into the mess and that Master had taken the beans a month ago with his help. Skevington said he had taken the wheat on 8 November and Masters had not been present. He took samples from the recovered wheat and from the bulk in the barn. Henry Keep: he occupied a farm in Carlton which had formerly been occupied by Mr Coling and they had been in partnership. He believed the 7 sacks marks ‘C&K’ ‘J J Coling – Carlton’ and ‘J Coling – Carlton’ belonged to him. He had seen the sample of wheat produced by the police officer and believed they compared and were from the same heap. He also compared the beans and believed them to be those he missed. He had also missed a wheelbarrow from his premises. Masters had been in his employment as a gamekeeper and had nothing to do with the farm. He had given Masters authority to go to the foreman and ask for barley for the pheasants. Masters had been employed since 13 May and he had never paid him his wage in corn nor had he sold him any. The wheat was worth about 16 shillings and the beans about 6 shillings. The sacks were valued at a shilling each and the wheelbarrow at 6 or 7 shillings. Statements of the accused: George Masters – he kept dogs at his house for Mr Keep and the sacks had been used to take meat for the dogs. The barrow he had used for the dogs. The corn was that which he used to give to the pheasants. Richard Ward Skevington – nothing to say.

item

Masters, George,
Skevington, Robert Ward,
Keep, Henry,
Gayton, John,
Pengilley, John,
Coling, J.

CARLTON, farmer, stealing, wheat, sack, wheelbarrow