QSR1856/1/5/11-13

Depositions of William Mellard, clerk of Caddington, William Wadsworth, innkeeper of Luton, John Dell, labourer of Caddington, Charles Seabrook, corn dealer of Luton, Samuel Pope, superintendent of police of Luton, William Lawrence, police constable of Luton and George Smith, police constable of Luton. In the case of Charles Conquest, George Conquest and George Gazely, accused of stealing a quantity of meadow hay.

3 December 1855

From: 1855 To: 1856

William Wadsworth: keeper of the George Hotel at Luton. He bought several loads of hay of the Reverend William Mellard of Caddington. One load was delivered at his house on 28 November. Charles Conquest, George Conquest and George Gazely were hay binders and the cart belonged to Gazely. In consequence of information received he counted the hay as it was put in the loft. He asked Gazely if he had any hay from the load and was told no. He asked if some had not been left at Impeys. Gazely said the quantity was right. He told Gazely to wait there, the 2 Conquests were present. He knew Windsor Street and it was not the direct road from Caddington to his house. The direct road was Chapel Street. He went with Mr Seabrook to Impey’s house and found 3 trusses of hay lying outside the door. He compared it with some of the hay delivered to his house and it appeared of the same sort. Impey was present when they found the hay and said that he was not aware it was there. When he returned to his yard, the 2 Conquests and Gazely were gone. Impey said he was not at home when the hay left and that he knew nothing about it. John Dell: a labourer employed by Mr Mellard at Caddington. On 28 November Charles and George Conquest were employed by his master to truss up some meadow hay and he saw them loading it onto George Gazely’s cart. Charles Conquest was pitching it in and George Conquest was loading it. Gazely was there. He was employed by Mr Mellard to take it down to Mr Wadsworth’s. He had watched the cart go towards Luton. They were to take the hay to Mr Wadsworth’s not to Impey’s. He did not know how many trusses there were in the cart. Caddington was about 2 miles from Luton and the road was bad. They left about 5 o’clock. His master sold Impey hay at different time the previous year. Charles Seabrook: a corn dealer at Luton. On 28 November his attention was drawn to a cart load of hay coming out of Windsor Street into Chapel Street. James Impey lived in Windsor Street. Gazely was leading the horse. The 2 Conquests were on the path. No person coming through Luton to Caddington would go down Windsor Street. He followed the cart and saw Mr Wadsworth at the George Hotel. He went to Impey’s house and saw a light in the stable and called for Impey. He asked if Conquest had left hay there and saw some in the street. He went to the stable and it looked as if hay had been taken off a cart. Impey said he was not at the house when the hay had been left. When he had seen the light he had looked trough the boards and seen Impey doing something with a truss of hay. He told Impey to take it off his premises and address those who had left it to say he did not want it. He went back to Mr Wadsworth and he asked Gazely if he had left hay on the road. Gazely said no and that they had come straight from Caddington. Gazely was asked if he had left hay at Impeys and he said he had not. He went with Wadsworth to Impey’s and there saw 3 trusses of hay lying close to the stable. He called for Impey who came out. Wadsworth asked how he had come by the hay and Impey said he didn’t know why it had been left. They went to speak to Impey’s wife, who had been present, and she said Charles Conquest looked in the back door and asked if Impey was home and she had replied no. Conquest said he would call again. PC William Lawrence: on 28 November he was sent to take charge of some hay lying outside Impey’s stable door. After he had been they a while, Impey came and said he had not been home when it was left. He thought the Conquests had brought it. Impey said he hoped they would not think about doing anything to him as he had not been there when it was delivered and he had helped move it to then police station. Superintendent Samuel Pope: he took Charles Conquest into custody on 28 November. Conquest said he had not stolen the hay himself but his brother had told him Impey wanted some hay and he should take him some. Charles Conquest said he had told him he had better not rat as they would get into a mess about it. The same night he apprehended Impey and charged him with receiving the hay. Impey said he had not seen the Conquests for months and found the hay left at his house. He had been unable to apprehend Gazely until morning as he had absconded. Gazely then denied all knowledge. He compared samples of the hay with that at Mr Mellard hay station and believed it to be the same. PC George Smith: he apprehended George Conquest on 29 November, who said he had not stolen any hay. He said he had been at Caddington with his brother binding hay and he did not know if any had been left at Impey’s. Conquest said the others might have left the hay and that he had come home behind the cart. Conquest was taken to Bedford the next day and he said it was the first time he had been in trouble and he hoped the last. Conquest said he had left hay at Impey’s but did not know what had tempted him to do so. Conquest said he had not had much work lately and had not earned a shilling a week for the last 3 weeks. Conquest said it was very easy for him to get into trouble but not so easy to get out of it. He said he was sorry. William Mellard: he employed Charles & George Conquest to truss up some hay and employed Gazley to take it to Mr Wadsworth’s at Luton. He did not authorise them to leave any hay at Impey’s. They had been to take 36 trusses. Statements of accused: nothing to say.

item

Conquest, Charles,
Conquest, George,
Gazely, George,
Mellard, William,
Wadsworth, William,
Dell, John,
Seabrook, Charles,
Pope, Samuel,
Lawrence, William,
Smith, George

CADDINGTON, LUTON, stealing, hay, clerk, innkeeper, corn dealer