QSR1856/1/5/16

Depositions of John Pilgrim, dealer of Wootton, Thomas Eyles Church, licensed victualler of Wootton, Thomas Benson, labourer of Wootton and George Cheney, sergeant of police of Kempston. In the case of Richard Cooper, labourer of Wootton, accused of stealing 24 pounds weight of meat.

31 December 1855

From: 1855 To: 1856

Thomas Pilgrim: a dealer. He left 20 pounds weight of beef in a cart on 22 December. He left the cart outside the Cock. The beef was in a cloth. He left the cart for about an hour and in consequence of something he heard, he looked in the cart and missed the beef. Thomas Church produced the beef tied in a cloth about an hour after it was missed. He rode home with Church in the cart. Benson rode home with him and was with him when he bought it. Thomas Church: he lived at Wootton and lived at the Cock public house. Cooper , himself, Benson and Pilgrim looked round his house on 22 December for some beef. They all came into the house and he went into a farm yard about 20 yards from his house. He saw a cloth lying on a ditch over a hedge. Benson fetched the beef from the ditch. They took the beef to the cellar. Mr Pilgrim saw the beef in the cellar. Thomas Benson: he rode from Kempston to Wootton with Mr Pilgrim on 22 December. Pilgrim bought some beef at Kempston and put it into a cloth and took it to Wootton. He and Pilgrim went into the Cock public house. He missed the beef. He went with Church to a ditch near the house and saw the beef wrapped in a cloth in the ditch. He fetched it out and took it to Church’s. He went a lay in the ditch and laid some shop food where the beef had lain. Copper came to the place about 11.30pm and took his handkerchief up. He asked him what he was doing and he said he was looking for the beef. Sergeant George Cheney: he apprehended the prisoner and Cooper told him he had paid some money and made it up. Cooper said he paid 6s 6d to the men who had lost their nights rest and that Pilgrim said he would have nothing more to do with it unless Cheney got hold of it. John Pilgrim: Cooper came on the Sunday 23 November and said he hoped he would not think anything more of it. He told Copper it was a bad job that he’d had it. Copper said he had never had it and never knew there to be beef in the cart until it was lost. Copper said he had a large family and had never been in trouble before. He told Copper he would forgive him and told him to pay the men for losing a nights rest.

item

Cooper, Richard,
Pilgrim, John,
Church, Thomas Eyles,
Benson, Thomas,
Cheney, George

stealing, meat, dealer, licensed victualler, WOOTTON